Hillel Yeshivas Class of 2002 recently met for their 10 year high school reunion. What was unique about this reunion was that the organizers, alumni Millie Marcus and Gitta (Sultan) Kaplan, opened the guest list up to students and teachers who attended and/or taught at Hillel Yeshiva while the Class of 2002 was there.
The event was hosted by alumnus Lynn (Simhon) Braka at her home in Deal, New Jersey. Upon arriving, students and teachers were greeted by a banner with the Hillel Yeshiva logo and were offered ID badges featuring their names and yearbook pictures. As they entered the festivities, they were welcomed by smiling, somewhat familiar faces from their pasts, a catered barbecue packed with salads, desserts and drinks, and cozy tables to sit at and enjoy the party.
After mingling and reminiscing, attendees played a trivia game that was emceed by Joey Mizrahi. The teams were girls versus boys. The questions were about their years at Hillel and were enthusiastically answered by most people in the crowd, even the teachers. The fun continued with a slide show of their years at Hillel, which also played at their high school graduation. It was met with oohs, ahhs and whatever happened to him/her? The nights festivities came to an end after a speech by current Board President Charles Saka.
However, the night wasnt really over. With the feeling of nostalgia lurking, most students lingered as darkness fell, enjoying the memories and eating cake. Finally, they left with more feel-good memories and travel coffee mug party favors in their grasp.
Organizers Millie and Gitta did an amazing job and hopefully there will be more reunions filled with fun, laughter, old friends, teachers and good food.
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Beth Warren is an alumnus of the Hillel Yeshiva Class of 2002. She is now a registered dietitian with a private practice in Brooklyn.
