FEDERATION NEWS - The Jewish Georgian

July-August 2012 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 25
MAKING GHA PROUD. Three of this
year’s valedictorians at local high schools
are graduates of the Jacob and Katherine
Greenfield Hebrew Academy class of 2008:
(from left) Eytan Palte, The Weber School;
Sarah Chelser, Yeshiva Atlanta; and Leah
Topper, Norcross High School. Each
achieved this honor through intelligence,
hard work, sterling character traits, and a
solid academic foundation from their earlier
years. (Photo: David Topper)
CHAGIGAT CHUMASH. Greenfield
Hebrew Academy 2nd-grade students
enjoyed their Chagigat Chumash, singing
songs and reciting the names of all the
parshiot by heart for their audience.
Afterwards, they were presented with their
very first chumash. Here, the class listens
attentively to Head of School Rabbi Lee
Buckman’s address, but Aryeh Freitag can’t
resist a quick peek into his new chumash.
Pictured: (from left, top) Ari Gabay, Alex
Schwartz, and Reese Bober; (bottom) Isaac
Fialkow, Kiki Starr, Aryeh Freitag, Joshua
Alhadeff, and Shiraz Agichtein. (Photo:
Devi Knapp)
AVI CHAI EQUIPMENT. GHA took 3rd
place in the Jewish Day School Academy
Awards, an online video contest sponsored
by the Avi Chai Foundation. The school’s
video, “Put the P Back in PTSA,” was written
and directed by recent GHA graduate
Nicole Nooriel. It brought the school
$2,500 in new video equipment, including a
video camera with microphones, a tripod, a
firewire drive, Adobe Video Editing software,
and more. Here, Head of School
Rabbi Lee Buckman uses the new video
camera to interview rising 3rd-grader
Yonatan Levy on the last day of school.
(photo: Leah Levy)
M’SILOT. GHA celebrated M’silot’s rededication
as the Matthew Blumenthal M’silot
Program. Matthew, a GHA student from 1st
grade through his graduation, tragically
died, at age 24, of muscular dystrophy. In
1999, his grandparents, Saul and Adele
Blumenthal, z”l, provided seed money to
start M’silot in his honor. With their sustaining
gift, Matthew’s parents, Elaine and
Jerry Blumenthal, are continuing the vital
work that Matthew’s grandparents started.
Pictured: the Blumenthals with the eight
original M’silot students, now graduating
high school—(from left) Malki Field,
Rachel Kleiman, Risa Hayet, M’silot director
Phyllis Rosenthal, Elaine Blumenthal,
Jerry Blumenthal, Sydney Lippman, Rachel
May, Michael Usdan, and Jacob Singer
(Photo: Devi Knapp)
SIYUM HASHANA. The Siyum Hashana,
which GHA holds to mark the end of the
Camp Yofi offers unique approach to autism
For the eighth consecutive year, Ramah
Darom will host Camp Yofi, a unique program
designed for Jewish families with children
with autism.
Camp Yofi will take place August 8-12, in
Clayton, Georgia, on the 122-acre campus of
Ramah Darom, an organization devoted to
providing exceptional experiences in Jewish
living and learning.
Families and staff at Camp Yofiʼs
amphitheater (photos: Asher Krell)
“Unlike many programs that focus on different
therapeutic methods, Camp Yofi focuses
on what we believe are the most important
pillars of strength for families with children
with autism—community and support,” said
Susan Tecktiel, director of Camp Yofi. “Camp
Yofi provides a respite for families and the
ideal space to foster a community that lives on,
well past the week we spend together.”
Camp Yofi family
The program is designed for children ages
6-13. Single parents, grandparents, and siblings
are invited to attend, and all Jewish families
are welcome, regardless of denomination
or synagogue affiliation. Camp Yofi is offered
in partnership with NOVA Southeastern
University, host of the world-renowned
Mailman Segal Center for Human
Development. With a 1:1 staff ratio and a
strong emphasis on safety, Camp Yofi provides
an unmatched experience for families who
otherwise would be limited in their ability to
take a family vacation, due to the challenges
autism presents.
Morning programs at Camp Yofi are
designed with separate tracks for children with
autism, siblings, and parents. Afternoons are
devoted to family programming, and in the
evening, the camp community joins together
for bonfires and sing-alongs. Every family is
assigned a chaver, or special friend, who provides
a consistent, comforting presence
throughout the week. After the children are in
Campers enjoy activities with staff
school year, is the time for graduating students
to receive recognition for their
achievements and express their gratitude to
the teachers and volunteers who helped
them. Here, graduating 8th-grader Zach
Maslia receives the Keter Shem Tov award.
(Photo: Devi Knapp)
MUSEUM OF THE MIND. Museum of the
Mind was an exhibition documenting the
academic achievements of 5th- and 6thgrade
GHA students, curated by teachers
Ryne Harris, Marci Kaplan, and Hilary
Gorosh. Here, 6th-grader Devorah Chasen
and her mother, Hallie Chasen, proudly display
The Diary of Margaret, a story
Devorah wrote to demonstrate her knowledge
of the Crusades period in England.
(Photo: Leah Levy)
bed and under the watchful care of the staff,
adults have the opportunity to participate in
fun programs, as well as study and support
groups.
Thanks to the generous support of sponsoring
foundations and individual donors,
Camp Yofi is designed to be affordable to any
family wishing to participate. Tuition is $750
per family, which covers 25 percent of the
$3,000 cost of the program. Participation in
Camp Yofi is limited to 25 families, and registrations
are accepted on a first-come, firstserved
basis.
For more information about Camp Yofi,
visit http://www.ramahdarom.org/campyofi,
or e-mail Susan Tecktiel at susant@ramahdarom.org.