Honorees
Rabbi Dr. Leonard & Margaret Matanky
Rabbi Dr. Leonard A. Matanky is the Rabbi of Congregation K.I.N.S. of West Rogers Park (Chicago) and the Head of School (Dean) of Ida Crown Jewish Academy. He is the past president of the Religious Zionists of America, the Rabbinical Council of America and the Chicago Rabbinical Council and has served in leadership roles in numerous local, national, and international organizations.
Margaret Matanky has been a resource teacher at Arie Crown Hebrew Day School for more than thirty years, and has served in numerous communal organizations.
The Matankys are proud of all their children and grandchildren and especially proud that their three sons, Yaakov, z”l, Yitzi and Avi are all alumni of Yeshivat Har Etzion.
Rabbi Noah ‘02 & Dr. Aliza Gardenswartz
Rabbi Noah Gardenswartz studied at Har Etzion for several years, beginning in 2002, and in 2010 he returned with his wife Aliza to join the Kollel Gavoha and teach overseas students. During his years at Yeshiva he was privileged to develop a close relationship with HaRav Aharon Lichtenstein zt”l.
Rabbi Gardenswartz earned a BA in philosophy at YU, followed by semikhah from the RIETS Wexner Semikha Honors Program, and fellowship in the Wexner Kollel Elyon. Rabbi Gardenswartz joined the faculty of Yeshivat Frisch in 2014. In 2019 he helped establish the Yeshivat Frisch YU Kollel, where he serves as the Rosh Kollel.
Dr. Aliza Gardenswartz graduated from Stern College with a BA in English Literature, followed by a year of Talmud and Halakha study at GPATS. She attended Albert Einstein College of Medicine and is now a Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist at Westchester Medical Center, and and an assistant professor of Pediatric Hematology Oncology & Stem Cell Transplant at New York Medical College.
Aliza and Noah live in Bergenfield NJ, and are the proud parents of four boys – Zevi, Shai, Aryeh, and Aharon, named for HaRav Lichtenstein zt”l.