Senate Resolution No. 5677

BY: Senator BRESLIN

HONORING Rabbi Israel and Rochel Rubin upon the
occasion of their designation as recipients of the
Dr. Morton Berger Memorial Award by Maimonides
Hebrew Day School

WHEREAS, Individuals who give of their time and energies and serve
the best interests of their communities are an asset beyond remuneration
and cannot be sufficiently extolled; and

WHEREAS, Rabbi Israel and Rochel Rubin have given not only of their
time and energies but also of their competence, intelligence and
leadership and consequently have been designated for special honor; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Rabbi Israel
and Rochel Rubin upon the occasion of their designation as recipients of
the Dr. Morton Berger Memorial Award by Maimonides Hebrew Day School, to
be celebrated at its Annual Scholarship Tribute Dinner; and

WHEREAS, Rabbi Israel and Rochel Rubin have been the guiding hand
and inspiration behind Maimonides Hebrew Day School, through teaching,
administration and stewardship; and

WHEREAS, Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Rochel Piekarski
Rubin graduated from Beth Rivka High School in 1966 and the Beth Jacob
Teachers Seminary in 1968; and

WHEREAS, Rochel Rubin began her illustrious career at Maimonides Day
School on the first day of its existence and has served as both a
teacher and as head of Judaic studies ever since; and

WHEREAS, Rabbi Israel Rubin was born in Brooklyn and raised in
Montreal, where he graduated from the Lubavitch Yeshiva in 1967; he
received rabbinic ordination in 1971 by the Central Yeshiva Tomchei
Temimim in New York, and did post-graduate Talmudic studies at Kollel
Menachem in 1972; and

WHEREAS, Rabbi Israel Rubin began his educational career as Learning
Director of Camp Gan Israel in Canada, when he started writing The Torah
Times newspaper and a camp radio broadcast; and

WHEREAS, Rabbi Israel and Rochel Rubin were united in marriage in
Brooklyn, New York in 1971; during this time, Rochel served as a teacher
at Beth Rivka, while the Rabbi pursued post-graduate studies and took a
teaching position at Yeshiva Chanoch Le-Naar; and

WHEREAS, The couple was appointed to serve as shluchim emissaries to
Albany in 1974, during which time they were responsible for Chabad
activities in all of Eastern New York State; and

WHEREAS, Rochel Rubin, also known as Morah Rochel, developed her own
skill-based and text-based curriculum and worksheets for primary grades
Chumash and Navi studies which remain in use at Maimonides; and

WHEREAS, In addition to supervising staff and teaching several
classes each day, this extraordinary woman currently serves as
principal; and

WHEREAS, As rosh yeshiva or dean of Maimonides, Rabbi Israel Rubin's
creative style and broad vision is imprinted throughout the school's
curricular, inter-curricular and extra-curricular programs; he also
serves as rabbi of Congregation Shomray Torah in Albany, and is the
regional director for Chabad-Lubavitch of the eastern region of New York
State; and

WHEREAS, Rabbi Israel Rubin is the author of Marbeh L'Saper-The
Albany Haggadah, The Torah Times, hundreds of Jewish holiday and Jewish
life and learning articles published locally and nationally, and dozens
of scholarly research booklets of original Torah thought; and

WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by
individuals for the benefit of others which Rabbi Israel and Rochel
Rubin have displayed throughout their lives; and

WHEREAS, It has always been the objective of this Legislative Body
to honor and support those individuals who have displayed their
commitment to the betterment of their communities, and it is the intent
of this Legislative Body to inscribe upon its records, this tribute to
Rabbi Israel and Rochel Rubin, that future generations may know and
appreciate their admirable character, their many benevolent deeds, and
the respect and esteem in which they are held by their peers; now,
therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Rabbi Israel and Rochel Rubin upon the occasion of their
designation as recipients of the Dr. Morton Berger Memorial Award by
Maimonides Hebrew Day School; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Rabbi Israel and Rochel Rubin.