The entire student body and staff of Hadar Bet Yaakov of Fresh Meadows came together for two days of collaborative achdus in this past week’s “Hadar Is Raising the Bar!” Charidy campaign. Students and teachers stayed late into the night, working their way through phone lists to share the HBY experience with the public. Earlier in the day, principals reviewed the basics of phone etiquette and gave everyone a pep talk, explaining that the most anyone can ever do is simply be positive and try her best. As long as the girls held on to those two principles, they would do fine in fundraising.
Students came in with their own family and friends donor lists, went to their stations, and made their calls. The student population was broken into competitive teams. When the staff and teams hit their first $500 in donations, the girls gathered in the office to claim a reward shirt. Rabbi Gavriel Robenov, head of school, also had a group of community members working the phones from his office throughout the entirety of the two-day fundraiser. Hadar Bet Yaakov provided dinner and refreshments, as the team effort, which lasted well into the evening, edged closer to the $500,000 goal.
“The girls were amazing,” commented Rabbi Robenov, as he celebrated the milestone accomplishment. “I couldn’t believe how many individuals stayed so late over the two-day fundraiser. Together, a lot of funds were raised, but even more importantly, they also created tremendous school pride and achdus.”