The year was 1953. Right after the development of the life-saving Polio vaccine was announced, the Minneapolis Lakers beat the NY Knicks in the seventh NBA Championship, and Sir Edmund Hillary became the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, eight students reached an important and historical moment in their own lives by becoming the first graduating class of Magen David Yeshivah Elementary School (MDY).
In honor of that notable event, five members of the Class of 1953 – Mr. Isaac Abady, Mr. Irving Betesh, Mr. Isaac Chrem, Mr. Max Shalom, and Mr. Jack Shamah – were honored guests at the graduation of the MDY Elementary School Class of 2013, with 148 students. Seated prominently on the dais, they were spotlighted with much respect and excitement by Principal Rabbi Baruch Hilsenrath.
While six decades had passed, and much in their lives and in the world had changed, the reunion gave them an opportunity to be teenagers again. It was abundantly apparent that these gentlemen enjoyed their days at MDY, when it was located in its first building on East 26th Street. They shared memories, both warm and amusing. They spoke about the teachers, the great lessons they learned, and, yes, even the time they were caught playing hooky. Arriving early, Mr. Abady toured the school’s new building on McDonald Avenue and, emotional and filled with tears of happiness, noted that it is remarkable that “such a wonderful school” has “grown from eight kids.” MDY, that “wonderful school,” is built on the great shoulders and distinguished attributes of the original eight.
Each of the 1953 alumni who attended this year’s graduation received a 2013 diploma and a siddur inscribed with the words “Presented with much respect and admiration to Mr. _____, a distinguished member of Magen David Yeshivah Elementary School’s Class of 1953, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of his graduation from MDY. May Hashem continue to bless you with all that is good in life.”
As parents and friends of the MDY Elementary School Class of 2013 looked forward to the next milestones of the graduates’ educational careers, this very special reunion also inspired a pause to reflect on the past. The MDY family looks forward to welcoming both the Class of 1953 and the Class of 2013 at school events for many years to come.
