17419 SAR AR P6 RMP Rev Layout 5 10/22/12 5:55 PM Page cI SAR · The 2011-2012 school year was filled with many exciting accomplishments. Our theme for the year, Arvut, focused on

SAR2012 ANNUAL REPORT

SAR ACADEMY & SAR HIGH SCHOOL

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This annual report is the culmination of a year at SARwhere the theme was “Arvut: Connections” — workingtogether to focus on our responsibility for each other and for the broader community. As we look with pride on the wonderful accomplishments of our students and our staff, we understand that it is the entire SARcommunity that has accepted responsibility for keepingSAR at the forefront of Jewish education, and for that we are humbled and grateful. The emotional הנני prayer, which the chazan recites on the ימים נוראים,focuses on this theme as well. It includes the hope, on the part of the chazan,that he is a person who is מעורב בדעת עם הבריות —someone whose ideas and values are aligned with the members of the congregation. We too hope thatthis retrospective helps connect the many supporters, friends and investors in our community's success, and that we can all share in those values byhighlighting and reinforcing them here. From the dedicated staff, to the creativestudents, to the active parent and grandparent body and tireless volunteers, thisReport is a tribute to you. As you look through these pages, take time to reflecton the things that you helped make happen, learn about things going on that youdidn't know were happening and take pride in the many wonderfulaccomplishments of our children.

May the Almighty grant a New Year of strength, health and continued successfor you, your families and all of כלל ישראל.

Rabbi Binyamin Krauss (‘84) Rabbi Tully HarcsztarkPrincipal, SAR Academy Principal, SAR High School

Dear Friends:

SAR ACADEMY & SAR HIGH SCHOOL | 2012 ANNUAL REPORT 1

Dear SAR Community:

2Our third Annual Report focuses on the many rich and variedconnections that SAR celebrates as we strive to engage our extendedcommunity through learning andservice. Once again, we recognizeacademic achievement, facultycommitment, tikun olam, financialresources and dedicated volunteers.This report also acknowledges the more than 1,100 donors whocontributed $3.3 million forscholarships and numerous schoolinitiatives and $4.8 million toimportant Capital Campaigninitiatives.

We want to personally thank eachone of you for the role you haveplayed to keep SAR at the forefrontof education and service in theModern Orthodox community. To the family volunteers, programparticipants, campaign contributorsand dedicated friends, we thank youfor being part of another successfulyear at SAR and for keeping us all connected.

From celebrating Gilad Shalit’srelease to our grandparentprogramming, from the alumnibasketball game to the AnniversaryDinner, from enrichment clusters to educational technology, we havemuch exciting news to report. As you review the following pages, we hope you will reflect on yourconnections to SAR and thedifference you have made.

Jack C. BendheimPresident, SAR Board of Trustees

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CONNECTINGTO THE SARCOMMUNITY

2SAR’12


eighth graders; Rabbi Shalom Schlagman and Erin Cooper withseventh graders; and David Glazer and Reva Tokayer with oursixth graders. Throughout the middle school, our newcoordinators served as leaders and role models, organizingspecial programming, shabbatonim and chagigot.

We also expanded our very successful inclusion program. Now families no longer have to choose between meeting theirchildren’s learning needs and providing them with a yeshivaeducation. With programs in every grade, we can meet theneeds of diverse learners.

Our students have always participated in many different kinds of chesed activities, but this year many of our middle schoolstudents stepped up to initiate their own chesed activities. We were especially proud to see our students demonstrate sucha wonderful commitment to tzedekah and mitzvot.

In the arts, our middle schools students put on their own Beit Sefer L’Musika show, modeled after Israel’s American Idol.On Yom Ha’atzmaut, the students performed Hebrew songs,danced and played the guitar. Eighth graders introduced eachact in perfect Hebrew. During the year, children in grades fivethrough eight rehearsed, performed and then recorded in a studio. In June, 31 students in grades three through eightperformed at The Town Hall Theater as part of the YiddishFolksbiene gala that included Dudu Fisher, Mandy Patinkin and Neil Sedaka.

We continued to connect with our community and the world-at-large. Through our adult education program, we learned togetherwith parents, grandparents and other community members.Extended family members celebrated many occasions with us,including an eighth-grade Chanukah program, a seventh-gradePesach program, our long-time fifth-grade Intergenerational Day,the second-grade Chumash play and the first-grade Siddur play.Importantly, we continued our interactive dialogue with families,highlighted by the Parent Survey. We continue to receive feedbackand work diligently to ensure SAR's programming supports theschool's mission and goals.

In a break from business as usual, weoffered enrichment clusters for all ourchildren. As noted educator Dr. JosephRenzulli has said, “Every child should havethe chance to be exceptional withoutexception.” And without exception, all ofour children were exceptional learnersthis year as they explored their interestsand passions in small groups, led by the

SAR staff and the community at large. Students experiencedeverything from building computers and a Lego model of theMishkan to designing board games, creating original movies andlearning about chocolate, ancient times and inventions.

We were especially proud of SAR students on Lag Ba’Omerwhen our Arvut theme was really put into action. Older gradeswere paired with younger ones, and each dual-grade teamlearned and played together, creating new friendships andconnections. We celebrated with a picnic lunch, group sportingevents at Van Cortlandt Park and, at the end of the day, thewhole school gathered on the SAR field to create a giant “wave.”

Our staff has always prided itself on its ability to connect tostudents in a meaningful way. This year we built on thatstrength with a staff development program centered on themovie Race To Nowhere. Academy and High School staffmembers viewed the movie together, and then engaged indiscussions of the stresses our students face and copingmechanisms. More than 200 parents viewed the film anddiscussed the issues, and we are hopeful that productiveconversations on the subject will continue.

