Gesher Yehuda Yeshiva recently held its 21st Annual Bake Sale benefiting both the elementary school and Yeshivah Prep High School students. The months of preparation were well worth the effort. A steady group of community women have been organizing this event for over a decade and a half, dedicating themselves year after year. Like a well-oiled machine working on behalf of the students, each task from publicity and shopping to setup and food, were assigned and pursued relentlessly. As long time volunteer Mrs. Marjorie Sitt put it, “This bake sale is part of us.”
Hosts Elana and Robbie Wahba shared similar sentiments, “We are happy to support a community school.” By so readily opening their home and easing the way for the committee to do their work, the Wahbas exemplified the ideal hosts. Their generosity included the participation of their supportive friends .
During the well attended evening viewing, school founder Jack Setton summed up how everyone involved helps this essential community yeshiva. He explained that Moshe Rabbenu encouraged the participation of all the Nissim. He surely could have accomplished any task that needed to be done all by himself, yet he gave the opportunity of getting involved to a larger group. This was, perhaps, a goal just as important as the primary mitzvah. Actions and events, like fundraising for a school, raise the spirit of all of us.
Guest speaker, Rabbi Sananes, spoke on the effects of leading a life seeped in tzedaka. “The memories of a child’s first teacher affect him for life.” He recalled the old days when community parents were simply told their children couldn’t learn. “But many became very successful proving them wrong.” This is the power of creating a positive, encouraging environment from the get go.
The bake sale included a beautiful Chinese Auction, wine-tasting, and Black Diamond Cold Brew coffee by Deborah Setton. Computer tech, Eddie Sitt, give a much needed workshop on operating an iPad. “The iPad class was a great opportunity for community members to learn how to do new things on the devices they use everyday.” Knowledgeable and patient, he provided a cheat sheet to get all the technophobes started.
The annual bake sale brings awareness to the fact that many bright and happy children have differing learning styles. Gesher Yehuda serves as a learning bridge to assist them reach their goals of thriving in a typical academic setting.
While it is always exciting to draw names of the winners of the beautiful prizes, much credit goes to the volunteers who make this event happen year after year. Shopping and displaying gifts, baking cookies, advertising, crunching numbers and more, these skills are all channelled towards the betterment of children’s lives. Many special thanks to hosts Elana and Robbie Wahba; volunteers and staff, Pauline Wahba, Amy Zaccai, Marjorie Sitt, Claude Setton, Margie Sarway, Susan Salame, Freida Tawil, Merrill Mishaan, Shirley Mansour, Rebecca Maleh, Elaine Chattah, Grace Benun, and Annie Abadi. Thank you to anyone we may have inadvertently not listed, and most of all thank you to all our wonderful supporters. With your help our phenomenal yeshiva is able to flourish. See you all next year!
