National Council of Young Israel Celebrates 100 Years

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young-israel-dinnerThe National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) and the International Young Israel Movement celebrated its 100th Anniversary with a gala Centennial Celebration this past Sunday, November 13, at Terrace on the Park in Flushing, Queens, NY.

Nearly 700 people from across the United States and Israel came together for this milestone event, which paid tribute to the Young Israel Movement’s founders, visionaries, and activists, and honored its branch synagogues and their leadership. The NCYI recognized its Past Presidents, its Past and Present Executive Vice Presidents, and the Rabbinic Leaders with more than 30 years in the Young Israel Movement.

The NCYI also honored two of its most prominent and active leaders by bestowing the Moses H. Hoenig Memorial Leadership Award upon Shlomo Z. Mostofsky, Esq., who has served as the NCYI President since 2000. The award was presented by D. Bernard Hoenig, Esq., the son of Moses H. Hoenig. In addition, NCYI Chairman of the Board Rabbi Jonah Gewirtz was given the Gerald L. Kaufman Memorial Shofar Award.

“The Young Israel Movement’s Centennial Celebration was a tremendous success and an uplifting and memorable event,” said NCYI President Shlomo Z. Mostofsky. “There was an unprecedented outpouring of support for the National Council of Young Israel, its history, and its longstanding and unwavering commitment to its core values and precepts. Torah-True-Judaism and the Young Israel Movement are strong, vibrant, and as relevant today as it was when it was founded one-hundred years ago.”

For the past 100 years, the National Council of Young Israel has ably served the broader Jewish community. With more than 25,000 member families, and over 200 branch synagogues throughout the United States, Canada, and Israel, the National Council of Young Israel is a multi-faceted organization that embraces Jewish communal needs and often takes a leading role in tackling the important issues that face the Jewish community in North America and Israel. In short, the NCYI is a central agency, which provides religious, educational, Zionistic, social, and communal programming for all its member synagogues and their affiliated families.

One of the highlights of the Centennial Celebration was the dedication of a Sefer Torah to the Chief Rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) by the Young Israel of Manhattan, NY, which was the first Young Israel synagogue. This was the 201st Sefer Torah dedicated to the IDF in conjunction with the Young Israel Movement’s “IDF Sefer Torah Campaign” which for the past 12 years has helped provide the brave soldiers of the Israeli Army, Navy and Air Force with Sifrei Torah in order for them to fulfill their spiritual needs.

In a moving ceremony at the Young Israel’s Centennial Celebration, Rabbi Yeshaya Siff of the Young Israel of Manhattan, presented the Sefer Torah to Brig. General Rabbi Rafi Peretz, the Chief Rabbi of the IDF. Also present was Danny Saadon, Vice President, El Al Airlines, North and South America. Every one of the Sifrei Torah dedicated to the IDF though the Young Israel’s initiative has been transported to Israel courtesy of El Al Airlines.

The following individuals were recognized by the National Council of Young Israel at its Centennial Celebration:

Guest of Honor
Yossi Peleg-Billig

Man of the Year
Hy (Chaim) Singer

The Moses H. Hoenig Memorial Leadership Award
Shlomo Z. Mostofsky, Esq., NCYI President

The Gerald L. Kaufman Memorial Shofar Award
Rabbi Jonah Gewirtz, NCYI Chairman of the Board

Honoring Our Founders and Leaders
Benjamin Koenigsberg, z”l
Moses H. Hoenig, z”l

Legacy Award
Young Israel of Manhattan, NY

IDF Sefer Torah Project Award
Lt. Col. (Res.) Rabbi Yedidya Atlas
Rabbi Pesach Lerner
Danny Saadon, Vice President, El Al Israel Airlines, North and Central America

Defender of Jerusalem Award
Dr. Joseph Frager, Young Israel of Jamaica Estates, NY
Drora and Dr. Paul Brody, Great Neck, NY

Bayit Ne’eman B’Yisrael Award
Sid and Lynn Gold, Young Israel of Vacation Village, NY

Excellence in Torah Education Award
Rebetzin Chani Silver, Young Israel of Greater Pittsburgh, PA

Magen Israel Award
Lois M. Raff, Esq., Counsel to the Queens District Attorney, Young Israel of West Hempstead, NY

Achva / Aliyah L’Aretz Award
Michael Hochheiser, Detroit, MI

Herbert S. Schweitzer Memorial Youth Services Award
Chana and Leah Goldenberg, Young Israel of West Hempstead, NY

Centennial Shofar Awards
Murray z”l and Shirley Brick, Yussie and Miriam Brick, Young Israel of Bedford Bay, NY
Beverly Davidoff, Young Israel of Baychester, NY
Linda and Steve Frohlich, Young Israel of Brighton Beach, NY
Selma and Allen Gottfried, Young Israel of Queens Valley, NY
Theodore Held, Young Israel of Pelham Parkway, NY
Frieda and William Kufeld z”l, Young Israel of Great Neck /Young Israel of Fifth Ave, NY
Judi and Michael Lapin, Young Israel of Orange County, CA
Rita and David Silverman, Young Israel Beth El of Boro Park, NY
Stephen Weiner, Young Israel of Sunnyside, NY

{Noam Amdurski-Matzav.com Newscenter}


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