Surprise Visit from Israel's Prime Minister
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Kol Ami students and other Westchester Birthright students met Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a recent trip to Israel. This Birthright group, that included students from Congregation Kol Ami in White Plains, had the good fortune to join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in watching the sunrise at the top of Masada, and then continued to the Dead Sea.
Not only was this the only Taglit-Birthright Israel group to have this opportunity, but they will also be part of a new TV series called RoyalTour, which features heads of state for unprecedented access to countries through the eyes of their leaders.
Travel and Serve the World
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Travel has a new look these days and Westchester families are opting to see the world while making a difference in the process. The new movement, sometimes called voluntourism, encourages participants to get their hands dirty in service projects that help local communities while also affording travelers the opportunity to visit incredible sites around the world. The goal of voluntourism is to serve, to teach and share, and, ultimately to learn and reflect. Based in Rye, NY and founded by a Westchester teacher and former Peace Corps volunteer, VolunTravel is a volunteer travel organization that strives to promote cross-cultural learning, a deepening awareness of our global interdependence, and a commitment to the common good.
Organizations such as Cross Cultural Solutions, Habitat for Humanity, and the Sierra Club, amongst others, have long been offering volunteer opportunities around the world, but VolunTravel sets itself apart by providing a more family-friendly, group volunteer experience to Westchester and southern Connecticut residents. VolunTravel provides an abbreviated Peace Corps-like experience, where participants travel in intimate groups, interact with the local people, eat at and sleep in locally run accommodations, and conduct service projects devised by local organizations in the host countries. While the reward may seem to lie in the chance to visit the world's greatest natural and manmade sites, former VolunTravelers attest that their authentic interactions with the local people and the feeling of satisfaction after restoring a dilapidated, trash-filled playground, or providing supplies to and helping out at an orphanage outweighed the awe they experienced while witnessing the splendor of the Galapagos Islands or the majesty of Machu Picchu.
VolunTravel currently caters to Westchester families, couples, and individuals over 18, looking to do more than just take a cruise-ship vacation. Participants often leave as strangers seeking to a make a difference in the world and come back as a family with the world having made a difference in them! Trips are geared towards adventurous family travelers who are flexible and socially-minded. Kids are encouraged to attend 3-4 pre-service meetings where they learn about the destination and the difficulties faced by the society. They then help set goals for the service trip and prepare a presentation teach the busy adults about the local culture, and history in a final, pre-trip meeting. Community service hours and fundraising help are also offered to VolunTravelers. The family and group bonding that occurs on VolunTravel trips is priceless, however, since VolunTravel is a 501c3 non-profit organization, part of the trip is tax deductible.
VolunTravel is expanding its operations in Westchester, and is actively seeking participants from Scarsdale, Bronxville, Tukahoe, Eastchester, Pelham and Pelham Manor. In 2014, VolunTravel will be taking trips to Havana, Cuba (February 15-22) and the Galapagos Islands (April 12-20). Come learn more at an information session in the auditorium of the Scarsdale Library (54 Olmsted Road, Scarsdale) on Tuesday, July 16 at 7 p.m. Additional information can be found at www.voluntravel.com or feel free to contact Craig Dreves at craig@voluntravel.com with questions.
Edgemont School Newsletter Wins Award
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The Edgemont Public Schools' electronic newsletter has won an Award of Merit in the National School Public Relations Association's 2013 Publications and Electronic Media Contest.
Southern Westchester BOCES Director of Communications Evelyn McCormack, whose communications team does work for nine of the region's school districts, was the recipient of NSPRA's Award of Merit for a twice-monthly electronic newsletter she produced during 2012-13 for the Edgemont School District. Between November 2012 and May 2013, Ms. McCormack wrote, designed and published nine electronic newsletters for Edgemont, along with three print newsletters.
Ms. McCormack also serves as secretary of the New York School Public Relations Association, the New York chapter of NSPRA.
NSPRA received 894 entries for the 2013 contest, including 679 entries in the Publications category and 135 entries in the Audio/Visual category. A list of winners nationwide will be posted on the NSPRA website, www.nspra.org, on June 21. Take a look at these award-winning newsletters here:
Scarsdale Little League Names Recipient of 2013 Michael H. Ludwig Sportsmanship Award
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The Scarsdale Little League presented Mattingly (Mattie) Weirl, a Fourth Grader on the Rock Hounds with the Michael Ludwig Sportsmanship Award on Thursday June 20 at Crossway Field. The award was created by Scarsdale Little League in memory of fourth grade Little Leaguer Michael H. Ludwig who died from an undetected cardiac condition in 2007. Michael's parents, Ed Ludwig and Lisa Nelson, present the award to a 4th grade player who, like Mattie, shows a love for the game, great sportsmanship, and excellent skills. This year, Mattie displayed all of these qualities on the field. When being nominated by his coaches they highlighted Mattie's always-positive attitude, complete commitment, encouragement of his teammates, solid level of performance on the field with his mind in the game, and dedication to improve himself and the team by way of discipline.
