MAY Class of 2008

Mesivta Ateres Yaakov will celebrate its annual dinner on Monday, May 14 at the Sands of Atlantic Beach beginning at 7:00 p.m. The entire community is encouraged to participate in this important annual event and pay tribute to the mesivta, its hanhalah, rebbeim, and faculty, as well its distinguished honorees.

MAY’s reputation as a premier makom Torah in the Five Towns community is recognized throughout the greater Jewish community. MAY has perfected its now signature blending of a serious, demanding limudei kodesh curriculum with a rigorous, challenging general studies program, while enveloping students in a warm, caring environment. Each talmid is embraced by the mesivta from the moment he enters with a steadfast commitment to his personal growth, academic success, and simchas hachaim. Every talmid becomes acutely aware of this relationship between him and his mesivta and realizes that this relationship does not end after four years of high school. “Rebbeim for Life. Education for Life. Torah for Life.”

The rosh hayeshiva, Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe, commented, “This year the mesivta is honoring grandparents, parents—both current and former—and students of the mesivta. It is a true embodiment of the genuine continuity engendered in Ateres Yaakov. Appropriately, the theme of this year’s dinner is Building Generations.”

Guests of Honor: Mr. and Mrs. Eliezer Allman

Guests of Honor: Mr. and Mrs. Eliezer Allman. Eliezer was born in Edmonton, Canada, later moving to Calgary. He attended Mesivta Ohr Torah in Riverdale, NY then learned in Neveh Yehoshua in Eretz Yisrael. He returned to New York to run Neveh’s North American office while earning his degree in business administration. For most of Eliezer’s professional career he was in the textile business, as well as being a passionate volunteer in a number yeshivas and other organizations. Eliezer was the founding president of the independent MAY yeshiva and was a huge contributor to its ongoing success. He is currently the executive director of JFS in Staten Island.

Gitti was born on Otis Air Force Base in Massachusetts, where her father was serving as an Air Force dentist. She grew up locally in Bayswater and then later in Lawrence. She graduated from Central High School in Manhattan and attended Brooklyn College where she earned her master’s degree in special education from Adelphi University. Since marrying Eliezer, she became a professional cake decorator, eventually starting her own business, Decorate My Cake USA.

Eliezer and Gitti are the proud parents of Rafi and Malkie, Effie and Dassy, Shmuly and Kelly, Zvi and Chevi, Mendy and Hadassah. Effie currently teaches forensic science at MAY, Shmuly works as the mesivta’s alumni liaison, and Zvi is the ninth grade sho’el u’meishiv. All five sons are proud graduates of Mesivta Ateres Yaakov.

Parents of the Year: Mr. & Mrs. Shimon Gross

Parents of the Year: Mr. & Mrs. Shimon Gross. Shimon grew up in East Flatbush and travelled a long journey each day to the Bobover Yeshiva in Boro Park. His parents, aleihem ha’shalom, were utterly devoted to the physical and, more so, spiritual wellbeing of Shimon. They made sure that their son received a proper hadrachah for life, planting in Shimon the desire to become an oseik b’tzarchei tzibur.

Shimon’s expertise is in the design, installation, and maintenance of all types of security, phone, audio, and video systems. He began wiring houses at age 10 and started his company, Crosstown Security Systems, at age 18. The mesivta has a tremendous amount of hakaras hatov to Shimon for his contributions to MAY’s systems infrastructure. Most recently, Shimon was instrumental in the construction of MAY’s new gymnasium, working tirelessly to gain the needed approvals that could have held up the schedule for months.

Shulamit grew up in Midwood and attended Prospect Park Yeshiva. She graduated from Hunter College with honors and later from Brooklyn College with a master’s degree in special education. She currently works for the family business and volunteers extensively. She served as president of the women’s league at Congregation Bais Medrash for two years and has been co-president of the MAY Women’s League for the past three years.

The Grosses reside in Cedarhurst with their four sons, all MAY talmidim. Shaya (2016) is a second year talmid at Yeshiva Toras Chaim in Yerushalayim. Eliyahu, Shlomo, and Yehuda are triplets all attending MAY. Yehuda is heavily involved in all G.O. and student activities, Eli is a steadfast, hardworking academic, and Shlomo is a ba’al tefilah par excellence.

Shimon and Shulamit chose Mesivta Ateres Yaakov for their sons because of the yeshiva’s high academic and hashkafic standards. They are proud of their sons’ many MAY accomplishments, and are especially proud of the relationships their sons have forged with their rebbeim.

Grandparents of the Year: Dr. & Mrs. Chaim Adler.

Grandparents of the Year: Dr. & Mrs. Chaim Adler. Happily married for 43 years, the Adlers currently reside in Lawrence and are staples at the Bais Medrash of Harborview, where Chaim is a regular attendee of Rabbi Kalish’s night kollel and is approaching the completion of his fourth cycle of daf yomi!

Chaim attended Telshe Yeshiva in Cleveland for High School and then went on to learn in Bais Medrash Bais Yosef Nevardok. He graduated from NYU Dental School and opened his popular family dental practice in Brooklyn where he has been practicing for the past 42 years.

Miriam is a certified yoga instructor, a certified real estate broker, and an accomplished pianist, having earned her college degree in music. After working over 10 years in the real estate field, she finds herself most comfortable in her role as supportive wife, mother, grandmother, and involved member of her community. She is presently extremely active in the N’shei of the Bais Medrash of Harborview and the local shidduch initiative, Aleinu l’Shade’ach. As granddaughter of the esteemed rav of Szerencze Hungary, Rav Menachem Pollak, zt’l, Miriam, together with Chaim, passes on to her children and to her community, the mesorah of which she is so proud.

Chaim and Miriam are proud grandparents of MAY talmidim Benny and Tzvi Adler. Benny, will be graduating from the mesivta this year and attending Yeshivas Imrei Binah in Eretz Yisrael next year. Tzvi is finishing ninth grade, completing the first successful leg of his MAY journey.

Celebrating the Class of 2008. The graduating class of 2008 epitomizes the values and hashkafa of Mesivta Ateres Yaakov. A decade later, they are beginning successful careers in the professions of their choices. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, and businessmen together with mechanchim and other klei kodesh, round out the diversity of this particular class. Many are married and have started families. While some have moved to other communities, their feelings of closeness and connection to the mesivta remain.

The mesivta takes pride in the successes of the class of 2008 and are honored to be celebrating their 10 year reunion at this year’s dinner.

For more information, to make reservations or dedication opportunities, contact the mesivta’s office at 516-374-6465 or dinner@ateresyaakov.com.

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