NCSY INDUCTS AARON HORN, OF EAST WINDSOR, INTO ITS BEN ZAKKAI HONOR SOCIETY
Aaron Horn, and his wife Daniella (center), with New Jersey NCSY Regional Director Rabbi Yaakov Glasser and Allison Katz, Ben Zakkai Honor Society Secretary
NCSY | Jewish Youth Leadership, the international youth movement of the Orthodox Union, inducted Aaron Horn, of East Windsor, into its Ben Zakkai Honor Society (BZHS) last Sunday at its Annual Scholarship Reception.
BZHS is an alumni “Hall of Fame” whose new members are nominated by, and voted on, by its current members based on the nominees’ service to NCSY and the Jewish community. The Society’s main function is to raise funds for scholarships for high school NCSYers for summer programs in North America and Israel and for teens to continue their Jewish education after high school. The Society has helped pay tribute for more than forty years to esteemed NCSY alumni and community leaders who have demonstrated their dedication to Torah and their service to the Jewish people. The January 30 event was the 15th Annual Scholarship Reception.
Aaron Horn grew up in Twin Rivers, a small town in central New Jersey, where NCSY’s presence proved critical to his growth as a Jew. He readily participated in events, Shabbatonim and summer programs throughout elementary and high school and became the regional vice president of the New Jersey Region in 2003. After two years of learning at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel, Aaron returned to the States to attend Yeshiva University. While there, he earned an undergraduate degree in biology (he is currently working towards his masters in Jewish education). His abiding love for NCSY remained strong; during his tenure as an undergraduate, Aaron was an advisor and administrator for New Jersey Junior NCSY, taking over as director three years ago.
Aaron happily welcomes yet more NCSY responsibilities. This past summer he directed one of the buses of TJJ (The Jerusalem Journey), one of NCSY’s premier summer programs. Additionally, Aaron has taken a more active role in the rest of the New Jersey Region, by working as the program coordinator for freshmen. He is also working on developing a “leadership track” that will fuse the student leaders from Jewish Student Union clubs, heavily involved yeshiva day school students, and regional board members into a comprehensive, cohesive program.
“Working in the New Jersey Region gives me a diverse populace of students who cover the whole gamut of religious observance,” he says. “I value the opportunity to interact with Jews from all backgrounds and histories in the same room. NCSY gives me a sense of fulfillment rarely found. NCSY was instrumental in inspiring me as well as my siblings. It is such a pleasure to give back to the organization that enabled us to become the involved, committed Jewish adults that we are today.” Aaron will finish his semicha (rabbinical ordination) at YU this upcoming year.
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