Caskey Torah Academy to Honor the Bleiers and Elana Stiel Obstfeld at Annual Dinner

The following is my story in the February 6, 2020 edition of the Philadelphia Jewish Link about Caskey Torah Academy’s 56th Annual Scholarship Banquet:

Caskey Torah Academy to Honor the Bleiers and Elana Stiel Obstfeld at Annual Dinner

On Sunday evening, February 23, Caskey Torah Academy (CTA) will hold its 56th Annual Scholarship Banquet and pay tribute to Guests of Honor Sara and Josh Bleier and to Mrs. Elana Stiel Obstfeld, the Rabbi Israel M. Axelrod Excellence in Education Awardee.

The event, which will be held at the Crystal Tea Room in Philadelphia, will feature a buffet dinner at 5:30pm, followed by presentations and a special video at 7:15pm. There will be complimentary parking.

“We are so excited to have such a special pair of honorees,” said CTA Head of School Rabbi Isaac Entin. “Sara Bleier has been a pivotal force in the planning, design and construction of our renovation and expansion. We are so proud to be honoring her devotion to CTA. Elana Obstfeld was the driving force behind our music, drama, and our school-wide enrichment programs. They are both leaders in every sense of the word.”

Both Sara Bleier, who worked in real estate finance and construction/development and who now runs a hand-engraving studio business and works part-time for AMIT Children, and Dr. Josh Bleier, a Professor of Surgery and Vice-Chair Department of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania and Section Chief of Colorectal Surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital, have consistently dedicated their time and efforts to CTA over the years. Sara, who oversees the House Committee for the Board of Directors at CTA, played an integral role in bringing the school’s recent construction project to fruition. Two of the Bleiers’ children currently attend CTA, while their other two children are proud CTA graduates.

“It has been our privilege and pleasure to be parents and volunteers at this exceptional school,” said Sara and Josh Bleier. “We hope we can continue to be of service whenever we are needed or wanted! We can’t imagine our family without CTA.”

Elana Stiel Obstfeld spent seven years at CTA before joining the staff of the national music education program Music and the Brain in 2019. During her time as a beloved teacher at CTA, Obstfeld used her unique brand of creativity to enhance the arts and enrichment programs. Whether it was working with students on music instruction and literacy, serving as Enrichment Program Coordinator and introducing enrichment cluster for elementary and middle school students, or offering numerous opportunities for artistic performances, Obstfeld assumed several leadership roles during her time at CTA. Elana and her husband Amrom are the proud parents of three CTA students.

“It has been an absolute privilege to work with the talented students and faculty at Caskey Torah Academy,” Obstfeld said. “I feel fortunate that I was able to bring the Music and the Brain program, quality music education for all students, musical theater, and the Schoolwide Enrichment Model to CTA. I am so grateful for the incredible support the CTA administration showed me throughout my time at the school.”

“I look forward to continuing to partner with CTA through my role as Mid-Atlantic Program Manager for Music and the Brain and as a parent volunteer,” she added. “I am so proud of the work we’ve done to develop the arts and enrichment at CTA. It is heartening to know that the programs initiated during my time on the faculty have impacted the students and the school community and will continue to be central to the educational experience at CTA.”

For more information about the dinner, visit www.taphila.org/ctadinner.