דתי

על

ך ר

דSpring 2016 Derekh L’Atid

Pathway to the Future

The Levines helped build the Academy from a dream to a reality.

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Table of Contents

Visit the Eagles Emporium online ....................................................................................... 3

Thank you to our volunteers! ............................................................................................... 3

The Levine Family: The Academy from dream to reality ................................... 4-8

Academy Honor Society renews focus on tikkun ‘olam .......................................... 5

Happy Purim from the American Hebrew Academy ............................................. 11

Academy Brick Campaign ........................................................................................... 12-13

Student Amy Frankel initiates tikkun ‘olam project ...................................... 14-17

IRA Charitable Rollover benefit is permanent! ...................................................... 17

Academy notecards ................................................................................................................ 18

Thank you to our donors ............................................................................................... 19-23

Support the Academy ............................................................................................................. 24

דרך לעת’דDerekh L’Atid Pathway to the Future Spring 2016

Assistant Director of Institutional Advancement, Parent and Alumni Relations Ellen Green 336.217.7056 egreen@americanhebrewacademy.org

Director of Communications Hillary Zaken 336.217.7057 hzaken@americanhebrewacademy.org

Media Services Specialist Phil Cathcart 336.217.7000, ext 5014 pcathcart@americanhebrewacademy.org

Contact Information: Derekh L’Atid Office of Institutional Advancement American Hebrew Academy 4334 Hobbs Road Greensboro, North Carolina 27410 Phone: 336.217.7100 Fax: 336.217.7011

Photographs courtesy of: Amy Frankel Mark Spielman Rosie (Levine) Vayner Hillary Zaken

American Hebrew Academy Governance

Founder

Chico Sabbah, z”l 1929-2006

Board of Trustees

Leeor Sabbah, Chair New York, New York

Glenn Drew, Chief Executive Officer Greensboro, North Carolina

Marsha A. Cohen Washington, DC

Joel Fleishman Durham, North Carolina

Douglas Greene Fernandina Beach, Florida

Larry Heyman New York, New York

Bonnie Lipton Chicago, Illinois

Jehuda Reinharz, Ph.D. Waltham, Massachusetts

Scott Shay New York, New York

Michael Steinhardt New York, New York

Abe D. Tawil, MBA, MA, MD, JD New York, New York

Joseph Weilgus New York, New York

Academic Advisory Board

Joel Fleishman, Co-Chair Duke University Durham, North Carolina

Lee Shulman, Co-Chair Stanford University Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Stanford, California

Sharon Feiman-Nemser Brandeis University Waltham, Massachusetts

Rabbi Daniel Gordis, Ph.D. Shalem Foundation Jerusalem, Israel

Christoph Guttentag Duke University Durham, North Carolina

Ira M. Miller Ramaz School New York, New York

Samuel S. Wineburg, Ph.D. Stanford University Stanford, California

On Front Cover: Rosie Levine ‘04, and her mother, Mary Block Levine

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To Our Volunteers!Mrs. Miller’s Life Skills Class from Grimsley High School

David Weiner Stacey Papier

“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.”

The official American Hebrew Academy Eagles Emporium is available online!!

Shop until you drop at the Eagles Emporium official online store! Here you may purchase all sorts of Academy branded products to suit many styles and tastes.

Please visit: https://www2.americanhebrewacademy.org/eestore or click on the Eagles Emporium logo to enter.

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“I am sure Chico is looking down on the school with a very big smile.”“Just imagine going to that school,” Mary Block Levine told her daughter Rosie in 2001, “It will be like moving into a brand new house that you build yourself, and having the chance to put on the finishing touches with your own hands. Nothing else will ever be so new.”

Mary Block Levine wasn’t exaggerating.

When Rosie Levine, today a newlywed completing her MBA at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, first set foot on the American Hebrew Academy campus as a student, the classroom buildings were under construction, and the existing buildings were surrounded by huge puddles of mud. As one of the original halutzim (pioneers) who made up the first graduating class at the Academy, Rosie was one of the students who helped shape the character of the new school.

“I thought it would be a very cool experience to go to a new school and be part of the first graduating class,” Rosie shared. “Apparently, I was the first student to be interviewed. I remember them (Dr. Kee specifically) driving me around the American Hebrew Academy when it was basically just land.”

As the youngest child in her family, Rosie was ready to move away from home when her older brothers left. Her family believed in the value of boarding school – both Mary Levine and Rosie’s father, who died when she was very young, had attended boarding

school – but the desire to leave home at such a young age came completely from Rosie, Mary Levine explained.

“We are a combined family, and Rosie grew up with three older brothers who set high standards for her,” Mary shared. “Rosie’s father died in 1991 when she was just five, and a year later I met my current husband, Alan – who is really Rosie’s dad – and he had 2 sons.”

The family stayed in New York for another two years, then moved to Florida, and finally to California, where they settled. (l to r) David Goldstein, Chas Levine, Alan Goldstein,

Rosie (Levine) Vayner, Ben Goldstein (1992)

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“We are so lucky that our combined family works so well. The kids truly grew up as siblings. And so when the boys went off to college, Rosie was ready to leave too,” said Mary.

