Beth Tfiloh's 30th Annual Commencement Exercises: Class of 2019

Congratulations to all the graduates and their families. Watch videos of the remarks from Beth Tfiloh's 30th annual commencement ceremony below.  View the Class of 2019 graduation awards

Beth Tfiloh Sisterhood Midot Award: Gabrielle Goldman ‘19
This award is presented to that student who has provided the most exemplary character, derech eretz, and actions throughout her years of high school at Beth Tfiloh, inspiring similar values and behavior in others.

Gabrielle is a positive young woman with a strong work ethic and an innate sense of responsibility and dependability. Her smile and excellent middot and her sincere commitment to Torah study made her stand out to her teachers. Her spirit was evident at every school shabbaton as she sang and danced with great enthusiasm and influences others with her energy. Her friends seek out her advice as the most non-judgmental person in their group. She is a swimmer and a runner, but what really stands out are her middot.

Beth Tfiloh Brotherhood Midot Award: Eitan Murinson ‘19
This award is given each year to that graduating senior who, through exemplary character and concern for others, has inspired an exceptional sense of derech eretz and civility towards students, faculty and the entire Beth Tfiloh Community.

Eitan is bright and talented. He impresses his teachers with his academic achievements. You have seen him perform on the BT stage. He is eager to use his talents to help those around him. He takes great pride in helping to enhance the Shabbat morning tfilot with the chazzan right here on this bima. A star on the stage and on the bima – he has the power of personality to create joy around him. He is passionate in class, is comfortable arguing his point, while always remaining respectful in his debate. Sensitive to the needs of others and a great big brother to his little sister.

Eric Levi Memorial Award for Study in Israel: Evyatar Singerman ‘19
This award is going to a graduate who is always ready with a broad smile and good cheer. Evyatar has the unusual ability to raise the spirits of everyone around him in a genuine manner. He is a warm and open-minded young man who has cultivated strong relationships with faculty and students alike. His teachers say he is smart genuine, and sweet. Regardless of the school function, he is willing and dedicated to support it and thus, played an integral role in the success of so many of our programs. All of these qualities are why his peers elected him their student government president. We are thrilled that he will be studying next year in Israel at Yeshivat Mevaseret Yerushalayim.

Allie Russel Memorial Award for college studies: Zachary Vaday ‘19
This year’s recipient is truly a special person. Zachary is incredibly driven and passionate, yet humble and unpretentious. One of his teachers said that he is “by far one of the most polite and hardworking students” he has ever taught. He is deeply committed to community service projects that benefit those with special needs. He is an athlete. He is a dancer. He was the president of our National Honor Society chapter. He plans to use his skills and talents to give back to the country that he credits for “giving him freedom, an education, and a place that he is proud to call home.”

Elma H. Rombro Excellence in Judaic Studies: Meira Kidorf ‘19 & Jacob Brenner ‘19
This year we are proud to present this award to two deserving students. The first recipient is a young woman who excels in every academic discipline, though she is particularly passionate about math and science and hopes to use her gifts and talents in these areas to pursue a career in the field of medicine. Meira is an athlete and your yearbook editor. She is the classmate who only has kind words to say about others, the loyal friend whom others confide in and trust with their inner most secrets, the student who shows respect to a teacher or classmate even when others are not, and the person others count on to do the right thing. Much of this comes from her strong connection to Judaism and her desire to be not just the best student or the best athlete, but the best person she can be. She has a big smile that she shares with everyone. Whether she is raising money for tzedakah or running in a half marathon, or learning Talmud at a wonderfully high level, she has joy in everything she does.

The second Elma H. Rombro Award for Excellence in Judaic Studies award goes to a motivated and responsible, tenacious and determined, talented and humble, and most of all respectful student. Jacob has got a lot of integrity and incredible decency. He is a serious student, accomplished athlete, talented pianist, and compassionate, empathic individual. In his junior year, this young man was awarded a $2,500 grant from the Avi Chai Foundation to help strengthen Jewish literacy and learning as part of the Jewish Education Project. He worked with two classmates to help BT students use technology to create artwork depicting biblical scenes. He approaches his Torah studies with a quest for intellectual honesty and rigor. He is a frequent leader in his davening group with the skills and knowledge to participate with excellence. I was proud to there with him at the Kotel when he embraced his birthright as a kohen to bless the people. He is an academic star in all of his subjects, and we congratulate him, in particular, for excellence in Judaic studies.

Morton J. Macks Excellence in General Studies: Natan Gamliel ‘19
Natan’s kindness, good sportsmanship, calm dignity, and levelheaded approach to whatever situation he tackles have earned him respect and admiration from both his teachers and peers. He would describe himself as a “numbers person,” but in truth, he displays a stellar aptitude and unparalleled work ethic in humanities, science and Judaics as well. His teachers say he combines a first-rate intellect with a first-rate work ethic. He is a willing and strong leader and is respected by faculty and students, alike. He was editor of our school newspaper, captain of our champion Mock Trial team, and a much sought after National Honor Society peer tutor. He is a scholar and a mentsch.

Beth Tfiloh Dahan Award: Benny Klein ‘19 & Daryn Levine ‘19
The Beth Tfiloh Dahan Award, established in 1998 – and named for the benefactor of the Beth Tfiloh Schools - is the final student award given at Graduation. It recognizes that student who, in the judgment of the faculty, has made the greatest overall contributions to Beth Tfiloh, its programs, and the entire community.

This year there are two recipients of the Beth Tfiloh Dahan Award. Benny is truly a great human being. He is a model of a mentsch. There is no kinder person, no one who loves being Jewish more. No one who offers a nicer smile. Since 9th grade, this young man has been an influencer in his grade and in our school. His ruach at shabbatonim and his desire to find new ways to make our school better has had a real and lasting impact. His big heart is filled with care for everyone he comes across. When he was in Hungary with our BT delegation visiting the Scheiber Sándor school, he inspired everyone around him with his constant energy and his sincere, open and honest approach to growing Jewishly. He has touched everyone with his compassion and inspired our school with his commitment to Torah.

Daryn is a diligent student who approaches her schoolwork with both enthusiasm and determination; a self-confident teenager who can make her voice heard during a debate, yet respectfully listen to counterarguments when her opponents speak; an exceptional young woman who sees a problem and seeks a solution that will alienate no one and benefit all. She finds the time to put over 100% of her effort into her academic pursuits, even studying for AP exams while on the senior trip to Israel. And she is equally committed to her extracurricular activities, as a star witness on our champion mock trial team, among other things. She has the type of mind that grasps information on a deep level. She understands the “what” that has been taught as well as the “why” of how it came to be, which helps her know how to apply Torah in a practical way. She always seems to be happy and joking with friends in a way that builds respect and deep relationships. Her generous and kind character extends to members of our school community and the broader Baltimore community. She is inclusive and accepting and is actively engaged in fostering communal relationships with various demographics. She is a learner, a thinker and a doer who strives to effect change for the better.