HAFTR High School's valedictorian and salutatorian

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Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway High School valedictorian is Erica Hilsenrath, of Woodmere, and Daniel Friedman, from Cedarhurst, is the salutatorian, for the class of 2018.

Aside from her academic excellence, Hilsenrath volunteered with Tomchei Shabbos, a charity organization that packages and delivers food to families in need for Shabbos, and has led youth groups.

The former president of HAFTR’s Deah chapter of the National Honor Society and Torah Bowl participant also contributed to HAFTR’s Science Institute and Math Research program. She urged students to keep the “music” of HAFTR in their hearts. Hilsenrath will attend Midreshet Moriah in Israel for one year, and then the S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program at Stern College for Women.

Friedman, last year’s Student of the Year at HAFTR’s Deah chapter of the National Honor Society, thrived in the Bronfman Fellowship and the Tikvah Scholars program, a summer program that exposes students to foundational questions in politics, economics, Zionist Thought and Judaism.

He was a Model Congress chairman, Torah Bowl captain, and part of the Math Team and Science and Engineering program. Friedman plans to attend Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel, then Princeton University.