Rosie had been unhappy with her school situation in California, and decided that boarding school was the right choice for her. She explained: “I looked at schools in CA, my stepfather learned about AHA from a Jewish newspaper and since it was in NC where we have a lot of family, I decided to look at it as well.”

But Mary Block Levine had not expected her daughter to choose the American Hebrew Academy, and for more than one reason.

“We always did Friday night dinner as a family,” Mary shared. “And we were sitting down to Shabbat dinner one night, and the boys were getting their college acceptance letters, and they were all excited and talking about where they wanted to go, and across the table, there was Rosie with her acceptances. And out of the blue she said to us, ‘I think I want to go to that Jewish school in NC,’ and we were all surprised. We had all been trying to get her to commit, to decide what school she wanted to go to, and she just decided on her own. At that young age she already knew what she wanted.”

Mary was not only surprised by the conviction of Rosie’s decision, but also because at that time, the American Hebrew Academy was still only a dream.

“When we did our tour visiting schools and visited Greensboro, the site of the Academy was a mud pit. Literally a mud pit. And that was partly why I was surprised that she chose it – there was nothing there. Literally nothing. No buildings, just a sea of mud,” Mary described. “And when Rosie finally got to school, there were dorms, but no classroom buildings. There was a dining hall, but the kids were transported by bus over to a nearby church for their classes, and that went on for three or four months.”

But the dream of the American Hebrew Academy was very alive on campus, embodied by visionary founder Chico Sabbah z”l, who was a large and active part of the life of the school. “He was around quite a bit, and certainly like a grandparent to all those kids, and they loved him,” said Mary. “It was a warm and wonderful Jewish community.”

While Rosie had grown up in a strongly identified Jewish home with an active Jewish family life, the community in Rancho Mirage, CA, where she was raised, was not a young one.

Mary explained: “We were delighted that Rosie chose the American Hebrew Academy because we had tried to create a Jewish life for our kids, but it was difficult where we lived. The kids went to a private school – not a Jewish one – and we belonged to a little Modern Orthodox synagogue, but there were few kids there, and they were not ones my kids gravitated toward. We went to services on Saturday, and we celebrated holidays, built a sukkah, tried to create a Jewish home.

(l to r) Ben Goldstein, Rosie (Levine) Vayner, Roman Vayner, Chas Levine, David Goldstein

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My husband is very learned and had a huge amount of Jewish knowledge he was able to impart on the kids, but across the board, a young community was lacking.”

It was that strong Jewish community that had attracted Rosie when she decided to attend the American Hebrew Academy: “It really helps to instill a sense of Jewish identity in high school students. While my parents and family had some part shaping [my Jewish identity], being surrounded by it in high school added a whole new level and dimension. It also is an opportunity for students who wouldn’t normally have a big Jewish community growing up to have one. I had Jewish friends in CA, but the overall young Jewish community was certainly lacking. AHA gave me that experience.”

Rosie looks back on those days as formative and important not just because of the Jewish identity she developed on campus, but also for the bonds she made with her peers: “As the first students of a school, it was very much a bonding experience. We experienced 9/11 together on our second day on campus and relied solely on Internet since TV wasn’t set up yet!”

But by the time the campus buildings were finished, the school boasted state-of-the-art facilities that were technologically far more advanced than many colleges and universities.

“The physical plan of the school is exceedingly impressive,” noted Mary Levine. “I was so impressed with the smartboards and the learning tables and the laptops. It was so ahead of its time in 2001, and even today it is still so far ahead of any other school. But not only that, most importantly, Rosie was able to learn how to apply her Judaism, her Jewish identity, to modern society. She was taught different perspectives, ethics,

and applied Judaism in this amazing environment. And as one of the first students, Rosie went to school for free, so I feel that it is my obligation to support the American Hebrew Academy always. I will always support the school in some way, however I can.”

The halutzim, the first American Hebrew Academy students, helped shape the character of the school. These students not only wanted to be leaders, they were expected to be leaders: “We had so many opportunities to start clubs and take on leadership roles. The three most important things I took away from my time at the

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American Hebrew Academy Students

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Academy were the friendships I made, my Jewish identity, and those leadership qualities,” shared Rosie

But it wasn’t always easy being the first students at a brand new school. Rosie explained: ““The Academy had a lot of growing pains while we were there and we often joked that we were guinea pigs, but I think we all bonded over that. A majority of my best friends today are from AHA.”

Mary also spoke of the strength of the friendships formed on the campus, and the importance of creating lifelong friendships. She reminisced about her youth in Wilmington, NC, and of the friends she still has today from youth groups she participated in:

“We never got any youth organizations to really happen here in California, so growing up here was different than in a major Jewish city, or a place with active youth groups – there you can chose your level of Jewish involvement, but my kids didn’t have that choice. In Wilmington, NC, where I grew up, we had all kinds of youth groups, and I made lifetime friends, deep seated relationships. At the Academy, Rosie built amazing friendships which are an extraordinarily important part of her life. These women are still there for her, still a part of her life. I have had the pleasure to see them at regular intervals over the years, because they were like Rosie’s family. They are all truly lovely, accomplished young women. Just amazing to me.”