In grades one through eight, we piloted a new curriculum tostrengthen our connections to Medinat Yisrael. The program,developed by the Lookstein Center for Jewish Education at Bar-Ilan University, features 16 lessons about Israel and Zionism.

In the middle school, we introduced Student Life Coordinatorswith the goal of building an environment in which all studentsgrow spiritually, develop their talents and have their concernsheard. Adina Steinberg and Rabbi Yitz Motechin worked with

A Message from Rabbi Binyamin Krauss, Principal, SAR Academy

The 2011-2012 school year was filled with many exciting accomplishments. Our theme for the year, Arvut, focused on the desire to strengthen connections with our students, our community and with Clal Yisrael. Certainly, this theme was evident in the strides we made toward becoming even more connected to the fast-paced technological world.


WATCH THE VIDEO!

Beit Sefer L’Musika


ARVUT–RESPONSIBILITY,GROWTH, OPPORTUNITY

4SAR’12


students continued to learn more about themselves.

SAR proudly hosted the first Girls’ Torah Bowl Competition.SAR's team won three out of its four matches, encouragingstudents to build connections with other schools while learningTorah. We were especially pleased to report that one of ourstudents, a ninth grader, won the National Chidon HaTanakhcompetition at Yeshiva University, and will move on to theinternational competition next year in Jerusalem.

Our Sting varsity and junior varsity athletes continued todominate, winning six division and four league championships.The inaugural season of our wrestling team was a huge success,with many students showing great interest.

In the arts, SAR hosted the Nashir Choral Festival, drawing morethan 175 students from area yeshivot. High-schoolers alsoconnected Judaism and art as they produced a beautifulMegillat Esther that they published and sold to the SARcommunity. Additionally, working with SAR's artist-in-residenceDavid Wander, SAR's artists painted 43 unique canvasesinterpreting the Book of Jonah.

Throughout the year, we brought distinguished speakers tocampus to lecture on a diverse range of topics includingmacroeconomics, entrepreneurship, physics discoveries,halakha and Torah.

In March, I traveled to Israel to represent SAR in a conferencethat brought together administrators of yeshiva high schools inNorth America with their counterparts from the “gapyear” yeshivot that so many of our graduates attend. We had theopportunity to open a dialogue with one another, exchangestrategies and begin to plan for joint programming.

It is always a great joy to strengthen our connections withalumni. This year, we welcomed our first Bogrim Fellows tostudy Torah with SAR faculty and to work withstudents. Nineteen men and women from the classes of 2007-2010 participated in the three-week program. A website was setup with a virtual Beit Midrash, giving returning students accessto sources well beyond the scope of our physical library.

These are just some of this past year's many accomplishments,focused on the High School's greater goal of communicating"It's not just what you learn. It's who you become."

Across our curriculum, we saw manyexciting achievements as we continued toengage in the Grand Conversationbetween Torah and the world. In science,for example, five students accepted thechallenge to study nuclear energy on theirown, using both textbook and onlinelectures as participants in the JerusalemScience contest. At the end of the course,

they studied current applications of the year's theme in Judaismand Jewish life. The program is co-sponsored by The WalderScience Laboratory and Learning Center in Illinois in partnershipwith the Jerusalem College of Technology.

SAR's “mathletes” were equally impressive at the AmericanMathematics Competition and the Greater Metropolitan NewYork Math Fair. Our writers shone, too, excelling in the prestigiousScholastic Art & Writing Awards and at the First Annual YeshivaLeague Poetry Slam, where SAR’s twelfth graders took homeBest Poet Award and won Best Presenter. Math Mag was onceagain recognized for excellence, winning top honors from boththe Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the AmericanScholastic Press Association. For the first time, SAR studentspublished D'var Ha'Devora, a Hebrew literary journal.

In keeping with our theme of Arvut, chesed students madeconnections with students at two local schools in a newpartnership program called "Building Bridges." SAR visited publicschool University Heights High School and Fieldston, a privateschool, with the goal of creating a new, diverse community.

We have always advocated that learning takes place outside theclassroom as well. Certainly, that philosophy was the impetusbehind FLASH, or Fellows Learning After School Hours. Our BeitMidrash Fellows learned with students for enrichment, review andsupport after school and on week nights. In addition, our BeitMidrash program, which has been so successful with our ninthand tenth graders, was extended to juniors for the first time.

We believe learning should be its own reward, and this year weintroduced the "Lishma" unit, a program based on that principle.Across the curriculum, teachers taught one unit without givingtests or graded papers. Through this innovative program,teachers continued to learn what motivates students, and

A Message from Rabbi Tully Harcsztark, Principal, SAR High School

The 2011-2012 school year was an eventful one as we challenged our students to move beyond their comfort zones, to deepen their commitment to Torah andmitzvot and to engage in a meaningful way with the world around them.


SEE THE ART GALLERY!David Wander and the Students of SAR High School


ACCOMPLISHMENTS Hakarat HaTov to SAR's Torah scholars Yasher Koach to the students in both theAcademy and the High School whoexcelled in the Chidon HaTanakh contest.Jonah Chill, seventh grader, finished 11th atthe International Competition in Jerusalemand was seated to the right of Israeli PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu; ShalhevetSchwartz, ninth grader, came in first placein the high school division at the nationallevel. Congratulations also to Yaira Kobrin,eighth grader, Yitzy Richter, seventh grader,and Joseph Block, sixth grader, whoqualified for the national competition.

