Creative fundraising digs deep so donors will too

North Shore Hebrew Academy embarks on unique campaign to raise scholarship funds

By Yaffi Spodek

Issue of June 12, 2009 / 20 Sivan 5769

The economic recession has taken a toll on yeshiva day schools, more so

perhaps than any other Jewish entities. Terms like ‘tuition crisis’ and ‘charter schools’ are being uttered more frequently as parents are being forced to reevaluate their educational priorities in the face of rising costs and diminished savings.

The North Shore Hebrew Academy, in conjunction with 13 local shuls in Great Neck, is addressing the increased need for scholarship funds, seeking to dedicate 12 Sifrei Torah (Torah scrolls)  in the Sam Aharonoff “Shivtei Torah” Scholarship Campaign. All proceeds will benefit the Sam Aharonoff Memorial Scholarship Fund, which offsets tuition for dozens of needy students in North Shore’s elementary school and high school, who would otherwise be unable to attend.

“Our grandparents and parents spent their lives building the Yeshiva day school movement in this country to what it is today,” said Arnie Flatow, North Shore’s Executive Director and the coordinator of the campaign. “I don’t think we are ready to let it go so easily... In a recession, schools have to be innovative and proactive to raise money.”

Flatow presented the idea for the Torah campaign to his friend, Sam Aharonoff, a member of the school’s Executive board and a key person in the school’s fundraising group who for years served as the link between the Ashkenazic and Sephardic communities.

“Sam embraced the project and became its major advocate,” noted

Flatow. “It didn’t stop when he was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer. He continued to advocate for it throughout his illness. When he passed away from cancer last year, it was only fitting that we named the campaign in his honor.”

On November 22, 2009, Sam Aharonoff’s first yahrtzeit, the Torahs — seven written according to Ashkenaz tradition, five following the Sephardic one — will be welcomed and completed at a formal siyum and celebration. In light of the economy, the school hopes that extending the campaign beyond what was originally planned will maximize donations to the scholarship fund.

Over 8,000 Shivtei Torah brochures were mailed out to the participating Great Neck synagogues. Shlomo Elias, Vice President of Fundraising at North Shore, whose family had previously dedicated the Aron Kodesh (Torah ark) where most of the Shivtei torahs will be housed, is thrilled that the community has embraced the project. “Everyone is very excited to be involved in this unique project which is bringing the entire community closer together and is a fitting memorial to a dear friend who dedicated so many of his years to this Academy and community,” he said.

The Torahs, each named for one sheivet (tribe), were previously paid for and dedicated by 12 families as part of North Shore’s capital building campaign for their new high school. Now the school is giving parents and benefactors the opportunity to dedicate sections of each Torah — be it a sefer (book), parsha (chapter), pasuk (sentence) or word — and take part in this mitzvah, while at the same time donating to a worthy cause. Every contribution will be inscribed in the Shivtei Torah Campaign Sefer, and each donor will receive a Certificate of Dedication at the project’s conclusion.

Flatow believes this to be the first time in modern history that 12 Torahs are being dedicated together at one time by one institution.

“I think this is an incredible project, quite unprecedented, and it really addresses what our school is all about,” he told The Jewish Star. “Scholarship funds today require hundreds of thousands of additional dollars and we as an institution are committed to raise these needed funds to keep our kids in school during this crisis. The reaction from this community so far has been incredible in the fact that 13 synagogues in this community are participating, and speaks volumes about our Kehilah.”

Flatow retains an optimistic outlook regarding the future of yeshivas in general. “It is way too premature to talk about the demise of our Yeshiva Day School movement,” he maintains. “The yeshiva movement  will continue to thrive. There have been recessions before. We just need to stay positive to get through this, and with the right projects, we will. I am confident that we will weather this new storm.”

For more information on North Shore's fundraising campaign, visit www.shiveitorah.org or call (516) 487- 8687, ext. 2.