Rosie concurs about the friendships forged at the American Hebrew Academy: “We all kept in really good touch through college, planning trips to see each other every year. For a while quite a few of us were living in DC after we graduated college, which definitely brought us much closer together. Two of my bridesmaids were from AHA (Sarah Press and Lila Miller Toub) and Lila married us. It was so special that she was our officiant and it made the ceremony so personal. She was with me the night I met Roman, so she knows him very well.”

After her graduation from the Academy, Rosie attended George Washington University, where she majored in Business Administration with a concentration in Event Management, and minored in Exercise Science. After a successful career as an event planner in Washington DC, Rosie came to the conclusion that she didn’t love her career, so decided to return to school to earn an MBA. She will be graduating from Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business in May.

Levine was also married this past September to her husband, Roman Vayner, an attorney, and the couple and their beloved dog, Penny, will move to NYC this coming summer, where Rosie will launch a new career at Citi as an HR management associate.

(l to r) Sarah Press, Johanna Gruen, Rosie (Levine) Vayner, Lila (Miller) Taub, Samantha (Levy) Flick

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Mary Levine credits the American Hebrew Academy with helping Rosie become such a confident, independent woman: “Boarding school teaches kids to be independent, and Rosie definitely learned that,” Mary shared.

Rosie concurred: “I think I learned a lot about myself and what I wanted next in my life. I think I matured much faster and was more responsible in college. The transition from high school to college was also tremendously easier for me.”

She added: “Even if my future children don’t end up at the American Hebrew Academy, I’m certain that I will make sure we live in an active Jewish community so they can have that experience. That desire definitely stems from AHA. I truly believe my Jewish identity is infinitely stronger because of my experience at the American Hebrew Academy.”

“There are amazing kids coming out of that school,” Mary Levine concluded. “I read HaGesher and I am so proud of the accomplishments of these kids. They are absolutely amazing. I am sure Chico is looking down on the school with a very big smile.”

Continued...

Mary and Rosie on Alaska Cruise in 2014. Final mother/daughter trip before grad school and wedding.

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American Hebrew Academy Honor Society renews focus

on Tikkun ‘OlamWhile it is well known that the members of the American Hebrew Academy Honor Society must maintain high grade point averages, it is less well known that Honor Society students are also leaders in the community, carrying out tikkun ‘olam projects both on campus and in Greensboro.

The Academy’s Honor Society was developed to acknowledge exceptional Jewish students who demonstrated excellence in academics, leadership, service to community, and character, but activities on campus had been limited in recent years.

This school year, the members of the Honor Society, under the leadership of President Sophie Visscher-Lubinizki (‘17), took it upon themselves to improve the organization. Sophie spearheaded the resurgence, championing the revision of the Society’s constitution.

Sophie explained: “To begin the process of reviving the organization, a new constitution was drafted to ensure that every member was aware of the goals of the society and was prepared to guarantee that they will be achieved. As part of the new constitution, a contract was implemented which every member was required to sign. The contract simply obligated the students to commit to a regular community service commitment and uphold the various goals of Honor Society to ensure that every member remains active… and since January they have had incredible success.”

Honor Society officers Jake Papier and Hillel Friedland (Vice Presidents), Julianne Schneider (Sophomore Rep), and Hannah Pritzker (Freshman Rep) have also taken active roles in the revitalization of the Society, organizing such varied projects as a campus cleanup, book drive, and now, launching a toiletry drive in collaboration with the Interactive Resource Center (IRC) a refuge for anyone experiencing or who may experience homelessness in Greensboro.

“I could not be more proud of our honor society students and the tremendous example they are setting for our community,” said American Hebrew Academy Honor Society Faculty Advisor Mark Spielman, Director of New Student Recruitment. “Our students have been pro-active and are taking a great deal of initiative and in turn are learning how to be effective leaders.”

Hillel Friedland shared a bit about the Honor Society’s new project: “The IRC is an awesome program that acts as an innovative day resource center for people experiencing homelessness or

Freshmen Honor Society members carrying out campus cleanup

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trying to keep from being homeless.” He explained that the Honor Society goal is not only to gather toiletries from the American Hebrew Academy students, but hopefully from the greater Academy community, and maybe even the local Jewish community, to support the shelter’s inhabitants. The Society is running this project for the month of March 2016.

The Honor Society’s mission is to fulfill three main goals; for students to be active leaders, for students to be immersed in community service, and for students to maintain high levels of citizenship and school involvement.

“I personally think that doing tikkun ‘olam is a very important part of our lives, especially while we are in high school,” clarified Sophie. “I think I often take for granted the opportunities I have been blessed with such as coming to the American Hebrew Academy, and having a loving and supportive family. So many people have less than us and I think I sometimes forget that, so I like to set aside a lot of time to do community service so I am constantly giving back and using the skills I have learned from having such an amazing education to help those who are less fortunate.”

And the Honor Society has certainly ramped up its civic involvement. Every member now takes part in regular community service, either individually or in groups.

In the fall term, the Honor Society held a book drive in partnership with Beth David Synagogue, donating books to the synagogue. Some students launched individual projects such as tutoring on campus, teaching at Temple Emanuel’s Sunday School, and taking part in the Friendship Circle.

A group of sophomores and juniors participate in a weekly

tikkun ‘olam activity at the Out of the Garden Project, sorting and packaging food to be distributed to those in need. This project introduced students to volunteer work in the greater Greensboro community, where they learned about the serious food insecurity issues in the area while working to combat hunger and poverty.