Diverse enrichmentclusters

For the first time, SARoffered the chance for ourstudents to follow theirpassions in small groups.Older children took

electives including baking, chesed,creative writing and Zumba, and ouryounger students built computers,dollhouses and 3-D castles and tried to save the environment with the “Torah, Art & Garbage” enrichmentcluster. Visitors included Dr. Donald Liss, who discussed sports medicine with “the Institute for Sports Science,” and Julie Lester, a local artist, who taughtthe “Collage and Illustration” cluster.Director and Producer Matt Okinperformed with the “Broadway & Beyond” cluster.

Enhanced Judaic Studiesat the AcademySAR has always provided an outstandingJudaic education both within and outsidethe classroom setting, and this year wasno exception as we brought distinguishedspeakers to campus, went on trips andoffered new programs. In eighth grade,students learned Bava Metzia and the four kinds of shomrim (guardians)entrusted with custody and care ofanother’s objects. Professor Metzger,SAR parent and adjunct professor at New York, Tel Aviv and Yale Universities,spoke to students regarding practicalapplications in the modern world. Fifthgraders visited the 92nd Street Y forRemember Me: Music, Art and PoetryCelebrating the Children of Terezin. Our first graders took a memorable trip to The Jewish Museum.

Technology integrationbrings 21st centurylearning to classroomsThe Academy continues to invest inadvanced technology to supportcurricular objectives. Technologyinnovations promote studentengagement, frequent interaction andfeedback, and connection to real-worldexperts. Further, they enhance learning bymaking it more accessible and supportingdiverse learners. Fourth graders usediPads to create slideshows on ColonialDay, viewed by parents on smart phonesusing QR codes. Middle schoolers createdinteractive textbooks and produceddocumentaries. Students regularlyworked with iMovie, stopmotionphotography, interactive bulletin boardsand textbooks to learn a broad range oftopics including Chumash, Navi, historyand geography. First and second graderscreated illustrated picture books usingHebrew vocabulary words, as well asshort films showcasing class themes.

6SAR’12

WATCH THE VIDEO!Original music and dance routine teach ‘the scientific method’


AND REFLECTIONS Math achievements multiply

Eleven SAR High School studentsparticipated in the Greater MetropolitanNY Math Fair by conducting research,doing independent studies and writingpapers. Six of those students earnedmedals: congratulations to Eliana Lorch,Marty Rubin, Shalhevet Schwartz, RikiHeicklen, Uri Hoch and Noah Katz fortheir bronze, silver and gold medals. Atthe American Mathematics Competition,nearly 80 SAR students participated. Topscorer was senior Micky Harris, whoearned first place last year. Ninth-graderShalhevet Schwartz earned the secondhighest score at SAR in the AMC 12, themost difficult level. Zev Kaplowitz, twelfth

grade, scored third highest for the second year. Ninth- grader Marty Rubin placed in thetop one percent of all students taking the AMC 10. Both the NY Math League andfreshman math teams had great seasons with several students scoring a perfect sixout of six in at least one contest.

Science students learn from mastersStudents attended symposia studying such cutting-edge advances as “Major Trends inModern Cancer Research” and “Induction of Pluripotency by Defined Factors.” During thesummer, the third edition of the Science Journal was published, and students worked orstudied at Rockefeller University, Cooper Union college, Albert Einstein College of Medicine,Mt. Sinai Medical Center, Columbia University, Reuth Rehabilitation Hospital in Israel,University of Maryland and the Dolan DNA Summer Learning Workshops. SAR scientistsalso joined over 150 students from 10 area yeshivot for the 2012 BJE Science Olympiad.The SAR team won medals for 11 different events–the most of any school—and camehome with the championship. SAR High School has won 49 medals, including goldmedals since 2006.

Teens recognized forwriting & photographyIn the prestigious Scholastic Art & WritingAwards, SAR students were singled outfor their accomplishments. In the poetrydivision, tenth graders Eliana Lorch andZach Smart won a Gold Key and SilverKey, respectively. For the second year,Rebecca Sichel, eleventh grader, won aGold Key for photography. Twelfth-graderTova Kamioner took home Best PoetAward and tenth-grader Ethan Metzgerwon Best Presenter at the First Annual Yeshiva League Poetry Slam.

Beit Midrash deepens religious practiceThe Beit Midrash program, so successfulwith ninth and tenth graders, wasextended to eleventh graders this year.Designed to deepen religious practicewithin the High School, the Beit Midrashstudents learned in small groups with afaculty member. They reflected on thetension between individual expression andcommunal affiliation by studying halakhictexts. In tenth and eleventh grade, thefocus was on Jewish sexual ethics. Insingle gender groups, students discussedvarious topics looking at sources thatclearly communicate Jewish values.



SERVICE, SPIRIT, AND High School andAcademy commemorateYom Ha'atzmautIn a special annual event, the entire HighSchool davened together. Afterwards,Rabbi Harcsztark spoke about the textand music of Hatikvah, and the schoolhosted the second annual Kochav Nolad.The Academy gathered in prayer, andinaugurated a new Israel curriculumdeveloped by the Lookstein Center forJewish Education at Bar-Ilan University.The day culminated in a family BBQhosted by the PTC.

Celebrating Gilad Shalit's releaseOctober 18, 2011 was a memorable day for SAR and for Jewsaround the world, marking the end of 1,941 days of captivity forGilad Shalit. The Academy literally burst into joyous celebrationafter seeing that the soldier for whom they had prayed hadbeen freed. Grades one through eight gathered in the gym towatch a montage of Gilad’s momentous release. Studentsrecited Tehilim and then, in an unforgettable mix of technologyand serendipity, Rabbi Krauss recorded a message from Israelseen via video link. In Israel at the time for a family simcha,Rabbi Krauss reported that all of Israel stopped to watch thenews and celebrate the miracle. The students sang, clappedand cheered together with Clal Yisrael.

