Events

Yachad hosts 5 Towns gala

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An overflow crowd came out to support Yachad last week as NY Yachad held its first gala, at Congregation Beth Sholom in Lawrence. Three Yachad stalwarts were honored:

•Adira Katlowitz, presented with the Young Leadership Award, has been involved with Yachad for more than 15 years, since she was in high school. She’s participated in many Miami and Jerusalem marathons and as a leader of the Friends of Yachad Alumni association.

•Rabbi Abie Wahrhaftig, a pioneer in the camping world, brought inclusion to Camp Morasha at a time when the concept did not yet exist. Today, Yachad has 27 inclusive summer programs.

•Caryn Pollak a”h of West Hempstead, a member of Yachad’s nascent programming over 30 years ago and later a Yachad employee.  

Rabbi Ahron Rosenthal, director of NY Yachad, spoke about the expansion of Yachad’s many services in Brooklyn, Riverdale and the Five Towns, where a community center recently opened.

The dinner presented a glimpse into the impactful work Yachad does in promoting the inclusion in Jewish life of all individuals no matter their abilities.

Dr. Jeffrey Lichtman, Yachad’s international director, urged attendees to view the evening’s presentation as reflecting only the tip of the iceberg of what NY Yachad can accomplish.

For the evening’s success, NY Yachad expressed thanks to its dinner chairs, Blima and Yossel Druker, Leora and Yaakov Hauptman, Chani and Daniel Herrmann Tobey Karpel, Hannah Kelsen and Joy Glicker Lieber.

Yachad is a division of the OU.