Born on a mountaintop in Tennessee – well not quite. Henry’s parents were Dachau survivors and he was born in a DP camp near Munich, Germany, from which he emigrated in 1949. Yiddish was his first language and it was in The Bronx where he spent his formative years through High school. His family never owned a car and despite not growing up with iPhones or internet service, he had a happy childhood. As with so many other New Yorkers, he escaped the oppressive summers in the Catskills. His father would come up by bus every Friday and return on Sunday, leaving him, his mother and younger sister to enjoy the cooler weather of the NY Alps. It was there where he met Lynda, his present wife, when she was 10 and whose father taught him to appreciate fishing and the outdoors and greatly influenced his future career. He wanted to be a wildlife manager and get into a profession that would never bring him back to NYC. Little did he know what makes G-d laugh.
After graduating from the Bronx HS of Science, he attended the SUNY College of Forestry. All Forestry majors were required to spend their freshman summer at their Adirondack summer camp on Cranberry Lake surveying swamps and timber cruising. Tragedy struck that summer when his father died of a cerebral stroke. His mother insisted that he stay in school, but feeling the need to mitigate any financial burden, he switched his major from Forestry to Pulp and Paper Technology – a specialized form of chemical engineering that came with an industry-supported stipend and a guarantee of summer jobs in the industry. Having worked at three pulp mills by the time he graduated, he developed an appreciation for how much of a challenge it was to control pollution and odor at these mills and elected to go on to graduate school in Environmental Engineering. That was the summer when my mother and sister moved to Montreal where Henry’s uncle’s family lived.
The pulp and paper industry funded an extensive environmental research organization National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, whose laboratories were based at five universities across the country. Henry was offered a traineeship at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. It was there where he met and married his first wife. Graduating in 1968 with an MS in Environmental Engineering at a time when several states and the soon to be formed EPA were passing emission control regulations for pulp and paper mills, he accepted a position with Weyerhaeuser Company at their mill in Longview, Washington and hit the ground running. During the seven years he spent in Longview, he obtained his professional engineering license in Chemical Engineering and became a board-certified Diplomate in the American Academy of Environmental Engineers. His career with Weyerhaeuser spanned 40 years, half of which were at mill locations and the other half at corporate Engineering and R&D in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA region, where he was intimately involved with planning, research, and implementation of numerous pollution control projects for the Company’s nearly 20 manufacturing facilities throughout the US and Canada. Henry continued to consult following his retirement in 2008 and describes his career as one of great satisfaction.
Statistics finally caught up with Henry in 2012 when he was divorced. By a string of serendipitous events, he reconnected with Lynda’s father following his 100th birthday, whose family and his had drifted apart following the death of Henry’s father in 1964. Lynda’s first husband passed away the previous year and his reconnection with her dad established a lasting relationship with his eldest daughter, Lynda, whom he married in 2015 at the NSJC following his moving back to Long Island to start a new chapter in his life. Along with Lynda came her two children and six grandchildren – all terrific blessings. NSJC soon became the center of their social activities, finding the people and its rabbi to be one of the warmest and most welcoming of congregations. Henry has been active in the synagogue’s senior social club as well as their Men’s Club. His extra-curricular activities include painting, karaoke, singing Yiddish songs, archery, making mulberry jam and the joys of home-ownership as well as struggling to learn the piano. Henry has one son and two grandsons who still live in the Seattle area and provide the best excuse to visit every summer when the rain is least likely to ruin a good week.
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Jordan Acquaro is a senior at Ward Melville High School and a dedicated member of North Shore Jewish Center. Jordan went to North Shores Hebrew School, which she now volunteers at on Sunday morning. Jordan is also a part of North Shores youth group and was honored to be selected as the youth speaker at Rosh Hashanah services.
In school, Jordan is a co-chair of Ward Melville’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. One event she has helped organize is a showing of “Life is Beautiful” to honor Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Jordan is also a committee member of the music and theater departments at her school. Throughout high school, she has held three different board positions in Tri-m music honors society. She has been head of props for the musical and this year is co-head of lighting. She is also the section leader for the color guard in the Patriots Marching Band.
In the fall, Jordan will be attending Bucknell University to study Statistics. She hopes this major will allow her to explore many different career options.
Jordan would like to thank NSJC Men’s Club for this opportunity.
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Rivkah Begel is a senior at Ward Melville High School, where she has established herself as a dedicated student, athlete, and community advocate. Her journey began at NSJC, where she attended preschool and has remained actively involved ever since. Currently, Rivkah serves as a student teacher at the religious school, collaborating closely with Rabbi Benson and her fellow youth of the year Jordan, to enrich the learning experience for the Vav and Zyan class.
In addition to her religious commitments, Rivkah is a standout member of her school’s community. As a saber and captain of the women’s fencing team, Rivkah’s leadership has led the team to clinch the Suffolk County Championships twice. Alongside her athletic pursuits, Rivkah excels academically, holding the position of treasurer in the Italian Honor Society and participating actively in Model UN.
Driven by her passion for inclusivity and Judaism, Rivkah has played a significant role in promoting diversity within her school district. She was a founding member of the District DEI committee. Now alongside her two friends, whom she met at Hebrew school, she serves as the co-chair of the Ward Melville subcommittee, where she advocates for greater education on religious diversity, particularly in response to instances of antisemitism.
Looking ahead, Rivkah is set to attend Northeastern University in the fall, where she will major in International Relations. Inspired by her experiences attending events at the UN, Rivkah aims to continue her role as an Advocate and Jewish educator to make a positive impact in her community.
Rivkah is deeply honored to receive this award and extends her heartfelt gratitude to her friends, parents, brother, and beloved dogs, Piper and Sabrina, for their unwavering support throughout her journey.