Middle schoolers become mitzvah makers This year, many students created their own opportunities forgiving. Amichai Zierler-Feit led the seventh-grade boys’basketball team to dedicate a game for first grader NeshamaRyman, who has been battling cancer, and Chai Lifeline, a sourceof support for her family. In January, eight staff membersrepresented SAR and Team Neshama at the Miami Marathon.Seventh graders Rebecca Hyman and Liana Katz helpedorganize a “pink” day to support breast cancer research, andseveral middle school students raised money for Bet ElazrakiChildren’s Home in memory of Rabbi Jacob and DebbieRubenstein z"l. In addition, seventh grader Jacob Wassermanled a bike ride to raise money for Matan; four sixth-grade boyssold chocolate milk and chocolate chip cookies for tzedakah;sixth grader Hadas Krasner hosted a bake sale to raise moneyfor pancreatic cancer research.

8SAR’12


SPORTS

Academy Basketball team wins Yeshiva LeaguetourneyThe SAR Sting teams played some toughand fearless games, shining in manydifferent sports. Our sixth-grade Boys’Basketball team won the Yeshiva LeagueChampionship, and the seventh andeighth-grade Girls’ Basketball playersalso advanced to the finals. For the firsttime, our Girls’ Hockey team made it tothe semi-finals.

Specialized technology @ SAR makes music singA new music technology lab with iMacs,keyboards and recording technologyenabled students to write and record theirown compositions using Garageband.Students composed rhythmcompositions and melodies, podcast andwrote their own radio programs andcomposed original music for a scene froma film. Based on the overwhelmingenthusiasm, the program will now beoffered to all tenth-grade music classes.

New program builds toleranceFor the first time, High School students “built bridges” to local students attendingpublic and secular schools. Together with Fieldston, a private school, and UniversityHeights, a public school, SAR teens looked beyond stereotypes to learn about differentcultures and values, recognizing how much they all shared in common. The groupspent time at each of the three schools, viewing thought-provoking movies and sharingperspectives and activities. At University Heights, the students watched a trailer for adocumentary about the struggles of three teenagers. At SAR, the students attended aBeit Midrash session and discussed Jewish texts together.

High School Sting teams win division championshipsSAR played hard in a variety of sports with six teams taking home divisionchampionships: Girls’ JV Volleyball, Boys’ Varsity Basketball, Girls’ Hockey, Boys’ VarsitySoccer, and Boys’ and Girls’ Tennis teams. In addition, our Boys’ JV Basketball, Boys’ JVSoccer, Boys’ Volleyball and Boys’ JV Softball all won their league championships.SAR’s JV Boys’ Basketball Team also won the championship in the Fourth Annual RabbiJacob and Debbie Rubenstein Memorial JV Basketball Tournament.



Beth Pepper was named AssociatePrincipal for General Studies, gradestwo through five. Beth brings over 16years of classroom experience to theposition, including ten as a headsecond-grade teacher at SAR. Sheholds a Master’s of Education from

Bank Street College and a B.A. in Psychology from BarnardCollege, Beth has been instrumental in creating a learningenvironment that encourages dialogue, creative expressionand respect for diverse ways of thinking.

A heartfelt thank you to High SchoolPTC chair Robin Reich for hercontributions to SAR for the past two years, and best of luck to TamiBezborodko and Debbie Stern-Blumenthal, incoming Chairs. Robin'sleadership, enthusiasm and dedication

were evident in numerous programs, including the ParentSocial Night, sARTs, the Liaison Committee and Junior'sCollege Night. She is directly responsible for engaging HighSchool parents with SAR. Kol Hakavod to Sara Blechner,Stephanie Minkove and Adeena Rosen, Academy PTCPresidium, on their very successful first year.

CLASS OF 2007

Noam Tokayer, David Walk,Yehuda Walk, Noam White

CLASS OF 2008

Gavi Hill, Dalia Liberman,Sarah Schloss, Aaron Shalman, Adina Wohlberg z"l

CLASS OF 2010

David Abadie, David Arbit,Hillel Axelrod, Ariel Lavi,Scarlett Toledo

CLASS OF 2011

Ayelet Hill, Max Kane,Hannah Liberman

CLASS OF 2012

Sophie Tulkoff

We take great pride in the eleven male and sevenfemale SAR High School graduates who havechosen to serve in צה״ל, the Israel Defense Forces.

OUR PEOPLE ARE OUR

We bid a fond farewell to Milly Rosner (37 years) , Estelle Simon (26 years ), Pearl Taback (33 years) and Zelda Stern (12 years). Milly served as Associate Principal for General Studies for 13 years after stretchesas a fifth-grade teacher and Resource Room Director. Estelle was a beloved fifth and formerly fourth-gradeteacher, and Pearl taught sixth grade and enrichmentgroups, including SAR’s math team. Zelda worked as theAcademy’s office administrator. All four women touchedthe lives of thousands of children and their families.

Kol Hakavod to the faculty and staff of SAR Academy and SAR High School. Your work this past year connected our students to the energy and enthusiasm ofJewish life and learning. This year we mark several milestones:

OPENKITCHEN

SAR celebrated the publication of The Open Kitchen cookbook,which was sponsored by the Raskasfamily in memory of SheriRaskas z"l, beloved SARgrandmother and community leader. The Open Kitchenfeatures kosher recipes submitted by the SAR communityfor everything from caponata to cholent. The cookbook wasa true labor of love for the committee, led by ShoshanaWinter, editor. On May 20th, Yom Yerushalayim, the bookwas formally introduced at an SAR family fun day carnival.

