Gala night cheers YOSS

Hundreds of community members across the spectrum of age, neighborhood and affiliations, filled the ballroom of the Sands Atlantic Beach in Celebration of Yeshiva of South Shore’s 59 Years of Jewish Education on Sunday, March 13.  

It was a fitting tribute to Rebbetzin Tzirel Kamenetzky, of blessed memory, who for more than half a century led the growth of the Five Towns Jewish community as the aishes chayil of her husband, Rav Binyamin, who founded the yeshiva and all of its off shoots and many other Torah institutions in the community.

Rabbi Kamenetzky announced the establishment of a yearly scholarship in memory of his mother, and with the gracious pledge of a donor and the UJA, the establishment of an endowment fund that will help furnish this scholarship in perpetuity. 

State Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan delivered a powerful assurance that under his tenure he and his state Republican Party will do all they can to help yeshiva parents. He pledged to work to easing the burden of tuition by passing an education tax credit and push for increase in security funding for yeshivas.

YOSS then paid homage to its dinner honorees: Guests of Honor Dovid and Faygie Meisels and Parents of the Year Dr. Dovid and Batsheva Friedman. Joe and Faye Tannenbaum and Joseph and Rosalyn Jaspan were memorialized through video tributes by their children and grandchildren.

The highlight of the evening was a video tribute to the life of the Rebbetzin Tzirel Kamenetzky and the presentation of the Legacy Award to her 3 daughters, Rebbetzin Surrie Knobel, Rebbetzin Esther Wilhelm, and Rebbetzin Shani Lefkowitz, each who personify her legacy as leaders in their respective communities.

The evening was capped off with a video presentation that featured teachers and rabbeim of the yeshiva. It was a delightful spin to see the yeshiva through a teacher’s eyes. The joyful interaction between student and teacher left the crowd enthused, only to be buoyed by an amazing celebration of song and dance produced and directed by Rabbi Shlomo Drebin and the YOSS fourth grade.