RIVERDALE  JEWISH  CENTER  ANNUAL  DINNER

RIVERDALE, NEW YORK
JUNE 4, 2019
6:00 PM

PRESENTING OUR 2019 ANNUAL DINNER HONOREES!

Rabbi Charles and Judy Adler Sheer
Guests of Honor

Charles Sheer did his undergraduate and graduate studies at Yeshiva University, where he received his M.A. in Talmudic Literature and his Ordination from RIETS. He was a founder and officer in various Soviet Jewry groups during his student years and early rabbinic career, and a member of the executive boards of the Rabbinical Council of America, RIETS, the Jewish Book Council and other organizations. Rabbi Sheer has authored various academic and popular articles, and just recently published a book on a famous letter of the Rambam.

He started his career as the Associate Rabbi to our Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, and then became the rabbi of our kids as they went to Columbia University or Barnard College, where for 34 years he was the Jewish Chaplain, building one of the strongest Jewish campus communities in the country.

Currently he is Staff Chaplain at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY, and teaches Medical Ethics in the Bioethics Institute of New York Medical College.

In his communal life, Rabbi Sheer was an RJC Trustee for about 20 years, and for some time the Chair of our Adult Education Committee and the Chair of our Youth Committee.

Rabbi Sheer has been a leader in the Hashkamah Minyan since its inception. He gave a weekly Shabbat shiur a number of years ago, and over the past three years has held a Shabbat morning shiur on a whole variety of topics.

He and his late first wife Gloria raised their three kids, David, Daniel and Rachel, at our shul and sent them to SAR, where he was the Chair of the Board of Education for 7 years.

Judy Adler Sheer joined our community in 1989 when she married Rabbi Sheer, becoming the proud and grateful step-mother of his three children, and thoroughly involved in the congregation.

Born to Hungarian refugee parents in a D.P. camp in Germany in 1947, Judy lived in Amsterdam, Holland, and at the age of nine came with her family to the United States, settling in Los Angeles.

With an undergraduate degree from UCLA and a Graduate Degree in Education from UC Berkeley, Judy moved in 1975 to the Upper Westside of New York, where she participated actively in the educational programs of Lincoln Square Synagogue, and in its leadership as a Trustee.

Judy has been an active partner of Rabbi Sheer: as the “rebbetzin” at Columbia/Barnard University while he was the Chaplain there; as a chevrutah with him in learning and publishing; and together as a couple reaching out to members of our Community.

Daniel and Rachel and their spouses were active members of RJC until they each made Aliyah with their families. David and his family live in Passaic, NJ. The three of them have provided Judy and Chuck with 12 grandchildren and recently their first greatgrandchild!

Judy has had a long and illustrious professional career in the Jewish community, having held top positions at national UJA; the Council of Jewish Federations; the innovative Modern Orthodox Organization, Edah; and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Many of us use for our bencher her very popular, "UJA Book of Songs and Blessings” or her “Edah Birkat HaMazon”, which features, in addition to the standard, traditional men’s zimmun, the first printed version of an optional women’s zimmun.

Judy has applied her professional experience and skills to her involvement in the RJC.

She was a leader of the Riverdale Jewish Center “Green Team” encouraging the community to recycle and reduce its energy usage. For five years she ran “Green Shabbat” for each Tu B’shvat, using ecologically safe materials for Kiddush and producing educational materials all the minyanim, while also, as she was used to doing in her professional roles, raising funds for the synagogue!

Having been a teacher and youth leader, Judy volunteered her services as a Resource Teacher for three years at SAR Academy, collaborating with teachers and working with students who required individual attention on a variety of subjects.

Dr. Sandra Molinas
Miriam Schonfeld Hering ע''ה Community Service Award

Sandra grew up in the Bronx her entire life. She attended Bronx High School of Science, Barnard, Columbia for Dental School, has a master in micro biology from Columbia University, and has been a Periodontist for 20 years.

Sandra is married to her amazing husband Samuel Segal and proud parent of Sophia, Elazar, and Max. She has been a long time member of the Riverdale community and serves on the board of multiple committees in the RJC.

Sandra is one of the founding members of the Beit Aharon, Sephardic Minyan of Riverdale.

After leaving her private practice she now teaches at St. Barnibas Hospital and Mt. Sinai Hospital.

In her free time she travels to Israel and volunteers at Dental Volunteers for Israel in Jerusalem.

She would really like to thank her husband and family for all their love and support.

Malkie Bernstein

Toby Smith

Dinner Commitee*

Adina Haller

*Committee in Formation