Mattie's strong qualities go beyond the field. For the past three years Mattie and friends at his grade level have played a pick up baseball game at Edgewood school. The objective of playing the game is to raise money for Mattingly Charities, which was created to serve underprivileged youth by supporting programs, which promote baseball and softball participation in conjunction with other developmentally related activities.
Scarsdale Little League also would like to recognize Alex Almeida (Iron Pigs), Hudson Lafayette (Thunder), Shiv Mehra (Thunder) and Ethan Abraham (River Cats), who were also nominated by their coaches this year for the award.
The award was given to Mattie prior to the start of the 4th grade Championship Game, between the Sand Gnats and the Bats. The Sand Gnats won the 4th grade championship with a score of 3 to 1 over the Bats. Congratulations to Mattie, his family, his coaches and teammates on receiving the Michael Ludwig Sportsmanship Award.
Pictured at top: (from left to right)
Ivan Rodriguez, Scarsdale Little League Board member and 2013 4th grade
coordinator;
Lisa Nelson, Michael Ludwig's mother;
Mattie Weirl, Michael H. Ludwig Sportsmanship Award 2013 recipient;
Ed Ludwig, Michael Ludwig's father; and
Mike Greenberg, Scarsdale Little League Board Co-President.
To learn more about the Michael H. Ludwig Memorial Foundation go to:
http://www.michaelludwigfoundation.org
To learn more about Mattingly Charities go to:
http://www.mattinglycharities.org
Local Honorees: UJA and Eagle Scouts
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Karen and Edward Friedman Honored by UJA: Nearly 500 guests joined UJA-Federation of New York's Westchester Region as it honored Karen and Edward Friedman of Scarsdale and Ellen and Michael Brown of Purchase. During this event — Westchester Celebration 2013 — special tribute also was paid to Rabbi Lester Bronstein of Bet Am Shalom Synagogue in White Plains.
The celebration took place on Thursday, May 30, 2013, at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase, where guests came together as a community to pay tribute to the honorees for their enduring leadership in the Westchester Jewish community and to support UJA-Federation and its network of nearly 100 local and global agencies. The event raised nearly $350,000.
"As Jews we are also called upon to do something. Being, yes, but also doing. Being, but also giving," said Rabbi Bronstein. "We like to say 'If not now, when.' The 'when' is rhetorical, you know. Yes, the answer is in our hands, but only for the briefest moment. The 'when' is now — and then it is past."
Scarsdale residents Karen and Edward Friedman are dedicated to helping Jews in need around the world, as well as finding ways to support the community at large. Karen Friedman serves on UJA-Federation's Executive Committee and Board of Directors and is chair of Women's Philanthropy. She also is a member of its Caring Commission Cabinet and the Commission on the Jewish People's Task Force on Engaging Interfaith Families. Previously, she was on the Nominating Committee for Officers and the Nominating Committee for Directors. In addition, Karen recently was appointed to the National Women's Philanthropy Board of Jewish Federations of North America. Edward Friedman is a founding partner of the law firm Friedman, Kaplan, Seiler & Adelman LLP, and serves on the Board of Trustees at Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale.
A treasured leader of the Westchester Jewish community, Rabbi Lester Bronstein of White Plains has served Bet Am Shalom Synagogue in White Plains as its religious leader since 1989. Currently Westchester's rabbinic chair of SYNERGY: UJA-Federation of New York and Synagogues Together, he is a past president of the Westchester Board of Rabbis and UJA-Federation's Westchester Rabbinic Roundtable. He has long engaged in interfaith work through the White Plains Religious Leaders Association and the Westchester Interfaith Clergy Network. A proud participant in the study circle of White Plains rabbis from four streams of Judaism, Rabbi Bronstein is a board member of Hillels of Westchester.
Eagle Scouts Named in Scarsdale: Scarsdale Boy Scouts Troop 2, based at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Scarsdale recently conferred five of its boy scouts with the Eagle Scout badge. They include Anthony Carella, Keith and Kevin Hernandez, Casey Lutz and Michael Siciliano.
The boys are among a distinguished group of 158 boy scouts from across Westchester and Putnam counties to attain the rank of Eagle Scout this year.
They were also recognized June 5 by the Westchester-Putnam Council of the Boy Scouts of America during a special event held at the CV Rich Mansion in White Plains.
Eagle Scouts must fulfill specific requirements before gaining the prestigious badge. To qualify they must earn a total of 21 merit badges, complete a service project, take on a number of leadership roles within their troops and complete additional requirements.
