Ma'ayanot Annual Dinner

December 2011/Kislev 5772

Dear Parents and Friends,

We are pleased to announce that Ma’ayanot’s Annual Scholarship Fund Dinner will be held iy”h on Saturday evening, March 3, 2012 at 8:30pm at Congregation Keter Torah in Teaneck, New Jersey. At this year’s dinner, we are delighted to be presenting three awards in recognition of outstanding service to our school. Our annual dinner is dedicated to underwriting Ma’ayanot’s scholarship program and is the only major fundraising campaign for the year.

It is a distinct pleasure to present this year’s Founders Award to Gail and Terry Novetsky. Gail and Terry have devoted their energy and resources to Ma’ayanot from its inception, giving selflessly of their personal time and talent, as well as generously providing critical financial support. Terry played a major role in the formation of Ma’ayanot and in establishing the principles and vision upon which the school is founded and operates. He is a founding member of our Board of Directors and has also served as a Vice President of our Executive Board, providing over the span of many years, sage advice, counsel, guidance and perspective in a multitude of areas. In addition, Terry has been instrumental in selecting leaders for our school who were and are well qualified to implement Ma’ayanot’s educational mission and philosophy. Gail served on the Board of Education for three years and was our dynamic parent speaker at our Open House on two occasions. Their son Yosef is a graduate of TABC, Yeshivat Har Etzion and Yeshiva University, and is currently pursuing his PhD in Chemistry at The John Hopkins University. Their daughter Michal, Class of 2007, attended Migdal Oz for two years and is a senior in the Honors Program at Stern College. After graduating in Ma’ayanot’s Class of 2010, Rikki attended Migdal Oz and is currently in her freshman year at Barnard College. Tamar is a member of Ma’ayanot’s Class of 2012, and Binyamin is a 7th grader at Yavneh Academy. We are excited to recognize Terry’s and Gail’s tireless efforts and extraordinary devotion and commitment to Ma’ayanot.

The Ma’ayanot Parents of the Year Award will be presented to Aliza and Kalman Staiman, also longtime contributors to Ma’ayanot in many capacities.  Aliza has served on the Board since 2004 and has played a critical role in our recruitment efforts.  Their oldest daughter, Leora, a member of the Class of 2005, attended Sha’alvim for Women and Stern College and attained a degree in Occupational Therapy from Columbia University. Shiffy, Class of 2006, married to Noam Friedman and mother to Avital, attended Migdal Oz, then Stern College and is currently pursuing a double masters in Jewish Studies and Education at NYU, as well as working as an assistant 6th grade teacher at SAR.  Atara, Class of 2009, attended Sha’alvim For Women and is now at Stern College majoring in Jewish Education.  Etana is a member of this year’s graduating Class of 2012.  We are proud to honor Kal and Aliza for their many years of service to Ma’ayanot.

We are delighted to present this year’s Faculty Recognition Award to our Guidance Department: Dr. Rayzel Yaish, Mrs. Nechama Becker, and Dr. Oshra Cohen.  Dr. Yaish, Mrs. Becker, and Dr. Cohen bring experience, warmth, and deep insight to their work with our students.  The relationships that they build, and their dedication to each one of our students, contribute profoundly to creating a school culture that nourishes personal and emotional growth.  Dr. Yaish, who has been at Ma’ayanot since 2007, is our Director of Guidance and works with this year’s ninth and eleventh grades.  Mrs. Becker, the tenth grade guidance counselor, was a member of our Jewish History faculty from Ma’ayanot’s inception until 2003. She returned to Ma’ayanot in 2006 as a member of the guidance team after earning her M.S.W.  Dr. Cohen, who has been at Ma’ayanot since 2009, is the guidance counselor for this year’s twelfth grade.  We are grateful to be able to honor the members of our Guidance Department for their contributions to Ma’ayanot and to our students’ lives. 

Ma’ayanot faces an increasing scholarship burden in this ongoing difficult economic environment. Your participation in this year’s Dinner will allow Ma’ayanot to continue to provide aid to a growing number of families experiencing financial pressure. This year, our scholarship fund distributed over $1,000,000 in financial aid and we anticipate even higher amounts may be necessary next year.  Please feel free to call us with any questions or suggestions or to volunteer your help with this very important event.

Please join the Ma’ayanot family on this special evening by attending our dinner and by contributing generously to the scholarship campaign as we show Hakarat Hatov to these most deserving honorees. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PLEDGE FORM FOR OUR SCROLL OF TRIBUTE.

We look forward to greeting you on March 3rd.

Thank you for your support.

Menachem Schnaidman

President