Instilling Judaic education and pride

To pay tribute to the 25th anniversary of the Jewish Individualized Learning program, the Jewish Education Program in Lawrence will honor 11 of the program’s pioneers and 20 volunteers at their dinner on Saturday.

The Jewish Individualized Learning program pairs Jewish children with Jewish high school students to teach them about Judaism. In the Five Towns, students from Davis Renov Stahler Yeshiva High School in Woodmere and Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls in Hewlett Bay Park mentor the children.

Rabbi David Skenker, the director of the Jewish Education Program, said the children enjoy the individual attention from the program. “The kids like it and they get to learn about what interests them at their own pace,” he said. “There are dozens of locations (for the Jewish Individualized Learning program) across Long island.”

Among the honorees are Shya Hersh and Yehudis Schwartz of Lawrence. The program is named in memory of Shya’s mother, Suri Schwartz, who died before the program began. “In her memory, this organization is running,” Shya said. “The community is supporting the organization so it can run.”

Although Suri was not alive when the Jewish Individualized Learning program began, Shya hopes to carry on his mother’s memory through the program’s mission. That mission is to provide educational and recreational activities for Jewish children no matter their background or affiliation. The goal is to instill Jewish awareness, pride and unity in a fun and warm environment.

Devorah Haum-Kovitz of Far Rockaway will be receiving the Jewish Individualized Learning Pioneer Award for helping to launch the program 25 years ago. “For two years I helped public school children learn about Judaism by going to their temples and teaching them on a weekly basis,” she said. “It took a lot of time and effort to teach the kids and now that they’re celebrating 25 years of this program, they are inaugurating me as the leader of that program.”

Haum-Kovitz said the Jewish Individualized Learning program is a vital organization. “It’s an important cause and important organization which has grown and flourished for many years,” she said. “They really care about Jewish children and want to instill a love for Judaism.”

In the future, Haum-Kovitz hopes the organization can continue to prosper. “I hope they will help non-affiliated Jews become more affiliated with Judaism,” she said, “and continue to help children become more religious and more knowledgeable about Judaism.”

Other Pioneer honorees include Rabbis Yitzchok Frankel, Robert Block and Eliyahy Alpert, Adam and Shari Maslow, Avroham and Malka Kay and Joy Matathias-Avitan, a graduate of Lawrence High School and Hebrew and Liverpool universities.

The Jewish Education Program of Long Island’s, “Changing Thousands of Lives One Child at a Time,” annual dinner is this Saturday at 8:30 p.m. at the Lawrence Yacht and Country Club at 101 Causeway in, Lawrence.

For more information about the Jewish Education Program, visit www.jepli.org.