On the morning of Friday, May 20th, there was magic in the air at TA, as over 850 grandparents, great-grandparents, and special friends came to TA for an unforgettable experience. This was TA’s 5th Grandparents’ Day in recent years, and it proved to be an incredible experience to all those who came.
Upon arriving in the TA parking lot or via shuttle bus from the MTA down the road, the campus was alive with student and volunteer ushers greeting guests, music playing, and welcome banners and signs. After checking in and receiving a “Proud TA Grandparent” pin, a beautiful keepsake gift bag, along with a personalized schedule for the day, grandparents and special friends proceeded to the gym, where they were treated to a vast delectable assortment of breakfast items to choose from.
After spending some time eating, mingling and getting to know each other, it was time for the main event – the opportunity to spend time with their grandchildren. Using their personalized schedules and guided by an army of student ushers, grandparents found their way to their grandchildrens’ classrooms to participate in lessons and projects.
In the classrooms, TA’s dedicated and talented Rabbeim, morohs and teachers treated our guests, and our talmidim, to fascinating and interactive presentations on a variety of topics. Our 5th grade grandparents were treated to amazing Gadol Fair presentations by our talmidim, and enjoyed seeing all of their beautiful showboards. Grandparents came away amused, inspired, uplifted, and a little more knowledgeable too!
The final part of the program, the Oneg Shabbos Assembly, took place on TA’s beautiful turf field, with ample cold water bottles distributed by our Middle School student ushers. After being joined by over 500 students, Rabbi Dovid Sass, the Lower School menahel, welcomed everyone and recognized all the members of TA’s administration, staff and faculty that worked so hard to allow Grandparents’ Day to come to fruition. He then introduced Rabbi Yehuda Lefkovitz, TA’s president of TA for over 3 decades to address the assemblage. TA was privileged to have Rabbi Menachem Goldberger lead the crowd in his famous and hartzig ‘lecha dodi’ tune, followed by a beautiful choir by our 5th graders, led by Rabbi Moshe Dovid Robinson. Rabbi Hillel Hexter kept the boys and grandparents on their feet with exciting raffles and prizes, while Rabbi Yitzchok Dinovitzer on the piano kept the music in the air!
At the conclusion of the program, all guests were presented with a piece of Erev Shabbos potato kugel as they departed. One grandparent commented, “this event was spectacular and we are so blessed to have been able to attend!” TA’s guests left with a feeling of pride in the Yeshiva, promising to join us once again at the next grandparents day in Yerushalayim!
An incredible event like this could not have happened without the hard work & devotion of many individuals. Thank you to Mrs. Sarala Wertenteil and Mrs. Aliza Samet for creating an amazing breakfast display, together with their group of amazing parent volunteers.
Our TA Administration, Hanhalah, Rebbeim, Morohs, teachers, and office personnel, all worked tirelessly in the weeks leading up to Grandparents Day to ensure the most unforgettable TA experience for our grandparents. Thank you for all of your hard work and everything you do for our yeshiva on a constant basis!
