This was an exceptionally emotional evening. If you missed our Annual Dinner honoring Dan, ז״ל, and Aviva, שתחי׳, Markush and their wonderful family – don’t fret – you can experience the camaraderie, the excitement, the deep emotions and the kiddush Hashem, right here, right now (and as often as you like) at our Dinner In Review Site.
If you want a quick recap of the evening, you can watch the highlight reel below (don’t forget to keep on scrolling down so you don’t miss anything important).
We are so pleased that 450 (maybe more) of our closest friends joined with us to honor a special family, the memory of a special father and to support the students of Valley Torah High School.
Promptly, at a few minutes before 7:00 the doors opened to the ballroom. The decor, the lighting, all exquisite!
The salad course was waiting at our table. The efficient wait staff promptly removed our salad and served the prime rib of beef (this is where virtual reality leaves something to be desired – I’m afraid you can’t taste just how delicious that steak was!) Just as we put down our forks… the wait staff magically appeared and removed our plates.
The program started off with a fast-paced overview of some of last-year’s accomplishments, Reaching Beyond for Greatness:
Akiva Greenfield, Valley Torah class of 2000, served as the evenings MC. Akiva introduced Dr. Leora Gabay Shoshani, Valley Torah Class of 2008, an outstanding teacher at the Girls Division. Leora introduced a video that highlighted the new Girls Division administration.
Dan Markush, who tragically passed away just a few months ago, and his wife Aviva, שתחי׳, raised a beautiful family. Dan and Aviva put jewish education in the forefront of their lives. They sacrificed to send their children to Jewish school. Their sacrifice paid off. Each of their children is a leader in their community. The following video tells their moving story:
The entire family came up to receive their awards. Aviva heroically took the podium to thank the school, and Dor addressed the crowd on behalf of his brothers and sisters. Dor also announced a special performance by his nephew, Ariel R’bibo (class of ’23). Ariel wowed the crowed with his virtuoso abilities on the piano in memory of his grandfather. Akiva gathered all the strings together and announced that dessert is served. Everyone lingered over coffee, tea and good conversation with close friends.
