On Saturday evening, January 16, nearly 600 attendees gathered at the Marriott Glenpointe in Teaneck for Yavneh Academy’s 73rd annual dinner.
Guests gathered to celebrate the school and to pay homage to this year’s honorees—Paramus Mayor Richard LaBarbiera, Community Service Awardee, and Dr. Sarah Feit, Faculty Service Awardee. Co-chairs for the 73rd annual dinner were Yavneh parents Moshe Weinberger, Michael Wimpfheimer and Keith Zakheim.
Mayor LaBarbiera thanked the Yavneh Academy and spoke about the importance of community. The mayor, who played an instrumental role in helping to build Yavneh’s new gym, also spoke about the importance of physical fitness for children.
Dr. Sarah Feit, who was also celebrating her “bat mitzvah” year of being a Yavneh Academy administrator, stressed how Yavneh strives to meet the specific learning needs of each of the students attending the school. Through Dr. Feit’s dedication and innovative and enthusiastic approach to education, many Bergen County children have benefited from the Yavneh Learning Center and Yavneh’s inclusion program.
At the dinner, Yavneh President Pam Scheininger announced the establishment of the Judah Marans Memorial Fund, an effort spearheaded by his parents, Nina Kampler and Zvi Marans. The fund will enable the creation of the Judah Marans Music and Art Center at Yavneh Academy. Judah, a Yavneh graduate, was a gifted artist and musician and brought tremendous beauty to the world during his short life. The Music and Art Center will honor Judah’s contributions and enable the life which Judah lived to enhance the world through music and art—even in his absence. The fund has been set up through the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey and contributions can be made at www.jfnnj.org/judahmaransmemorialfund.
“It was truly a thrill to honor Mr. LaBarbiera, a man whose efforts have facilitated the growth of Yavneh’s physical plant, as well as Dr. Feit, whose efforts have facilitated the advancement and achievement of Yavneh’s lofty educational aspirations,” said dinner co-chair Michael Wimpfheimer. “Through the efforts of wonderful people such as these, the Yavneh family can confidently look forward to many years of continued growth.”
The funds raised through the dinner are critical in supporting our school’s annual fund. This fund enables Yavneh to continue providing all their students with top-quality educational programs and scholarship assistance, allowing the school to achieve its mandate of “affordable excellence.” For more information, please contact Michelle Weinraub at [email protected].