Hillel Friedland spoke of the importance of such work: “I love doing tikkun ‘olam because however small a contribution you make, even if it is packaging and sorting bread, you have the capability to really change someone’s life for the better. It’s these small acts of kindness, even though they might seem trivial, that really make the world a better place and have such a huge impact on others lives. It’s really gratifying.”

Continued...

Honor Society members helping out with book drive at Beth David Synagogue

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The freshman class took on the group project of a campus cleanup, and spent every Sunday collecting trash and beautifying the American Hebrew Academy campus under the direction of John Furlough, Director of Facilities.

As Sophie said: “In just their first year at AHA these students are already developing a greater awareness for the environment they live in and how much work it is to actively take care of it. They have decided as a group to photo and video document the process of their cleanups and in the future they hope to introduce the project to the greater AHA community in order to teach their fellow peers about the importance of maintaining campus.

Members of the American Hebrew Academy Honor Society understand that leadership is not only about getting the highest grades, but also being active in their community. The organization’s rebirth as a tikkun ‘olam focused group, brought about by the students themselves, will help all society members develop their skills, and empower them to be leaders today, and in the future.

Honor Society members volunteering at Out of the Garden Project

Happy Purim!From everyone at the American Hebrew Academy

American Hebrew AcademyThe International Jewish College Prep Boarding School

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Derekh L’Atid דרך לעתידPathway To The Future

Be a part of American Hebrew Academy history

Derekh L’Atid, Pathway to the Future, the American Hebrew Academy Brick Campaign has been hugely successful. The walkway into the campus’s beautiful and picturesque Gardens of Israel grows with attractively engraved bricks commemorating, celebrating, memorializing, and honoring friends and family worldwide.

What a beautiful way to acknowledge a very special birthday, anniversary, graduation, pay tribute to a friend or a loved-one, or remember someone who left an indelible mark on your life.

Orders may be placed at any time. Below is a picture of the bricks currently on the pathway. Detailed information as to how you may place your order for a brick is outlined on the next page.

Bricks in place on the Pathway to the Future

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Student Amy Frankel initiates tikkun ‘olam project with “Save a Child’s Heart”The American Hebrew Academy helps foster lifelong commitments to tikkun ‘olam

Even before Amy Frankel came to the American Hebrew Academy, she believed that giving back to community is the Jewish way of life. And at the Academy, she was introduced to a wide range of new and meaningful ways to perform tikkun ‘olam (community service), including the project she is currently championing: Save a Child’s Heart, an Israeli non-profit dedicated to providing urgently needed pediatric heart surgery and follow-up care for indigent children from developing countries.

It was during her junior year at the American Hebrew Academy, studying at Alexander Muss High School in Israel, that Amy was introduced to Save a Child’s Heart.

Amy shared: “During the junior trip to Israel, we were given the opportunity to volunteer at Save a Child’s Heart, which was definitely one of the highlights of my amazing experience in Israel. We learned about the pro-bono surgeries that they do, and got to see the result of all their hard work firsthand. These kids needed heart surgery that they would otherwise never be able to have. As someone who is interested in medicine, I thought that this was such an incredible way to help children who were otherwise not able to live a full and happy life.”

American Hebrew Academy students are taught the value of tikkun ‘olam during their high school years through active participation in community service, social action, and the pursuit of social justice, and instilling the desire to change and improve the world. Students are required to fulfill tikkun ‘olam hours for graduation, but most exceed the requirement due to the strong commitment to the Jewish ideals taught at the Academy.

Amy came to high school with significant community service experience, having grown up in a family that valued all forms of charitable involvement. From a young age, Amy and her family volunteered through both synagogue and school in numerous projects, including an annual “Adopt a Family” event, buying and wrapping presents for families for Christmas, helping at the Winter Nights Shelter making and serving meals or babysitting for the children of the shelter residents, and picking fruit from local farms for food banks.

It was when she was volunteering at the Winter Nights Shelter, a temporary homeless shelter hosted by churches and synagogues in the Bay area during the coldest part of the year, that Amy realized the importance of tikkun ‘olam.

“Playing with the kids helped me realize that no matter what they’ve gone through,

SACH’s logo, drawn by a 5 year old child after her life-saving surgery: “I had a dream, there were many colors over my bed, then a very big hand came in the middle of the night. We flew to a far-off country, and they gave me a new heart, and I could run and dance.”

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kids are kids. They have little to no control of their lives, and have to live in such stressful environments. It took a while for it to sink in that these kids were actually sleeping in tents at the church. When the homeless shelter wasn’t operating, they were actually homeless.” Amy explained.

“To me, spending a couple hours of my time didn’t really mean much, but to these little kids, it meant more than I could have ever imagined. Once, I spent the evening with the teenage clients at the shelter and it was amazing to see how much they were like me, talking about music and clowning around. Except that they didn’t have a nice comfy bed to go home to afterward.”

At the American Hebrew Academy, Amy was introduced to many new ways to do tikkun ‘olam. Academy students volunteer at food banks, with special needs children, visiting old age homes, helping out the SPCA, and shelters for the homeless. The entire community comes together for school wide activities such as the Martin Luther King Day of Service, Greensboro’s Mitzvah Day, and the Guilford County Special Olympics, hosted on the American Hebrew Academy campus every spring.

