80 years of accomplishment, 80 years of service, 80 years of
advocacy for the Torah community were the foci of a
celebration that drew a crowd of 1400 to the New York Hilton
on Sunday night, May 5, for Agudath Israel of America's 80th
Anniversary Dinner.
Major awards were presented by Agudath Israel executive vice
president Rabbi Shmuel Bloom to: Yossie Tepfer, recipient of
the HaGaon Rav Aharon Kotler Memorial Award for distinguished
service to Torah; Dr. Joseph Geliebter on behalf of the Rabbi
Leib Geliebter Memorial Foundation, recipient of the Reb
Elimelech Tress Award for preservation of the legacy of the
Shearis HaPleitoh; and Agudath Israel of Toronto, which was
honored with the Moreinu Yaakov Rosenheim Memorial Award for
distinguished service to Agudath Israel. Each of the honorees
was featured in a special audio-visual presentation produced
by Rabbi Yosef Chaim Golding.
Avodas Hakodesh Awards for community service were presented
by Rabbi Shlomo Gertzulin, Agudath Israel's vice president
for finance and administration. The honorees were Rabbi
Shraga Bohensky, Rabbi Moshe Kolodny, Chaim Krauss, Moshe
Kurzmann, Shaya Pilchick and Yankel Ungar. Yoav Taub received
the Wolf Friedman Young Leadership Award. Mr. Taub is the
grandson of the activist for whom the distinguished award is
named.
Mr. Taub, Mr. Krauss and Mr. Pilchick are all members of
Agudath Israel's Young Leadership division, which Rabbi
Bloom, in his opening remarks, credited with bringing "a
freshness and a vibrancy" to the organization.
The Rabbi Moshe Sherer Memorial Award, presented annually to
individuals who vigorously and lovingly labored at the
legendary Agudah leader's side in the building of Agudath
Israel of America, was presented to Yechiel BenZion Fishoff.
The award was presented to Mr. Fishoff by Rabbi Sherer's son,
Rabbi Shimshon Sherer.
Together with its Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, "individuals whose
lives are steeped in the study of our holy Torah, who give of
their time and wisdom to guide us and direct us in everything
that we do," the source of Agudath Israel's strength is the
active and dedicated lay leadership who translate the
organization's goals and principles into action, said Rabbi
Bloom in his welcoming address. The Agudath Israel
representative then took a moment to remember veteran Agudah
leader, Mr. Louis Glueck, a"h, who passed away several
weeks before the dinner.
The selfless dedication of another segment of the population
was acknowledged with a special presentation of funds
collected through Agudath Israel of America's 9/11 Relief
Effort for the families of fallen rescue workers. The moving
segment began with remarks by special guest Michael R.
Bloomberg, Mayor of the City of New York, and concluded with
a poignant acceptance speech by Master Conner Geraghty whose
father, FDNY Chief Ed Geraghty, perished in the World Trade
Center disaster.
The evening's special guest speaker was Rabbi Aaron Dovid
Dunner, dayan of the Hisachdus Kehillos HaCharedim of
London.
One of the highlights of the program, which commenced with
the recital of Tehillim led by Rabbi Moshe Mordechai
Lowy, rav, Agudath Israel of Toronto, was the showing of a
special audio-visual presentation entitled "Libeinu
beMizrach," a moving look at the Torah community's
response to the crisis in Eretz Yisroel. In his powerful
address, Rabbi Yaakov Perlow, the Novominsker Rebbe and Rosh
Agudath Israel, focused first and foremost on the current
suffering of fellow Jews in Eretz Yisroel. "Hashem's
`remembering'" Rabbi Perlow explained, "is an act of
rachamim, mercy.
