DALLAS, TEXAS - MAY 30, 2008 ~~  Yavneh Academy of Dallas is pleased to announce the award of Valedictorian to Sarah Epstein and the honor of Salutatorian to Daniel Bonner.  Samuel Ames and Michael San Soucie are the school's Magna Cum Laude recipients. Aviva Linksman and Tova Stolovitsky share the Sylvia and William Epstein Golden Wedding Anniversary Fund Award and David Fine and Alexander Hirschberg received Exceptional Service awards.  All honors were shared during commencement ceremonies on Sunday, May 25 at Congregation Tiferet Israel.

“Yavneh prepared us not only to succeed in the secular world, but also to enter it as a representation of the Jewish nation,” said Epstein. “We were trained to speak our people’s native tongue, read from a Chumash or Gemara, and to understand the intricacies of our Jewish heritage. We learned the value of helping others through volunteering our time and energy to worthy causes. Well suited in the armor of our education and acquired midot, we will enter the world confident in our training and preparation for any future battles we may encounter.”

”We learn in the Gemara that ‘as one piece of iron sharpens another, so do two students sharpen each other when they study together,’" said Bonner.  “We have traveled far and wide, sharing insights in the classroom and meaningful moments outside of it. Each of us will walk off this stage today with a sharper intellect and a sharper character because we came together to form the class of 2008.”

Seniors David Naxon, Robert Radoff, Yardana Schick, Baruch Shawel, Tova Stolovitsky, and Arye Zucker led the Star Spangled Banner and Hatikvah, and Bradley Alhadef, Natalie Schachar, and Hannah Schachter welcomed all to the commencement.  Emily Brill, Erez Krengel, and Aviva Linksman thanked Yavneh devotees Sam and Irene Kogutt, Randy Pulitzer, and Ann Rosenberg for their roles in supporting the school in many ways, over many years. Gabriella Lewin offered the dvar Torah for the afternoon.

David Fine, Zachary Moskowitz, and Grace Rosenthal presented the profile of YavnehAcademy's thirteenth graduating class.  Seniors Emily Ackerman, Louis Huberman, Allie Kessler, Sara Levi, Melissa Michelson, Nava Newman, Ari Steinbaum, and Rachel Zbolon complete Yavneh’s graduating class roster.

Yavneh’s Class of 2008 was accepted to 57 universities, colleges, and seminaries in the United States, Canada and Israel, they received over $931,000 in scholarship monies, and served over 11,000 hours of community service.  The average score on the SAT was 1971 and 28 on the ACT.  The class that founded HELP; Helping Everyone Live Peacefully and continued the legacy of Students Against Terrorism, raised more than $60,000 to be shared around the world.  Natalie Schachar received the Prudential Humanitarian Bronze Medal and Daniel Bonner and Gabriella Lewin were named Coca Cola Scholars.

Fred Grunewald offered greetings from the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas.  Leon Zeligson accompanied the students during the processional and recessional. YavnehAcademy’s Rabbi Meir Tannenbaum and Rabbi Howard Wolk shared blessings for the future, and Naomi Schrager presented the Judaics awards.  Assistant Principals Chad Baruch and Dr. Tim Cloward shared in the ceremony as Past President of the Board of Directors Pam Fine, and President of the Board Mike Zucker (parents of graduating students David and Arye), presented the students with their diplomas and Head of School Donald O’Quinn bid each student a personal farewell and the group his respect.

“Our job is to take you from childhood to adulthood.  Today I see that is done.  The personality of this class is one of personal growth.  Many of you have overcome much, and you are all deeply concerned for your fellow human beings.  If you empower the students, and give them liberty, you will find a plethora of outstanding young adults.  That is Yavneh.  Long may it live.”

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PHOTO BY DEB SILVERTHORN