Thursday, October 1, 2026
More than a half-dozen members of the North Woodmere community will be honored at the 37th annual Young Israel of North Woodmere dinner on June 10.
The synagogue, at 634 Hungry Harbor Road in Valley Stream, is recognizing congregants who have found a home in the community and whose involvement has shaped the congregation over the years.
“Our honorees were chosen because they are shining examples of the very best our community has to offer — devotion, leadership, generosity and a deep commitment to the life of our shul,” its president, Daniel Torczyner, said in a statement to the Herald.
Rabbi Yehuda and Lisa Septimus
The Septimuses joined the Five Towns community in September 2008, when they became the rabbi and rebbetzin of Young Israel of North Woodmere. The rabbi said he worked to expand communitywide programming for the Five Towns and Rockaways while also establishing adult education programs focused on Torah study, prayer and mental health.
“We tried to put North Woodmere at the center of the Five Towns with these programs and bring vibrant new programs to the shul,” Lisa Septimus said.
After stepping down last year, the pair pursued other interests. Yehuda developed a Long Island-based psychotherapy practice specializing in trauma recovery and relationships while also teaching at Yale and Columbia.
Lisa, the director of student life at North Shore Hebrew Academy High School, teaches women halacha and Talmud and works as a yoetzet halacha for Five Towns and Scarsdale.
“Yehuda and Lisa Septimus helped build our shul with heart, humility and purpose,” Torczyner said, “all while shaping the broader North Woodmere and Five Towns community.”
Irving J. Kaminetsky
Soon to be honored with a community service award from Young Israel, Kaminetsky grew up in the East New York section of Brooklyn. He moved to North Woodmere with his late wife, Sylvia Kaminetsky, in 1963.
Kaminetsky served as chairman of the now-defunct North Woodmere Civic Association’s board of governors during the 1980s. He was also involved in efforts to construct North Woodmere Park in 1962.
Kaminetsky later joined the Inwood-Atlantic Beach Republican Club and said his role in the park’s construction fueled his resolve to help others. In 1978 he was elected as a commissioner of the Town of Hempstead’s Sanitary District 1. He served as board chairman from the 1980s until 2021 before becoming vice chairman.
Kaminetsky, an active board member of Temple Hillel, in Valley Stream, said he enjoys attending services at other synagogues, including Young Israel of North Woodmere.
“Young Israel North Woodmere is a great atmosphere,” he said. “I enjoy the camaraderie and love going to synagogue on Saturdays.”
Shani and Kenneth Feldhammer
Born in Brooklyn, Shani and Kenneth Feldhammer grew up on Long Island before marrying in Pittsburgh in 2005. Shani, an orthodontist, and Kenneth, an internist, settled in North Woodmere in 2010.
As a member of Young Israel, Kenneth has chaired the Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur seating committee twice, in the early 2010s and in 2025. He also helps organize shul kiddushes and fundraiser efforts, including a fantasy football league, with half the proceeds benefiting community members hoping to offset membership fees. Since 2018, the 12-person league has helped save $5,000.
“It’s truly an honor to be recognized alongside my fellow honorees,” Kenneth said.
Bea and Jaime Ackerman
Jaime Ackerman, whose family helped found the Jewish community in Caracas, Venezuela, was involved in Hashomer Hatzair — a Labor Zionist Jewish youth movement founded in 1913. After graduating from the University of Tennessee with a chemical engineering degree, he managed his family’s textile factory in Caracas.
During her time in Venezuela, Bea Ackerman taught Tanach — the Hebrew Bible — at elementary and high schools. She got involved in community organizations in Venezuela and the United States, including the boards of La Union Israelita de Caracas, the Caracas Jewish Community Moral y Luces/Hebraica school system and the National Council of Young Israel.
After moving to North Woodmere from Venezuela in 2000, the Ackermans joined Young Israel. Since 2020, Bea has taught a weekly online Chumash Shiur in Spanish focused on Torah study. The couple has also taken part in Young Israel initiatives, including the synagogue’s recent rabbinic search committee.
“Both the Feldhammers and Ackermans have given so much of themselves to helping strengthen and sustain our shul in meaningful ways that contribute in making the Young Israel of North Woodmere a truly special place,” Torczyer said.
To reserve a dinner reservation, email dinner@yinw.org
