Sinai Schools annual benefit dinner is February 22
Sinai Schools will hold its annual benefit dinner on Sunday, February 22, at 4:45 p.m., at the Marriott Glenpointe Hotel in Teaneck.
Sinai, which operates inclusive special education schools across New Jersey and New York, provides outstanding Jewish and secular education to children with a wide range of developmental, intellectual, and complex learning disabilities. Sinai incurs extraordinary costs in order to meet the unique needs of each student, and the generosity of its donors helps ensure that financial difficulties don’t stand in the way of a Sinai education.
This year’s honorees are Yakov Karasick of Teaneck, Elizabeth Kratz of Bergenfield, and Ron and Diane Strobel of Englewood.
Yakov Karasick grew up with Sinai, and Sinai grew up with Yakov. As part of the first cohort of Sinai students, Yakov helped teach the community what true inclusivity means through his natural warmth and exuberant personality. From his early days as a student through to his adulthood, Yakov has been an ambassador for Sinai for more than 40 years. He is an active member of Teaneck’s Congregation Beth Aaron, where he is known for his smile and humor. Thousands of students at Yavneh Academy have gotten to know Yakov as he has worked there for almost two decades. He’s also worked at Ma’adan, Holy Name Medical Center, and Lazy Bean Cafe.
Ron and Diane Strobel are longtime leaders in the Englewood community. Their extensive involvement with the Jewish community has included serving as founders of the East Hill Synagogue and in leadership roles there; they’ve also been leaders with organizations including Emunah, Israel Bonds, and the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey. They have been involved in community affairs for many years, including Diane’s service as an elected official on the Democratic Committee. As a Sinai Vocational Partner, Ron, a cardiologist who has been in practice in Englewood for 35 years, helps Sinai students become productive members of the workforce as they learn communication and troubleshooting skills and gain independence.
Elizabeth Kratz is editor-in-chief and associate publisher of the Jewish Link. Through her writing, people have gained an understanding of the power of Sinai for students and their families, as well as for the broader Jewish community. She and her husband, Alexander, who died last year, are longtime supporters of Sinai. In honor of Alexander, who was a physician who held education, especially yeshiva education, in high regard, Elizabeth has established the Dr. Alexander Kratz z”l Memorial Scholarship Fund at Sinai so that more families will be able to benefit from all that Sinai has to offer.
The premiere of Sinai’s newest documentary is always a dinner highlight. This year, “Eli” tells the story of a child with a huge personality and complex challenges and of his parents, Dina and Leo Herskovich.
Ezra Grauberd is this year’s alumni speaker.
For donations, information, or reservations, go to www.sinaidinner.org, email giving@sinaischools.org, or call (201) 833-1134, ext. 106.