Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway class of 2008 marks 10-year reunion

“Ten years! Ten years!” Jeremy Piven’s character Paul Spericki screams as he and high school pal Martin Blank (John Cusack) drove through their hometown in the 1997 movie “Grosse Pointe Blank” that revolves around, you guessed it, a 10-year reunion.

The Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway High School class of 2008 also shrieked with the excitement of seeing old friends on Jan. 9, in the fairly new Scott Satran Arena, completed three years ago.
After taking in the new gymnasium, the graduates greeted their former classmates. More than 100 guests, including graduates and their spouses, had a buffet dinner complete with a sushi bar provided by Genadeen caterers and Oma’s Sushi. 

After stopping at the photo booth for some fun keepsakes, the graduates spent time reminiscing with old friends. “It was so much fun to be back together with all of my friends from high school in one room,” Aliza (Friedman) Romanoff, one of the reunion committee members and current HAFTR parent said.  “It was an amazing night!”

Guests took turns playing games and also had the opportunity to roam the halls; finding their lockers as well as checking out the school’s new state-of-the-art STEM lab and student center, built this past year.  

Graduates traveled from across the tri-state to catch up with old friends. Some hadn’t been back in the Five Towns for years and couldn’t believe the changes not only in the school but in the community as well. After receiving their “swag bags” and saying goodnight, all promised to keep in touch.