Gala Event Journal

It gives me great pleasure to join in honoring all of tonight's honorees, but it is a special thrill for me to honor my very dear long-standing friends M RS . B RENDA W ILLNER & M RS . J UDY N EUBERGER Brenda and I have been friends from the time when she came to Baltimore immediately after her marriage to Rabbi Tzvi Wllner. We were fortunate to live across the street from each other. She would do me a favor and take Brachie to and from school each day. Since she made tuna fish salad with onions and I did not, Brachie would stay for lunch at her house. Since I did not want to give Brachie a nap in the afternoon, Brachie would invariably stay at Brenda's for the afternoon and nap there. That was just the beginning. We became close friends and we have shared many simchos as well as unfortunate occasions. I am also grateful to her for teaching my daughters and granddaughters. I pray that Hashem will give her the Koach to teach my great granddaughters as they climb the rung of the Bais Yaakov ladder. Judy and I have also been friends since she came to Baltimore. We attended her chasunah in New York. In the old Garrison Boulevard neighborhood, we began to raise our children together. She has taught my daughters, granddaughters and great granddaughters, too. She is so creative and artistic. When I had the zechus to visit the Rabbi Mendel Don Freedman Elementary Building last week, it was so warm and exciting to walk into the hall and observe the beautiful bulletin boards that she had been involved in creating. It is so much fun for me to hear my granddaughter talk about what she learned from "Morah" and hear her sing the lovely melodious melodies. Outside of school, Judy is involved in so many beautiful tzedakah projects.

Fondly, Rochel Rochkind

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