(Courtesy of TABC) Torah Academy of Bergen County will hold its 40th Annual Dinner on Sunday, January 4. The Annual Dinner, TABC’s main fundraiser of the year, is an opportunity to both express gratitude to its esteemed honorees who give generously of their time, energy and resources, and to come together to celebrate TABC’s role in the community and the collective accomplishments of its students and faculty.

This year, TABC is proud to pay tribute to Guests of Honor Rachel and Azi Mandel, Service awardees Bonnie and George Silfen, and Faculty Recognition awardee Rabbi Ben Krinsky ’05.

Guests of Honor Rachel and Azi Mandel personify commitment to Jewish education and to the future of klal Yisrael. Together they have selflessly served TABC with passion, determination and generosity through exciting growth and unprecedented times, always with an eye toward making TABC the best it can be for the 300 young men who call it home. Azi served as president for three years, harnessing his business acumen, drive for excellence, team management style and forward-thinking approach for the benefit of the yeshiva. He has also served in many leadership roles in the greater Jewish community: Azi is a past president of RYNJ where he had tremendous impact in areas relating to the school’s development, facilities and quality of education. Additionally, he served on the executive board of SINAI Schools and helped foster RYNJ’s partnership with SINAI. Azi currently serves as a national vice president of the Orthodox Union and, professionally, is managing member of Treetop Companies.

“Azi’s unwavering leadership and expertise in areas of the school’s structural organization, financial resource development, budgeting and facilities have made an incredible impact on TABC that will be felt for years to come,” current TABC Board President Chayim Kirschenbaum said. “We are so fortunate to have benefited from his wisdom and unwavering leadership, and look forward to his continued involvement for years to come.”

Rachel, of course, was by Azi’s side throughout his time as president of TABC—no small task, and vitally important to the success of his presidency. She was and continues to be available to help in any capacity, opening the Mandel home for programs and events, giving sound advice and serving as a proud and insightful TABC ambassador. She is very involved in many community organizations as well, having served on the RYNJ PTA Board for 16 years, as a Chesed 24/7 volunteer, an iShine volunteer and as a shadchan through YU Connects. The Mandels exemplify commitment to volunteerism and communal responsibility, and TABC is privileged to be one of the many organizations which have benefited from their unparalleled commitment to community institutions.

Bonnie and George Silfen are well known in the community for their deep involvement in so many diverse organizations and causes. A school psychologist by profession, Bonnie has devoted the past two decades to her volunteer work, from serving in nearly every parent role at Yavneh Academy, including YPAA president and longtime board member, to stints as Sisterhood president of the Young Israel of Teaneck for 10 years, Ma’ayanot Board member, and her work with JFCS, Emunah, the Teaneck Mikvah, Yeshiva University Women’s Organization, and, of course, TABC. She has served on the TABC Board for the past 11 years, dedicating her time and energy to many initiatives, including co-chairing the TABC Dinner for many years (including this year’s), hosting parlor meetings, organizing meet and greets and sports dinners, running parent association programs, launching the TABC apparel store, chairing the Scholarship Breakfast, and more.

For the past 26 years, the Silfens have also been co-presidents of a nonprofit yeshiva scholarship fund that provides tuition scholarships for public school students who transfer to yeshiva day school. George’s well regarded and popular weekly shiurim take place in multiple community shuls and in the beit midrash in their home. He has served as a Partners in Torah mentor and teacher for over 28 years, making a profound and lasting impact on multiple chavrutas. He is a member of the Advisory Council at Congregation Keter Torah and previously served on the board and as gabbai of Young Israel of Teaneck for 15 years. George, a lawyer by profession, received semicha and recently published the Hebrew sefer “Vayeverach Shlomo” on parsha and Moadim. He is currently a registered funds partner at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP. Together, the Silfens are generous supporters and incredible ambassadors for TABC. “They truly exemplify service, both to TABC and to the wider community, and we are proud to honor them with this year’s TABC Service Award,” Sharon Rifkind, TABC’s director of institutional advancement, said.

TABC faculty honoree and alumnus Rabbi Ben Krinsky ’05, is in the third stage of his TABC life. During his first stage as a TABC student, Rabbi Krinsky was captain of the College Bowl team and a member of the chess and science Olympiad teams, holding leadership positions on both and earning medals for the school. Most significantly, it was during his years at TABC that Rabbi Krinsky internalized the messages his rebbeim and teachers taught him about the importance of being both learned in Torah and general knowledge. After graduating in 2005, he studied for two years at Yeshivat Sha’alvim. When he returned to the U.S. from Israel, he attended Yeshiva University, majoring in mathematics and computer science. While in college he moved into the second stage of his TABC life, returning to give chaburot at TABC on Fridays. After college, Rabbi Krinsky stayed at YU to complete his master’s in education as well as semicha.

In this latest stage of his TABC life, Rabbi Krinsky teaches both math and Chumash and exemplifies the importance of Torah Umadda to TABC’s students. He is an enormously popular teacher who is serious in the classroom but knows how to relate to our students and have fun outside of it. Rabbi Krinsky founded and advises TABC’s Sports Club and can be found cheering on TABC students at games and competitions, going on trips, joining shabbatonim, dancing at chagigot and being an overall positive presence in the school. “He is the definition of “all-in,” according to Rabbi Shlomo Stochel, TABC’s head of school. “Rabbi Krinsky embodies the TABC mission and personifies its values as an alumnus of TABC and as a beloved rebbe and math teacher. His collegiality, commitment to us as a yeshiva, and his engaging, witty and modest personality are just a few among Ben’s many superlative qualities that make him especially deserving of this honor.”

The funds raised from the Annual Dinner are directly earmarked for tuition assistance. Contributions to the Bruce Ritholtz z”l Scholarship Fund will help ensure that all of the young men in our community, regardless of family finances, will have access to the TABC experience.

To register/donate, please visit tabc.org/dinner2023 or contact [email protected].