To order, visit www.openkitchencookbook.comor e-mail [email protected].

10SAR’12

930ACADEMY ENROLLMENT

464HIGH SCHOOL ENROLLMENT


UR STRENGTHACADEMY

The Academy was abuzz with excitementthis year starting with a visit by beekeeperCliff Sunflower. Musical performanceswere provided by Simply Tsfat, the YStuds, an a capella group from YeshivaUniversity, and Drum Tales. RuthGoodman, head of the Israeli DanceInstitute, spoke to a musical enrichmentcluster. Other enrichment cluster visitorsincluded Joan Motyka, former NY Timeseditor, engineer Andre Yamus, architectAbby Glass, Alice Lebowitz (Wave Hillvolunteer), Dr. David Lent (orthopedicsurgeon), Dr. Ari Leifer (pathologist),Yossi Gorodischer (architect), RobertKalfus (photojournalist), Robert Haleluk(inventor) and Steve Diller (dog trainer).

On Yom Hashoah, survivors Jay Sommerand Dr. Moshe Avital lit yahrzeit candles,and before Pesach, Bentsion Cohenshared his private collection of over 5,000haggadot with the third grade. Eli Beer,chief coordinator of United Hatzalah ofIsrael, spoke to middle schoolers.

Mark Weitzman of the Simon WiesenthalCenter spoke to librarians gathered atSAR for the Conference of the NYMetropolitan area chapter of theAssociation of Jewish Libraries.

Our children enjoyed trips to Washington,D.C., Boston, the Metropolitan Museumof Art, The Jewish Museum, TheMuseum of Natural History and theSimon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance.Another highlight was a visit by NickRaposo, son of Sesame Street songwriterJoe Raposo (“Sing a Song”), who wroteand recorded a Tu B’shvat song with ourELC students.

HIGH SCHOOL

The SAR Choir and Band performed at theannual Chanukah celebration at theFrench Consulate, The Choir sang at WestPoint Military Academy, and Hazamir’sZamir Choral Foundation delightedstudents with a concert on campus.

The sophomores camped out atHarriman State Park, and APMacroeconomics classes visited David'sCookies Factory. Students saw rareJewish medieval manuscripts at the Jewish Theological Seminary andthe Dead Sea Scrolls at Discovery TimesSquare. History Matters Club visited theSecond Circuit Courthouse and met withFederal Judge Denny Chin. ElizabethMandel talked to students about her filmPushing the Elephant, three FBI agentsspoke to a class in forensics, ProfessorMichael Strauss of YU’s Syms School ofBusiness talked to an economics classabout entrepreneurship.

Fifteen IDF officers, mostly of Russiandescent, came to campus. Studentsattended a dinner for the JewishFoundation for the Righteous. Dr. BernardSchanzer and his twin brother HenrySchanzer, who were both hidden byChristian families in France during theShoah, talked to students. High-schoolersattended the AIPAC conference inWashington, arriving in time for PresidentObama’s speech.

Dennis Barton and Lisa Sperber,representatives from the InterfaithAssembly on Homelessness and Housingwho are both formerly homeless, sharedtheir life stories. Students also heard fromRobby Berman, founder and director of

the Halakhic Organ Donor Society, andDanielle Butin, founder and ExecutiveDirector of the AFYA Foundation. Otherstudents attended a roundtable discussionat the German Consulate with ProfessorHasia Diner and Rabbi Yehuda Sarnaabout Jewish life and issues.

Students heardpresentations fromDr. Derek Huffmanon the Biology ofAging; Rabbi NatanSlifkin about Torahand the Theory of Evolution; Dr. Radhika

Muzumbdar on Multiple Age RelatedDisease; Dr. David Cassidy about theGreatest Physics Discoveries of the 20thCentury; and Dr. Richard Kollmar aboutzebra fish and animal models. Dr. BrettAbrahams talked about Genetic Insightsinto Autism; Dr. Evan Mintzer aboutRadioactivity: The Bad, The Ugly and theGood; Professor Nathan Aviezer aboutContradictions between Torah andScience; Rabbi Jeremy Wieder about TheNon-Literal Interpretation of Scripture:Torah, Age of the World and Evolution. Dr.Edward Reichman presented insights onstem cell research, cloning and Jewish law,and Dr. Richard Grazi lectured on in vitrofertilization and Jewish law.

Other distinguished visitors includedProfessor Mark Raider, professor ofModern Jewish History at the University ofCincinnati; noted storyteller PeninnahSchram, professor of Speech and Dramaat Stern College; and Margareta Ploder, anAustrian diplomat to the United Nations.

SAR is Connected: Recent Guests and Visits



$1.3 MILLION

LEAD DONORS Todah rabba to our inspirational leaddonors who have committed to giving$100K or more annually toward theoperating campaigns. SAR is mostappreciative of your ongoing commitmentand contribution.

$1.6 MILLION

SAR’S 43RD ANNIVERSARY DINNER1,000+ gathered to recognize our brilliant honorees and showcommunity support for SAR’s mission and values.CO-CHAIRS:

Dana Jason (’92), Lynette Tulkoff

$190,000

SHAVUOT APPEALThank you to the 330 contributors, andonce again to Hebrew Institute ofRiverdale, Riverdale Jewish Center, YoungIsrael of New Rochelle and Young IsraelOhab Zedek for partnering with SAR tosupport day school education.

