NERC celebrates 30th anniversary dinner

The New England Rabbinical College, located in the heart of the East Side of Providence on Blackstone Blvd, will host its 30th anniversary dinner on March 1.  The college is geared to post-high school and post-graduate students pursuing Talmudic studies and is New England’s premier institution dedicated to this endeavor. Students engage in the study of the Talmud and classical commentaries in their original text while pursuing secular degrees at local colleges.

The accomplishments of a select group of honorees are celebrated – individuals who have earned their respective awards because they exemplify the teaching of the Mishna (Pirke Avot 1:2) and represent “the three pillars upon which the world stands.”

This year, the New England Rabbinical College will honor Rabbi and Mrs. Naftali Karp, of Providence. Rabbi Karp is well-known in the larger Jewish Rhode Island community as the director of Project Shoresh. Within and without the walls of Project Shoresh, Rabbi Karp embraces and teaches Jews of all levels of commitment. In this way he combines his passion for disseminating Torah with his devotion to the Jewish people. Rabbi Karp’s association with the New England Rabbinical College (the Yeshiva) began 17 years ago when he arrived, as a post-high school student, to pursue advanced Talmudic studies. Rabbi Karp continues to maintain a rigorous learning schedule at the Yeshiva. He readily acknowledges that the Yeshiva’s values are the backdrop for his activities and projects.  With his signature enthusiasm and the able assistance of his wife, Rachel, he continually forges strong connections with people from the broader Jewish community.    

The New England Rabbinical College will recognize Mr. and Mrs. Berish Edelman as the Alumni Achievement awardees. During his years at the college Edelman distinguished himself as an outstanding student.  He continues to make his mark in ways too numerous to count.  The Yeshiva is but one of the many institutions that rely on his expertise as a graphic designer, and he does not hesitate to share his many talents and energies with the Providence community. Together with his wife, Edelman has published a series of engaging and innovative children’s books.

Rabbi and Mrs. Yitzi Weiner, of Sharon, Mass., are the recipients of the Marbitzei (Disseminator) Torah award.  Rabbi Weiner has been the director of the community Kollel of Sharon for the past eight years. In that capacity he and his wife, a professional photographer, reach out to Jews of all backgrounds.   Rabbi Weiner’s warmth and kindness have earned him the love of his community; his thought-provoking, entertaining lectures have earned him their respect. The Yeshiva feels particularly close to Rabbi Weiner, who for several years joined the morning studies program.

A commemorative journal expressing good wishes and appreciation to the honorees will be presented at the dinner.

Miriam Lipson is director of the Ladies Auxiliary of the New England Rabbinical College.