by Rafi Anapolle (’15) This past Tuesday night, May 12th, Yeshiva University High schools (YUHS) held their annual dinner at Maria del Rey in the Bronx, New York. This year’s honorees included Rabbi Steven ‘89YUHSB and Rachel Burg, Avi '85YUHSB and Aleeza Lauer, Ruth Fried, and Rabbi Al Cohen. The evening also paid tribute to the MTA and Central classes of 1990 on their 25th anniversary. Rabbi Steven and Rachel Burg are current MTA parents to Aryeh, a senior, and Eli, a Freshman. As third generation MTA students, Aryeh and Eli declared how proud they are to be part of such a strong and amazing family. Specifically, in his brief speech explain why he thought Rabbi and Rebitzen Burg deserved the guest of honor this year, Aryeh Burg said, “It is amazing the things you both do for the MTA community, the Bergen County community, and the world at large.” Rebitzen Burg is currently a teacher at RYNJ and is very involved with many Bergen County communal activities. Rabbi Burg, former international Director of NCSY, currently serves as the Eastern Director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Museum of Tolerance. Rabbi Burg Serves on many nonprofit organizational boards such as genocidal awareness and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT). Rebitzen Burg is also the camp mom at a summer camp in Pennsylvania, called Camp Dina. They currently live in Bergenfield and generously host MTA events and Shabbatonim. The Burg family as a whole has not only educates the MTA community with values of knowledge and care, but they have influenced everyone they have met with a drive to become the best that they can possible be. Before transitioning to the part of the dinner that bid farewell to the long-time MTA magid shiur, Rabbi Alfred Cohen, our award winning MTA chorus performed beautifully and professionally in front of around 250 people. The chorus opened up with their classic Al Ha’Nisim and concluded with the chorus’ remix between One Day by Matisyahu and Waving Flag by K’NAAN with solos from Shiah Maisel (’17), Ari Englander (’17), Ezra Epstein (’16), Jason Blatt (’16), and Michael Kolber (’16). Next, Mr. Richard Joel, President of Yeshiva University spoke. President Joel spoke a lot about the history of MTA and Central as well as thanking all those involved in organizing and making the dinner a reality. He spoke briefly about his experience in the world as an MTA graduate himself, describing himself as a recovering lawyer, and the tremendous knowledge and experience MTA provided him to face the world; first and foremost from a Jewish perspective as well as a worldly perspective – as stressed in Yeshiva University’s motto, “Torah U’Maddah.” Afterwards, Rabbi Michael Taubes, Rosh Yeshiva of YUHSB/MTA, gave an introduction to Rabbi Al Cohen. Rabbi Taubes explained how as a longtime MTA rebbe, Rabbi Al Cohen actually started of teaching at BTA, Brooklyn Talmudical Academy, and then transitioned to teaching at MTA, when both BTA and MTA merged in 1980. After receiving semicha from Metzivta Rabbi Chaim Berlin, Rabbi Al Cohen served many years as the Mora D’asra of the Young Israel of Canarsie, and, for the past 21 years, has served as the rabbi of Congregation Ohaiv Yisroel of Blueberry Hills, Monsey. In addition, Rabbi Al Cohen is the founding editor of the “Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society” and has published many articles there, as well as in “Tradition” and “Jewish Life.” Finally, Rabbi Al Cohen has received many citations and awards for excellence in teaching, including the Rabbi and Mrs. Joseph Baumol Awards for Excellence in Jewish Education from Yeshiva University, and Outstanding Jewish Educator from the Avi Chai Foundation. Subsequently, Rabbi Al Cohen gave a memorable speech. Rabbi Cohen spoke about his reflections and self evaluations throughout his many years of experience. Rabbi Cohen explained how some kids you might actually wish to send on a mission to find the Para Adumah, however, the satisfaction and appreciation students receive after the truly learn something new is completely worth dealing with them. The feeling a rebbe receives when his talmidim pass their limits, is one of great pleasure and importance in every rebbe’s life. Furthermore, Rabbi Cohn told over the classic tale of the fisherman who wished to leave early. A businessman tries to persuade the fisherman to not leave work early in order to make more money, and in turn keep on rising to the top of the fishing business, ultimately so that one day you will not need to worry about a thing and thus be able to leave work early. Now, to the simple mind, there would be no reason to put all the extra work in order that one day he or she be able to leave work early due h\to his or she acquired social status. However, as Rabbi Cohen explained, the major difference in working assiduously to reach the top of the totem pole in a specific trait is the work itself. The work itself adds to the world and in turn you are being metaken Olam in way you were meant to do so. Every person has a purpose in life, it is up to him or her to find that purpose and assiduously work to fulfill that purpose, in order to contribute to the world. Finally, Rabbi Al concluded by telling us, which especially affected the many MTA seniors present at the dinner, the first step in telling if you have fulfilled your purpose or reached your full potential is by deciding whether you are a better person now than when you started the specific task. Whether you have grown or not throughout high school, from the beginning of freshman year to the very end of senior year, from Rosh Hashanah to the last day of Elul, or from the beginning of a career to the end of it. Rabbi Cohen definitely has done the best as he possibly can and for that we, the students, thank him for all of his dedication throughout the years. We wish Rabbi Cohen luck with all his future endeavors and hope that we will one day fulfill our own purposes, for this is why we were created.