Manny Alani
Manny Alani grew up in Baghdad, Iraq in the 1940s and 1950s. As a young child, Manny would go once a year with his mother to visit Ezekiel’s tomb in Al Kifl.
His Bar Mitzvah ceremony was short and simple as he was taught just the Shama and given instructions on how to wrap tefillin, a ceremony performed by his future wife’s grandfather.
Aside from living within a small Jewish community within an Arab country, Manny’s Jewish life to that point wasn’t centered around a synagogue. Even after making Aliyah in 1960 and joining the IDF, Manny didn’t find a temple community that spoke to him.
Dr. Jack Moallem
I joined Temple Israel of Great Neck in summer of 1990. Since then, I enjoy participating in services and programs while have served on Board of Trustees as well as other committees. In 2000 I was trained by Mr. Manny Alani as Gabbai of Shabbats. The same year I joined Mr. Sidney Friedman as Gabbai of High Holidays. Subsequently I am active in these positions.
Professionally I am a physician, trained as Pediatrician and Allergist Immunologist. Over the past 4 decades, on academy board of different schools of Medicine along with my co colleagues I have trained numerous Medical students, Interns, Residents and Fellows of Allergy Immunology.
Amanda Putter
Amanda Putter is a hard-working and committed young woman. She began her participation in the Temple Israel Youth House with a Midnight Run, helping to hand out clothing to the homeless, setting the groundwork for years of service to her shul and community, as well as performing for many years with Temple Israel Players (a musical theater troupe with members aged 8 to 88+). She continues to help out the Temple Israel Community by filming Shabbat Services for Temple members who are still unable to attend in person.
Amanda is an honor student in her senior year at Great Neck South High School. Amanda is the Vice President of her Female Empowerment Society and has also participated in the DECA business marketing club. Outside of school, Amanda is the S’ganit (Regional Vice President) for BBYO’s Big Apple Region where she plans all conventions and regional events throughout the year.
Amanda will return again to Camp Che Na Wah for her 11th summer, this time as a first-year counselor. Last year, Amanda co-chaired the Baco Che-Na-Wah Bazaar Foundation, where she was responsible for helping to raise over $50,000 for multiple organizations that help provide needy children with a camp experience.
In the fall, Amanda will be attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan where she hopes to earn her undergraduate degree in Psychology. Amanda has always had a passion for mental health and hopes to become a therapist or psychologist.
Amanda wishes to thank the TIGN Men’s Club and her teachers and mentors at the TIGN Youth House for this honor. Lastly, Amanda would like to thank her parents for all their love and support.
Julia Weinreich
Julia Weinreich is a Senior at William A. Shine Great Neck South High School. She lives in Great Neck with her parents, Marc and Betty, and sisters, Sarah and Melanie. Like her sisters, she has attended Temple Israel for the past 5 years. Throughout her time thus far, Julia has been involved in many activities the synagogue offers: Youth House, Senior Seminar, Rosh Chodesh, Midnight Runs, USY, and a Madricha position at Kulanu Religious School.
In addition to her involvement in Temple Israel, she participates in many other extracurricular activities: President of her school’s Hebrew Culture Club, and is the founder of Buddy Club. She has exemplified leadership through BBYO where she has served as chapter Vice President, Regional head of marketing & communications, and now serves as regional President—where she oversees three boroughs of New York City and the Great Neck area. Julia was recently a participant on the March Of the Living trip and has been inspired by everything see has seen and heard in her time in Poland and Israel.
Julia will be working to coordinate with GNSHS’ Buddy Club to enter students from GNS into the Special Olympic Games. This will be the first time students from GNS will be entered into the games, and this will become a staple in the GNS special education community. Julia founded this club, which she feels embodies her most cherished qualities — helping others, and being herself. The Buddy Club is a special education mentoring club, where upperclassmen help and guide lowerclassmen by sharing their own high school experiences and hardships. There, students work together to discuss classes, the stigmas, myths, and facts about what it means to have a learning disability. Julia has worked to create a space where people with similar hardships can come together and be themselves. A Jewish value that Julia holds close to her heart is Tikkun Olam, and her mission is to do so every chance she gets.
Julia is extremely grateful for everything TIGN has given and taught her. She is thankful that with the values she has learned and held close to her heart, she has had the courage and confidence to give back to her community. Julia will continue to give back to her community using those values next year at Syracuse University. She is looking forward to majoring in Design Studies at Syracuse and getting involved in Jewish programs such as Hillel.