$90,000

SAR’S SUPER AUCTION RALLY More than 650 items were donated, and more than 450 bidders rallied to

participate in SAR’smost exciting onlineauction to date. CHAIR:

Michal Abehsera

$186,000

'CLASS OF 2012' GIFT CAMPAIGNWe applaud the SAR High School Class of2012 for achieving 100% participation fora class gift earmarked for the SAR CapitalCampaign! All the parents of our 114graduating seniors came together tobenefit the school. Parents were inspiredto participate by the offer of a classparent to donate an additional $50,000to the total amount collected if the 100%participation was achieved. SAR furtherbenefited as the Bendheim ChallengeGrant matched the gift by 50%.CO-CHAIRS:

Heidi Greenbaum, Nancy Lerea

Fundraising CampaignsTodah rabba to all of our donors.

COMMUNITY COMMITMENTTO JEWISH EDUCATION

12SAR’12Dear SAR Family:We are privileged that so many inthe greater SAR community arecommitted to our mission andsteadfastly support us with theirtzedakah giving. The continuedsupport of our donors is essential,especially for financial aid anddebt elimination.

Scholarship needs have risendramatically in recent years. Butwith your help we've been able tokeep pace, providing necessaryfinancial aid to families in thecommunities we serve. With yourhelp, we enable over 260 families tokeep 465 students as part of ourcommunity. Thank you to the morethan 1,100 donors who collectivelycontributed $3.3 million this year insupport of scholarships andprogramming, and the $4.8 millionin paid capital contributions usedfor debt reduction and buildingimprovements.

Two years ago we were burdenedwith nearly $15 million in debt.Today, thanks to the donors whogenerously responded to Jackand Giti Bendheim’s inspiredchallenge, that total has been cutin half. We are counting on you tohelp us eliminate this debtentirely, thereby securing a stablefinancial future for SAR.

Thank you for all of your incredibleefforts. Please continue to givegenerously. Each and everyparticipant makes a huge impact.

Dr. Teena L. LernerChair, SAR Development CommitteeSAR Parent, 1984-2010


SAR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN2011-2012 REVENUE SAR ACADEMY AND SAR HIGH SCHOOL

Tuition, grants, and other revenue cover88.8% of our needs. Remaining 11.2% is $3.3 million, which was

secured through fundraising campaigns.

2011-2012 EXPENSES SAR ACADEMY AND SAR HIGH SCHOOL

Total Expenses $29.5 Million*

Salaries and Benefits are 86% of total.

*Not including construction, improvements, interest expense and loan repayments.

All figures unaudited, as of 8.31.12

CAPITAL GOAL: TO BE DEBT FREE

(IN MILLIONS)

0

5

10

15

20

Bendheim Challenge Grant ProgressSEPTEMBER 2010 – PRESENT

85.7%TUITION, ANNUAL FUND AND FEES

NET OF SCHOLARSHIP

AWARDS OF $5.8 MILLION

11.2%FUNDRAISING

2.6%EDUCATIONAL GRANTS AND OTHER

0.5%ENDOWMENT WITHDRAWAL

66.7%ACADEMIC SALARIES

10.0%ACADEMIC BENEFITS

9.6%BUSINESS OFFICE AND FACILITIES —

SALARIES AND BENEFITS

5.6%FACILITY EXPENSES

2.2%SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT

2.1%FOOD PROGRAM

1.4%TECHNOLOGY

1.2%STUDENT ACTIVITIES,

TRIPS AND TEAMS

1.1%LEGAL, ACCOUNTING

AND OTHER SERVICES

0.1%OTHER EXPENSES

2011-2012 Financials

THE PAST YEARSEPTEMBER 2011 – AUGUST 2012

Capital Spending(IN MILLIONS)

Loan Repayments $4.85M

Interest Expense .44M

Construction/Building Improvements .91M

TOTAL $6.20M

15

DEBT RETIREMENT

PLEDGESTO DATE

(IN MILLIONS)

3.5

MATCH

7

NEW PLEDGES


If you would like to discuss making a gift, or leaving a bequest to SAR,please contact Heidi Greenbaum, Director of Development,[email protected] or (718) 548-1717 x1256.

Capital Contributions(EXCLUDING BENDHEIM CHALLENGE GRANT)

PAYMENTS $1.5M


Find us on FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/SARalumni


ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CO-CHAIRS The recently formed SAR High School Alumni Associationcompleted its first year under the leadership of Shoshana Bar-David (Academy ’03, HS’ 07) and Derek Greenbaum (Academy’04, HS’ 08). Together they have reconnected alumni with oneanother through Facebook, initiated multiple alumni events andwelcomed a new graduating class into the Alumni Association.

THANKSGIVING REUNION More than 120 alumni from the five graduating SAR High Schoolclasses gathered together for the Faculty vs. Alumni basketballgame and schmoozing in the cafe over Thanksgiving weekend.This was the first alumni-wide gathering for the nascent SAR HighSchool Alumni Association.

5-YEAR REUNION The SAR High School Class of 2007 was a group of “Pioneers”who helped turn the dream of a high school into a reality. Theirfive-year reunion this spring brought together more than half theclass and a dozen faculty. They reminisced about those first years,and reconnected as many alumni graduate from college and begin their careers.

ISRAEL REUNIONIn a downtown Jerusalem community center this March, nearly100 people gathered for our first SAR Israel Reunion in manyyears. The attendees enjoyed live entertainment from belovedteacher and Jewish music legend Avshalom Katz. They also hadthe opportunity to reconnect with the four SAR Academyprincipals who were all in attendance.

