HALB Celebrates Long-Serving Faculty Members

The Hebrew Academy of Long Beach (HALB) recently hosted a special dinner to honor the dedicated faculty members from its four esteemed divisions: Lev Chana Early Childhood Center, HALB Elementary School, SKA High School for Girls, and the DRS Yeshiva High School for Boys. The event served as a heartfelt tribute to those retiring from HALB after more than two decades of exceptional service, as well as to acknowledge the unwavering commitment of several longstanding employees.

The highlight of the evening was the recognition of eleven esteemed faculty members (Barbara Herman, Rabbi Eli Brazil, Bob Deutsch, Brocha Kresch, Barbara Martin, Rocky Green, Rabbi David Friedman, Helene Teper, Suzy Libin,

Sheila Leibtag, and Phyllis Gorfinkel) who bid farewell to HALB after dedicating more than 20 years of their lives to the institution. Colleagues and friends came together to deliver touching tributes to the honorees, expressing deep gratitude for their contributions to the HALB community. The retiring faculty members have left an indelible mark on HALB, shaping the lives of countless students throughout their distinguished careers.

In addition to honoring the retirees, HALB bestowed a special award and recognition upon 37 employees who have served the institution faithfully for over 25 years, including longtime HALB teacher Mrs Joan Meshenberg who has served HALB for 56 years! This remarkable achievement is a testament to their unwavering dedication and loyalty to the institution.

The dinner provided an opportunity for the HALB community to come together and celebrate the collective accomplishments of these outstanding educators. Their tireless work and devotion have played a pivotal role in nurturing a supportive learning environment, fostering intellectual growth, and instilling cherished values within the students of HALB.

As HALB bids farewell to these exceptional educators and celebrates the remarkable careers of its long-serving employees, the institution looks forward to continuing its mission of inspiring generations of students to excel academically, grow spiritually, and become future leaders in their communities.

Talmidim of Rabbi Mendelson’s Shiur End Year With Annual Trips

Rabbi Mendelson’s eleventh-grade shiur at MTA has been busy this entire year. To celebrate their end-of-year accomplishments, the talmidim went on a couple meaningful trips with their rebbi to mark the occasion. One such trip was to visit the shul of Rav Aharon Kahn, Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshiva University, where over 100 ba’al habatim spend their mornings learning, before heading to work in the afternoon. It is an incredible sight, seeing so many adults in the professional world who have dedicated their mornings to Torah learning before heading to the workplace. This practice has now been adopted in other Shuls, and we hope it will continue to spread. The talmidim enjoyed a BBQ at Rabbi Mendelson’s home following this visit.

Another trip that has become a tradition in Rabbi Mendelson’s shiur is taking a trip to the Little Red Lighthouse. There is a children’s book that was written about this lighthouse, and it is located on the New York side, at the base of the George Washington Bridge. Walking the few blocks from the Yeshiva and being treated to a beautiful view of the East River at the base of the bridge is al-

Five Towns/Far Rockaway Jewish Library

Many children have a turning point in their lives when they begin to read, not just as a school requirement but because they find reading fun! That happened to me in fifth grade when I started reading A to Z Mysteries and Junie B Jones. One day, my mother started taking me to the Five Towns/Far Rockaway Jewish Library. After that, I read many Jewish children’s series books, like Bakers Dozen and Burksfield Bikes Club. The library always had a quiet and pleasant atmosphere and the shelves were stocked with books.

I am still going to the Five Towns/ Far Rockaway Library, although quite a few things have changed and many awesome things have stayed the same since my childhood days. The shelves are still filled with the latest books, although they moved to a bigger location in order to have enough room for all the books. Every time I go, a new novel, comic, or biography is on the shelf. The atmosphere is still quiet and pleasant. The yearly membership is still just $25 a year for 8 books.

That leaves me with 8 different genres I can pick to read from for the two weeks after that!

The library is still open every Sunday morning from 10 AM to 12 PM and Tuesday evening from 7 PM to 9 PM, although they hope to extend their hours. I am no longer reading Bakers Dozen or Burksfield Bikes Club, but I am still enjoying books from the Five Towns/Far Rockaway Library.

Stop by one day and check it out for yourself! The Library is located in the big ways a highlight. To cap off the trip, the talmidim stop for pizza and doughnuts on their return to the Yeshiva University campus. spacious room on the lower floor of 25 Central Ave (Shaaray Tefila) in Lawrence, NY. They have a special membership rate for families who join now! It is only fifteen dollars for eight books from now till the end of the year! The library is also looking for volunteers to come organize books, check books in and out, and just hang around! You can get a free membership like that!

Thank you Rabbi Mendelson for helping our talmidim grow in their Torah learning throughout the year and treating them to unique experiences as well!

Can’t wait to see you there!

Rambam’s Class of 2023

Rambam Mesivta graduated its 27th class on June 19, 2023, to the rousing applause of faculty, staff, parents, family members and students.

North Woodmere resident Azaria Sussman, the class valedictorian, spoke about the people he has met who have had a tremendous impact on their communities.

“When you meet people who do extraordinary things and see how ordinary they are, you realize you too can make an impact on the things you care about,” Azaria said, exhorting the class to use their strengths to better the world.

Rabbi Yotav Eliach, principal of Rambam Mesivta, spoke to the graduates about making the most of their experience at yeshivot in Israel next year.

“Next year is about immersing yourself in the study, culture, and practice of

Torah. Nowhere is better suited for this than Eretz HaKodesh – Medinat Yisrael!” Rabbi Eliach said.

In addition to the valedictorian, Benjamin Gross of Cedarhurst was named as salutatorian and Gavriel Friedman of Brooklyn was the recipient of the Keter

Shem Tov award.

The graduates were: Eli Bruckenstein, Ami Dube, Boaz Duftler, Zev David Engelsohn, Gavriel Friedman, Shmuli Glick, Benjamin Gross, Joseph Kalbo, Tzvi Katz, Yehudah Kestenbaum, Noam Klein, Moshe Kopolovich, Yaacov Lazar,

Marcello Mimun, Mordechai Newman, Yitzhak Nissani, Meir Perl, Chai Redner, Akiva Roffe, Yehuda Rumstein, Yaakov Schaffran, Joseph Shedlo, David Stricker, Azaria Sussman, Samuel Vulakh, Menachem Weiss and Ari Zuntz.