54th Birthday Celebration

Our 54th Birthday Celebration Event

On April 11th, 400 community members—from current and alumni parents to alumni, grandparents, and friends—participated in our 54th Birthday Celebration event, demonstrating what it means to be part of a community. More than 360 partygoers bought tickets to the event, and 70 families made special gifts to either underwrite tickets for faculty, staff, and clergy or commemorate the milestone year. At least three dozen local businesses supported the event through prize drawings and auction item donations, while our parent network secured access to 42 exclusive experiences for an incredible auction. Altogether, the 54th Birthday Celebration raised $223,675 in total proceeds.

54th Birthday Celebration Committee

A special thank you to our 54th Birthday Celebration Committee, who made this event a night to remember:

Kara Aborn P’20, ’21, ’26, Co-Chair
Elyssa Friedland P’22, ’24, ’27, Co-Chair
James Deutsch P’23, ’26, Auction
Stacey Kopp P’26, ’31, Auction
Ruth Bernstein P’25, ’27, Decor
Lauren Rasken P’25, ’29, Decor
Leslie Regenbaum P’25, ’30, Decor
Marcy Barkan P’18, ’22, Parent of Alumni Liaison
Gara Schwartz P’29, Parents Association Liaison
Samantha Feinberg P’32, ’35, Parents Association Liaison
Jesse Eisen P’23, ’26, Bar Master

A Trio of New Facilities

From our beginnings as a Nursery and Elementary School in 1970 to our first 8th Grade graduation in 2004, visionary leaders have enabled the School to accommodate its academic expansion and growing student body: first through the purchase of the 84th Street campus (1973), followed by 79th Street (1993), and finally 78th Street (1998). In this Year of triple Chai and in partnership with major donors, Rodeph Sholom School made the responsible stewardship of our facilities a focal point, prioritizing spaces that have an outsized impact on the learning environment of our students and the community experience for our families, faculty, and staff. 

The Schneider Community Room

The Schneider Community Room is a beautiful room for communal gathering and spiritual learning that includes a new Torah ark, custom seating, and improved audio/visual capabilities. We are grateful to Tami, Brady ’10, and Casey ’13 Schneider for making this multipurpose space possible as a place for lessons, after-school programs, parent support meetings, admissions events, board meetings, and so much more. Thank you to the Gavin Family (Cindy and Brian, Megan Arden ‘12, and Mekayla ‘21) for their support of the Torah ark.

The K’nisah at 79th Street

Thanks to the generosity of Jaime and Eliot Horowitz P’23, ’26, ’32, the lobby at the 79th Street campus has been transformed into a bright, modern space. The reconfigured layout includes a lounge that fosters a sense of welcome and belonging to all who enter the building, while the overall setting dramatically enhances the experience for new families touring Rodeph Sholom School. The lobby is now known as The K’nisah (k’nee SAH), Hebrew for “entrance,” marking the start of each day and where a student’s journey of growth and self-discovery begins.

The Day Family Play Deck

A state-of-the-art play terrace was completed for our youngest learners, located on the 6th Floor Terrace of Congregation Rodeph Sholom. This area was designed within a flexible outdoor setting for intergenerational engagement in worship, celebration, and play surrounded by nature. Generous supporters of the project will be recognized in the 2024-2025 Annual Report.