RABBI YONAH FULD,RABBI BINYAMINKRAUSS, RABBI JOELCOHN, RABBI SHELDON CHWAT andHARVEY BENNETT,REUNION CO-CHAIR


SAR ACADEMY

Rabbi Binyamin Krauss ('84) Principal

Marcia Jacobowitz Associate Principal

Milly Rosner Associate Principal

Sharon Richter Associate Principal

Rebecca Hirschfield Associate Principal

Deganit Ronen Associate Principal

Dr. Barbara Gochberg Director of Inclusion Program

Dr. Adina Shrage School Psychologist; Guidance, Grades One, Two

Harriet Levin Guidance

Reva Tokayer Guidance, Grade Six; Grade Six Coordinator

Ruthie Stavsky Guidance, Grades Seven, Eight

David Glazer Grade Six Coordinator

Rabbi Yitz Motechin Grade Eight Coordinator

Adina Steinberg Grade Eight Coordinator

Jennifer Sokol Programming Coordinator

Beverly Wolfer-Nerenberg Director, Communications & Admissions

Chavie Wilner Operations Manager

SAR HIGH SCHOOL

Rabbi Tully Harcsztark Principal

Dr. Mark Shinar Director of General Studies

Nancy Lerea Associate Principal

Rabbi Jonathan Kroll Associate Principal

Dr. Rivka Schwartz Assistant Principal; Grade Twelve Coordinator

Lisa Schlaff Assistant Principal; Israel Guidance

Marjorie Jacobs Director of College Counseling

Michael Courtney Associate Director of College Counseling

Lisa Birnbaum Assistant Director of College Counseling;

Grade Ten Coordinator

Rabbi Akiva Block Israel Guidance

Rabbi Ruben Gober Israel Guidance

Karen Goldscheider Israel Guidance

Rabbi Jeremy Spierer Israel Guidance

Shoshana Chanales Grade Nine Coordinator

Shira Hecht-Koller Grade Nine Coordinator

Gloria Schneider Grade Ten Coordinator

Dr. Russell Hoffman School Psychologist

Dr. Michelle Humi School Psychologist

Gila Kolb Registrar

Michelle Hoch Operations Manager; Grade Eleven Coordinator

BUSINESS OFFICE

Debra May ('85) Executive Director

Geet Engel Director of Finance

Heidi Greenbaum Director of Development

Andy Sandler Information Technology Director

Nick Fadda Facilities and Grounds Manager

Gilad Mor Security

2012 ANNUAL REPORT

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT EDITOR

Heidi Greenbaum Heidi Kane

DESIGN & LAYOUT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Ahlgrim Design Group Kathy Kafer

DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE

Aaron Steinberg Rachel Spinner

PARENT VOLUNTEERS

Judy Friedman, Sandra Greenstein

PHOTOGRAPHY

Gilad Mor, as well as staff, parents and alumni who submitted photos.

DEVELOPMENT OFFICE SUPPORT

Judith Block (parent), Saul Lieman (grandparent), Eva Shaw (grandparent)

SAR COMMUNITY EVENTS

ACADEMY 'CLASS OF 2012' GRADUATION

Hudi Askowitz (’87), Avigyle Gorodischer, Phyllis Kann, Chairs

HIGH SCHOOL ‘CLASS OF 2012’ GRADUATION

Lisa Bernstein, Adrienne Cooper (’78), Debbie Kamioner, Shari Lindenbaum,Debbie Schwartz, Chairs

LEARNING TO LOOK

Sarah Zitter Milstein, Tami Weitzman, Chairs

NEW PARENT BREAKFAST

Yael Baker, Nava Cohen, Liz Spevack, ELC Chairs

Daniella Fuchs, Shira Wurzberger, Academy Chairs

Andrea Harris, High School Chair

SHABBAT SPARKS

Amy and Noah Weisberger, Hosts

SIDDUR SPARKS

Abbie and Moshe (‘75) Greenberg, Hosts

PARENT-TEACHER COUNCIL (PTC) PROGRAMSPTC PRESIDIUM, ACADEMY

Sara Blechner, Stephanie Minkove (’91), Adeena Rosen

PTC CHAIR, HIGH SCHOOL

Robin Reich

PTC TREASURER

Lynda Vidomlanski

ACADEMY HIGHLIGHTS

ANNUAL PARENTING SYMPOSIUM, “RACE TO NOWHERE”

Jessica Rezak Schwab, Elana Spira, Program Coordinators

BOOK FAIR

Rachel Berger, Adina Garbuz, Chairs

ELC NIGHT

Sophia Hershman, Nomi Roseman, Ricki Scharf, Chairs

ELC WELCOME PICNIC AND CONCERT

Stephanie Minkove ('91), Rebecca Wolf

MABEL'S LABELS FUNDRAISER

Lilach Bar

MISHLOACH MANOT

Simone Semer, Joanne Siegel, Toby Smith

“THE OPEN KITCHEN” COOKBOOK

Shoshana Winter, Editor, Tami Bezborodko (’83), Mona Friedan, Aliza Major, Yardaena Osband, Stanley Raskas

PARENT SUPPORT COMMITTEE

Andrea Harris, Dina Sterman, Chairs

PTC GRADE LEVEL COORDINATORS, ELC-GRADE 8

Nava Cohen, Liz Spevack

SAR SPIRITWEAR

Susie Loberfeld

YOM HA'ATZMAUT CELEBRATION

Tami Bezborodko (’83), Susie Loberfeld, Marcella Marcus

HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

JUNIORS' COLLEGE NIGHT

Lauren Altholz, Joy Goldsmith, Zeva Herman, Audrey Reich, Jennifer Saal, Ivy Schildkraut, Chairs