As Amy said: “Volunteering at the Special Olympics was so touching because I saw how much it meant to the participants. It would be fun to be more involved with it. The American Hebrew Academy looks at many school holidays not just as days off, but as opportunities to serve the community.”

But as a boarding school student, it was difficult for Amy to spend as much time as she wanted volunteering at the causes she was passionate about. Although she was active in Mitzvah Day, and found time to volunteer at the local synagogue, Amy was looking for a project of her own, one that would not require arranging transportation. During her junior year trip to Israel, she found what she was looking for.

Juniors at the American Hebrew Academy spend a life-changing trimester abroad at the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, an experience that connects students to the land of Israel. The juniors are offered the chance to tour the Jewish homeland, improve their Hebrew, learn firsthand about Israeli and Jewish history, and participate in numerous programs including at Save a Child’s Heart.

Amy Frankel volunteering with “Save a Child’s Heart”

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For Amy, the opportunity to volunteer at Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) was the highlight of her Israel experience.

SACH is an Israeli-based non-profit that works to improve the quality of pediatric cardiac care for children from countries where the heart surgery they need is unobtainable. The non-profit provides hospitalization, medical needs, travel, and room and board for pre-operative and post-operative care. The doctors, nursing staff volunteer their time, and the organization raises about $10,000 per child to cover all the other costs. In the US, the surgery to cure many birth defects involves relatively routine procedures. But in developing countries, these heart conditions are often a death sentence because they cannot be treated.

That volunteer experience was transformational for Amy. She explained: “We learned about the pro-bono surgeries that they do, and got to see the result of all their hard work firsthand. These kids needed heart surgery that they would otherwise never be able to have. As someone who is interested in medicine, I thought that this was such an incredible way to help children who would otherwise not be able to live a full and happy life. Making those children laugh was a highlight of my entire 10 weeks in Israel.”

One of the founding principles of SACH is their non-discrimination policy, which was especially meaningful for Amy. The emphasis on medical ethics, on the need to preserve life, a principle taught at the American Hebrew Academy, was a significant element in helping Amy make a commitment to support the organization.

Academy students volunteering with “Save a Child’s Heart”

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Amy explained: “The doctors are not thinking about where this child is coming from…just where they can go in life if they can be saved. A child is a child, and every child deserves the best medical care available. They have saved the lives of more than 3,800 children from 48 countries. The children are from developing countries, they are all from poor families, and they are all very sick. The children are all nationalities, many are Palestinian; it is a miracle to see Israelis and Palestinians work and pray and laugh and cry, side by side for the benefit of the children.”

So Amy took the initiative, and started an online fundraiser for SACH (https://www.causematch.com/projects/sach-amyf/). She plans to volunteer there next summer, but in the meantime, wants to remain involved with the cause: “I decided to set up an online fundraiser to sponsor a child who so desperately needs the surgery. At first I thought it was as simple as just setting up a web page, but now I see that it’s going to be a long road ahead to raise awareness as well as money.”

Student commitment to tikkun ‘olam is one of the founding values of the American Hebrew Academy. The projects that students volunteer with span the values of four major categories: Stewardship of the Earth, Visiting the Sick & Honoring our Elders, Hunger & Homelessness, and Education & Work with Children. The Academy encourages students to increase their community involvement, and espouse, as do Amy and many other students, their own causes.

After all, the American Hebrew Academy was founded on the dream of making the world a better place. Academy founder, Chico Sabbah z”l, lived a remarkable life enriched by his generous giving to others, and he hoped that the students who study at the Academy would do the same.

IRA Charitable Rollover Gifts: The IRA Charitable Rollover benefit is permanent!On December 15, 2015, Congress voted to make the IRA Charitable Rollover benefit permanent. Under the rollover provisions donors age 70 1/2 or older are able to contribute up to $100,000 annually from an IRA account and avoid federal tax consequences. When the amount withdrawn from the IRA account is paid directly to the American Hebrew Academy, it is not counted as federally taxable income. In addition, the IRA charitable gift amount counts against the donor’s required minimum distribution (RMD). However, the gift may not be counted as a charitable deduction on federal tax returns.

To make sure your gift will qualify for the tax-free status the following federal regulations apply: • You must be 70 ½ years of age or older • The transfer from your IRA must go directly from your IRA to the American Hebrew Academy • Married couples can each donate $100,000 from their individual IRA accounts • The gift must be an outright gift (Transfers of IRA gifts to donor advised funds, supporting organizations, charitable gift annuities, or charitable remainder trusts do not qualify.

Always consult a tax professional when thinking about making a major charitable gift or a gift under this law.

IRA custodians may send your gift to the American Hebrew Academy. Our federal tax ID number is 56-1985976. For more information about how to help the American Hebrew Academy, please call Ellen Green, Assistant Director of Institutional Advancement, at 336.217.7056.

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Student Art Notecards for SaleAmerican Hebrew Academy student art notecards are now available for sale. These beautiful cards showcase both current and alumni student art, displaying a wide use of creative media such as: photography, digital design, drawing, and painting.

