Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Five Towns community is mourning the loss of Allison Rahmani, a Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway teacher and math coordinator who died Aug. 21 after the SUV she was driving crashed into an in-ground swimming pool at her Hewlett Bay Park home.
Rahmani, 40, was driving a 2023 GMC in the driveway of a residence on Elinor Road at 9:29 a.m. when she lost control of the vehicle, according to Nassau County police. The SUV struck a tree and an unoccupied 2006 Honda before plunging into the backyard pool.
Rahmani was removed from the vehicle before officers arrived. Responding officers performed lifesaving measures and she was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. She had been able to call for emergency assistance following the crash.
The circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation. Authorities have said foul play is not suspected and believe Rahmani may have suffered a sudden medical emergency before losing control of the vehicle.
Rahmani, who turned 40 just days before her death, was known for her dedication to her students and her commitment to education.
She was also a mother of four and the wife of Matthew Rahmani, president of the Irving Place Minyan in Woodmere.
At Rahmani’s funeral at Boulevard-Riverside Chapels in Hewlett on Aug. 23, her husband delivered an emotional tribute, reciting “Eshet Chayil,” the traditional Jewish “Woman of Valor” prayer often sung to a bride at a Jewish wedding.
“I’m sorry I didn’t say that at her wedding,” Matthew said. “I can’t imagine more fitting words for the woman you were.”
He described Rahmani as the person who stood beside him through every stage of their marriage, including the difficult early years when the couple was building a life together.
“You took me by the hand, you pulled me, you said it would be OK, that you believed in me, in us,” he said.
Matthew said Rahmani was unwavering in her support and helped guide the family through every major decision.
The couple had been preparing to leave for a romantic trip to Paris on the day of her funeral.
He described the way she nurtured their kids “like delicate plants” and said he would continue raising their children while carrying on the love and values she had given them.
“I will pick up where you left off,” he said.
Rahmani’s mother, Rachelle Rohde, also delivered a eulogy, speaking directly to her daughter and the family she left behind.
“We are broken,” Rohde said. “We will never be the same.”
She told her grandchildren — Nathan, Jake, Zachary and Chloe — that their grandmother’s love would remain with them.
“To my beloved grandchildren — Nathan, Jake, Zachary and Princess Chlo Chlo — and of course to the one-of-a-kind, her beloved husband, Matthew, Mama loves you all more than you will ever know and will be with you day and night,” Rohde said.
Speaking to her daughter, Rohde said she believed Allison was watching over her family.
“I know you are watching, I know,” she said. “We won’t let you down.”
Shayna Unger, a close friend and fellow teacher, recalled how Rahmani created a makeshift beauty salon in her classroom, complete with brushes, hair gel, barrettes, scrunchies and snacks, and did the girls’ hair each morning.
“She wanted them to walk into school looking and feeling like every other girl,” Unger said. “She wanted their school days to feel as normal as possible.”
HAFTR officials said the school community is grieving Rahmani’s death.
“She loved her students,” Unger said.