LIAISON COMMITTEE

Stuart Levi, Committee Chair, Carmella Abraham, David Pitkoff, Robin Reich,Liz Samuels, Gail Schorr, Reva Slasky, Debra Sternberg

PARENTS’ SOCIAL NIGHT

Careena Parker, Dasi Schwalbe, Chairs

SRUGIM AT SAR

Linda Apple, Sheryl Elias, Chairs

ADMINISTRATION & PROGRAMMING (2011-2012)

24SAR’12


IN MEMORIAM

OFFICERS

Ludwig Jesselson z"lFounding Chairman, Board of Trustees

Ludwig BravmannVice Chairman, Board of Trustees

Jack C. BendheimPresident

Harvey BekerChairman, Executive Committee

Michael JesselsonVice President

Sidney NewmanVice President

David M. SableVice President

Dr. Bernard M. WeinerVice President

Dr. Harvey BennettTreasurer

Nachman MazurekSecretary

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Hudi Bellin Askowitz ('87)Dr. Tzvi Bar-DavidBenjy BelferLouis BenjaminJeff BogurskySaul E. BurianIlana ChillShelley CohenAdrienne Cooper ('78)Deborah E. David ('78)Abe EisenstatStanley FortgangAvi FriedmanAlan E. GoldbergDr. Steven I. GoldsteinAlan M. GreenbergRabbi Irving GreenbergMoshe Greenberg ('75)Ira A. GreensteinAri HaitAdam IngberBenson JerusalmiEsther JoelHoward JonasDr. Dov Kahane ('72)Nathan KahnMeyer KoplowDr. Michael KramerFaye LandesJoshua LandesDr. Larry LernerPolina LibermanDr. Donald LissSteven MajorDaniel PerlaSteven S. PretsfelderMichael RaskasTobias B. SchapiroGail SchorrMark SemerElissa Shay OrdanSusan ShayZev SkolnickMarilyn SopherJonathan Tropper ('83)Alan Wasserman ('75)Spencer M. WaxmanJonathan N. Wiener

COMMUNITY TRUSTEES

Dr. Norman KahanDr. Sheldon KupfermanDr. Martin L. LeibMichael M. MartonDr. Stanley F. SchoenbachZiggy SpindlerMilton SteinbergAbraham ZionMark S. Zion

ADVISORY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Dr. Jayne and Harvey BekerDr. Giti and Jack BendheimLudwig BravmannTamar and Abe EisenstatLinda and Michael JesselsonSandy and Nathan KahnKaren and Mitchell KuflikDrs. Teena and Larry LernerDavid SableBettina and Spencer Waxman

AUDIT COMMITTEE

Barry Aranoff, ChairpersonIra A. GreensteinAdam Ingber

FINANCE COMMITTEE

Sandy Kahn, Acting ChairpersonDr. Teena Lerner, Vice ChairpersonHarvey BekerJack C. BendheimAvi FriedmanMichael JesselsonGabriel LambertNachman MazurekLeon MetzgerStephen NeuwirthJennifer ParadiseBruce SchanzerNoah Weisberger

DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

Dr. Teena Lerner, ChairpersonHudi Bellin Askowitz ('87)Lawrence BurianMarc JasonAlyssa Herman KronischNathan LindenbaumCareena ParkerDan PerlaMark SemerBarbara Sopher (’80)Lynette TulkoffRabbi Marc Wolff

SAR ACADEMY BOARD OF EDUCATION

Dr. David Noble, ChairpersonDr. Jayne BekerDr. Giti BendheimHerbert BlockDr. Elliot CohenDr. Idana GoldbergAtara GorsetmanDr. Laurel HechtLamelle RymanMonica ShapiroNoah Weisberger

2011-2012 OFFICERS, BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND BOARD COMMITTEES

David Brody z”lAPRIL 12, 2012 | 21 NISAN 5772

Beloved husband of Michelle, father of Anina and Raphael Jasper-Brody

Dr. Brian Grobois z”lDECEMBER 11, 2011 | 15 KISLEV 5772

Beloved husband of Susan, father of Marshal, Julie and Lauren

Adina Wohlberg z”lSEPTEMBER 20 , 2012 | 4 TISHREI 5773

Beloved daughter of Debbie and Jeffrey, sister of Yechiel,Zachary and Shimmy

Joseph (Joey) Vogel z”lAPRIL 15, 2012 | 23 NISSAN 5772

Beloved son of Yvette and Murray, brother of David,Mark and Adam

17419_SAR_AR_P6_RMP_Rev_Layout 5 10/22/12 5:57 PM Page cIII

SAR ACADEMY SAR HIGH SCHOOL

Jesselson Campus Dedicated to the Memory of JJ Greenberg z"l655 West 254th Street 503 West 259th StreetRiverdale, NY 10471 Riverdale, NY 10471718.548.1717 718.548.2727www.saracademy.org www.sarhighschool.org

Save the Dates!

Motza e i Sha bbat

Live Au ction Event:

November, 17, 2012

44th SAR Anniversa ry Din n er

Ja nu a ry 26, 2013

S17419_SAR_AR_P6_RMP_Rev_Layout 5 10/22/12 5:55 PM Page cIV

17419 SAR AR P6 RMP Rev Layout 5 10/22/12 5:55 PM Page cI SAR · The 2011-2012 school year was filled with many exciting accomplishments. Our theme for the year, Arvut, focused on

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