Each set contains 18 cards (2 of each design, shown below), 18 matching envelopes, and 18 Academy seals for $36.00. The cards are blank on the inside so that a personalized message may be written. On the back of the card is a description of the American Hebrew Academy which elaborates on why our educational institution is so unique and the only school of its kind in the world.

To order, please send payment of $36 per set to:

American Hebrew Academy, 4334 Hobbs Road, Greensboro, NC, 27410 Attn: Ellen Green

You may also purchase online by visiting americanhebrewacademy.org/giving. Indicate in the box marked “Additional information about your gift:” Student Notecards

Thank you in advance for your support!

Hannah Ripps ‘12Julia Sagerdahl ‘14Paige Feldman ‘13

Elizabeth Ballin ‘15Sari Lerner ‘15Miriam McDonough ‘15

Sam Moldo ‘12Steve Robertson III ‘09Jerry Kurti ‘09

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It is with heartfelt thanks and sincere gratitude we acknowledge each of our Academy supporters who have generously donated charitable gifts from October 1, 2015 – March 15, 2016. We thank you for sharing in our vision to educate the best and brightest future Jewish leaders of the world. (We apologize in advance for any omissions we might have made.)

תודה רבה

Founders Society M’yasdim - מייסדים $50,000 and aboveKimberly & Larry Heyman To honor Joel FleishmanLeslie Rudd To honor Joel FleishmanSusan & Scott Shay

Academy Visionaries Holmim - חולמים $10,000 - $49,999The Daniel & Karen Berman Foundation To honor Joel FleishmanThe Russell Berrie Foundation To honor Joel FleishmanAndrea & Andrew BowenDr. Charlotte FrankJanice & Micah FrankelThe Highland Vineyard Foundation To honor Joel FleishmanOklahoma City Community FoundationTemma Silberman

Academy Leaders Man’higim - מנהיגים $5,000 - $9,999AnonymousJoann & William Cassell To honor Joel FleishmanShirley M. Drevich-MedlockMr. & Mrs. Peter Kahn To honor Joel Fleishman

Kimberly S. Bates FoundationBarbara & Jerome LevinLeeor SabbahZmira SabbahBlanche & Neil Sosland To honor Joel Fleishman

Academy Supporters Tomkhim - תומכים $1,000 - $4,999Marilyn, z”l and Edward BensonDavid Cohen To remember Marilyn Benson, z”lMarsha Cohen & Ted Kleinman To honor Sam Parris on the occasion of his Bar MitzvahKelly and Glenn Drew To honor Allison Naude To honor Eli Whitehouse Get Well to Laura Hausman Get Well to Patrick McMillan Get Well to Guy Rushkin Get Well to Zohar Vloski Mazel Tov to Sarah & Noah Domont on the birth of their son Mazel Tov to Rosie Levine & Roman Vayner on their marriage Mazel Tov to Micha Snitzer & Rachel Raskobs on their marriage Mazel Tov to Rose & Victor Ackermann on the birth of their grandson Mazel Tov to James and Dewi Kallman on the birth of their grandson Mazel Tov to David & Jenny Tawil and Family on the birth of their son and baby brother Mazel Tov to Ellen Green on the birth of her grandson, Arlo Sage Lagin Happy Birthday to Chanah & Gedaliah Rozen

todah rabah

20 American Hebrew Academy

The International Jewish College Prep

Boarding School

Continued... To remember Itzchak Soker, z”l To remember James Brower Clark, z”l To remember Harvey Lutins, z”l To remember Lillian “Bibby” Siegel, z”l To remember David Steinborn, z”l To remember Aron Katz, z”l To remember Abraham E. Bober, z”l To remember Dr. Harris Blum, z”l To remember Lorraine Karp, z”l To remember Raquel Marcus, z”l To remember Esther Shalom, z”l To remember Deena Lowenberg, z”lShoshana Dweck To honor Oliva Dweck To honor Joshua DweckSyril H. Frank To remember Walter A. Frank, z”lLinda & James GinsburgDr. Eric Kozlow, Allergy & Asthma Center of NCMelanie & Eric LobelJudy & Michael LewisJane & Ken LissNadine & Arthur OudmayerJodie & Ashley PezznerRochelle WeinerCarol & Lawrence Young To honor Shirley, Janis & Andy Fields

Academy Friends Haverim - חברים $18 - $499Rose & Victor Ackermann To honor Zmira SabbahMaurice AlleyPatsy & Perry AllredAmazon SmileHarold Anfang In honor of Zmira SabbahSuzan & Jon Antin To remember Marilyn Benson, z”lAnonymousAnonymousAnonymousKevin Aziz To honor Ashley Sikorski, Class of 2011Linda BaggishRita & Hayim BaronDan Benismhon In memory of Marilyn Benson, z”l

Heather & Paul BensonJudith & Neal Bergman Happy Birthday to Marsha CohenDebra & Andrew BirdPam & David BlaisOlga Blanga & Benjamin Amiga To honor the sophomore classCatherine & Tom Blottman To remember Marilyn Benson, z”lJack BlumenthalNina Bogdanova & Oscar AdlerDeb Brandt-Sarif & Theo Sarif To remember Benny Sarif, z”l To remember Larry Pollack, z”lJane & Terry BrandsmaAyelet & David BrandweinMartha & Saul BrennerJennifer BrownRachel Brown & Michael RossMichael Bruell In honor of the American Hebrew Academy and all faculty and staff for the amazing education he receivedIngrid & Jerry CassutoBeatriz & Ze’ev ChernysKilmeny & Michael ChernysPriscilla & Philip CherrinPauline & John CobrdaBarbara & Elliott CohenDeirdre & Larry Cohen To honor Joel FleishmanHarry Cohen PromotionsSylvia & Harry Cohen To remember Miel Stopak, z”l To remember Chico Sabbah, z”l Happy Birthday to Edith Lowy Happy Birthday to Oren Cohen Happy Anniversary to Edith and George LowyNancy & Scott CulclasureFenna & Christopher CorryDahlia & Matt CraterLouise CrownJada & Antoine DarganTommy DavisDonna & David DeGrootHeidi & Joel DiCicco To honor Rita Baron To honor Kathy Pinyan To honor Cody Perkins To honor Ziva London

21www.americanhebrewacademy.org

Marti & Don Digby To remember Marilyn Benson, z”lKarina Donde & Alejandro MerikanskasMyrna & Steven Dress To honor the birth of Isaac (Yitzchak) Meir DressKaren DresserJoyce Drew To honor Kelly Drew To honor Zmira Sabbah To remember Chico Sabbah, z”lPhyllis & Daniel Dunitz To remember Jesse Dunitz, z”lElisabeth Fagen & Michael FriedlandKim & David Faison To remember Marilyn Benson, z”lTheresa & Matthew FarberMiriam & Michael FauthAnne FedlerAlice & Marc FlitterPnina FogelTamar Forman & Michael SchwartzKim & Donald FreedmanAmy & Jeffrey FriedmanKim & John FurloughM. Gabbour To honor Ethan GabbourQing & Jeffrey Gabbour To honor Ethan GabbourGate City PharmacyJon GlazmanMary Goldenberg & Eric KoesterichMeryl & Jonas Goldstein To honor the sophomore classAliza Gotlib To remember Esther Shalom, z”lJane Rosen Grandon & Gary GrandonEllen GreenLeslie & Larry GrossmanHope Gruber Sarah Gulley & Josh NeasGuzman LandscapingCarol & Jerry Hall To remember Marilyn Benson, z”lMembere Hailu To remember Max Fedler, z”l To remember Esther Shalom, z”lMargot Hanono & Jacobo MizrahiSheldon HayerLawrence HeathIrene Heifetz To honor Bradley CyprusErica & Andrew Herman

Nina & David HoffRuth & Joshua HoffmanSteven HusseyDiana & Paul HymanTara Hyman-CupidLisa & Nehemia IchilovRobin & Baruch JacobsAlbert JacobsonMichelle & Stanley Jacobson To honor Nathan Chernys on the occasion of his Bar MitzvahThomas Jessup To remember Raoma Jessup, z”l To remember Al Jessup, z”lAlysia & Greg JoostNaomi & Stuart KaplanAbby KarpEvan KernDaniel KilimnikMila & Igor Kilimnik To remember Marilyn Benson, z”lJolyn P. KimmelElizabeth King To remember Marilyn Benson, z”lReid KlarsfeldSue & James KlauDinah Kleiman & Eleazar GoldbergAlexandra & Nehemia Kramer To honor Leo KramerSandra & Ron KrellenHarriet Langley & Rick von Ende In honor of Glenn Drew and Family In honor of Zmira Sabbah and FamilyLisa & Paul Lasovsky To Honor Lisa Lasovsky on the occasion of their 24th Wedding AnniversaryMarcia LawsonAlison & Mark LernerSusan & Eric LernerSandra & Richard LevinFrances & Dennis LeVine To honor Glenn Drew Mary Block Levine & Alan GoldsteinVicki & Art LewisHelen & Harold LindenthalDeana & Seth Linfield To Remember Dr. David & Esther Linfield, z”lJanet & Steve Lindholm To remember Marilyn Benson, z”lMary Ellen & Edward LoeblZiva LondonMiriam Lowenberg Black

Continued...

22 American Hebrew Academy

The International Jewish College Prep

Boarding School

Continued...Bea & David Mandel To remember Esther Shalom, z”l To remember Itzchak Soker, z”lHarry MandelEve & Alan MarcusAnita & Martin MastersonDarrell McDonaldAdam McDuffie To honor Chanel Shulman ‘12Kathryn & Patrick McMillanAlan MedoffAdinah Miller & David FederDonna & Ilan MizrahiMoel Inda FamilyAndrea & Larry Moldo To honor Samuel MoldoGina & Josh MossCynthia & Donald MurinsonJoan & Jeffrey MussEllen & Jeffrey NemhauserLinda & Fred Newman Happy Birthday Mickey Grossman Happy Anniversary to Mickey & Joshua GrossmanTina & Emanuel NewmarkSamra Nissan To honor Orit Chaya Bat Yehudit Anthony Nottage IIIPest Management Systems, Inc.Stacey & Phil Papier To remember Esther Shalom, z”l To remember Marilyn Benson, z”lCarole & Russell Pillemer To honor Jason PillemerKathy PinyanDebbie & David PleasantsHindy & Yosef PlokinBaila PranskyLaura & David PressLucy & David PritzkerBryna & Gregory RappElizabeth RamseyKaren & Lane RidenhourAmy RippsBernard Robinson & Company, L.L.P.Dana RobinsonSheree RosenkrantzRachel & Neil Rosenthal To honor Niles RosenthalAllen RossDanielle & Eric RossRonald RothWendy & Mark Rothman

Jodi & Leo Rubenstein To honor Rachel RubensteinWendi & Matt Sadinsky To honor Jackson SadinskyNataly & Arkady Sandler To honor Glenn Drew To honor Mila Kilimnik To honor Mark Spielman To honor Samra NissanVijaya & Anantha SankaranAnne & Robert SchneiderSchoolaNicole & Harris SchwartzbergRozanne SeelenLeeon Shamah To remember Zachary Shporer, z”lRichard ShanninNancy & Robert SharffAndrew ShawLisa & Fred Shporer To honor Alexander, Zachary, z”l, & Brianna ShporerDanielle & Jonathan SiegelManette & Steven SilbermanLinda & Howard Silverstein To remember Marilyn Benson, z”lLisa Simpson & Richard WittenbergDassi & Alan SklanLinda & Tom SloanRachael Smith-VaughanRichard SmithMonica & Benjamin SnaidermanJessica SnouwaertMichal & Shay SokerIan Solow-NiedermanTracey & Shanin SpecterRebecca & Mark SpielmanSylvie & Walter SpielmanMiriam & Jeffrey SpitzerRose Stein To remember Zachary Shporer, z”lWilliam A. Stern FoundationPamela & Robert Strell To honor Ruben Samuel on the occasion of his Bar Mitzvah To honor Daniel Ohana on the occasion of his Bar Mitzvah To honor Benjamin V. Hakim on the occasion of his Bar Mitzvah In memory of Murray Konecky, z”l In memory of David Steinborn, z”l In memory of Stan Goldberg, z”l

23www.americanhebrewacademy.org

To all of our donors, a heartfelt thank you, as your generosity enables the American Hebrew Academy to continuously lead the way in providing a unique learning environment, where our students are able to pursue their passions, challenge themselves and each other, and apply their knowledge, skills, and values to make a difference in the world, as they become the next generation of talented and spirited Jewish leaders.

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OmerIsrael Erika

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Ahuva‘11

Marilyn & Harry SwimmerSwimmer Insurance AgencyJenny & David TawilBarbara & Stuart TeichmanThe Isaac & Leah M. Potts Foundation, Inc.The Travel Store – Joyce TaylorSherryl Tomboulian & David Meadows To honor the sophomore classLuda & Yruly Vaynshteyn To honor Daniel VaynshteynNina Barcessat and Fabio Vasconcellos To remember Helena Julia Aben-Athar Barcessat, z”l and Jayme Barcessat, z”lOsnat & Zohar VloskiAnne & Terry Waranch To Honor Gary and Jane Rosen GrandonNatalia & Gideon Wasserberg To honor Nitzan WasserbergBrenda & James WatkinsKatherine & Mike WeaverSharon & Howard WeinbergKathleen Whitmire & Herbert BaumRobin & Gregg Wiener To honor Lacey Wiener

Cheryl Weinstein To remember M. Louis Weinstein, M.D., z”lEnida & Tony WelborneWells FargoMarilyn & Clayton WesterveltJennifer Whitaker & Tom ChristopherTammy WilliamsIrvin WilliamsonAbraham WolfVivian Wolf & Steve Robertson IITrudy & Alvin Wong To honor the Lee & Aaron Schandler Family To honor Linda Newman on the occasion of her birthday To honor Mickey Grossman on the occasion of her birthdayEthel Yari & Zola YariAlia & Igor Yasnogorodsky To honor Michael YasnogorodskyGina & Joseph YelinHillary ZakenJames ZeitlerCaryn & William Zoffer To honor Mollie Zoffer

Continued...

The American Hebrew Academy Thanks You for Your Generous Support Donate by mail, on-line, or phone.

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I am a: ○ Current Student ○ Current Parent ○ Current Grandparent ○ Faculty/Staff ○ Alumni Student ○ Alumni Parent ○ Alumni Grandparent ○ Friend

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* For descriptions of merit and need based scholarship funds, please visit our website and click on the admissions tab

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Email _____________________________________________________________________ To make your donation Online CLICK HERE or visit: http://americanhebrewacademy.org/giving

For further information, or to discuss additional giving options, please contact:

Ellen Green - 336.217.7056 or egreen@americanhebrewacademy.orgToll Free (855) 855-4334

○ Academy General Fund ○ Maimonides Scholarship for Academic Excellence ○ Chico Sabbah Merit Scholarship for Visionary Leaders ○ General Scholarship Fund ○ Gordon Zacks Scholarship for Student Leadership

○ Greensboro Scholarship Fund ○ Eagles Sports & Fitness Fund ○ Campus Tree Planting Fund ○ Theatre Fund ○ Zmira Sabbah Alexander Muss High School in Israel Fund

Return to: American Hebrew Academy, 4334 Hobbs Road, Greensboro, NC 27410 – Attn: Ellen GreenYour gift is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

American Hebrew AcademyThe International Jewish College Prep Boarding School