51st Dinner Honorees

Susan and Arnie Wilson have been active members of the community since moving to the neighborhood in 1996 with their five-year-old son, Aaron, two year old daughter, Elana, and Jeremy yet to be born. All three of their children are proud graduates of Westchester Day School, as well as  Ramaz, and SAR high schools. More recently, Aaron,his wife Tamar, and their baby, Naveh, made Aliyah, Elana,her husband, Ben, and their baby, Isaac live in Riverdale and Jeremy and his fiancée, Camille will be getting married in early April and will live in Brooklyn.

From the start, the Young Israel has been a home to Susan and Arnie. Over the years Susan has been on the sisterhood board as hospitality chair, and spent many years coordinating the Hanukkah and Purim gift bags for our college and Israel students.

Arnie was a long-time member of the WDS board, served on a number  of committees and is currently on the  YIS board. As an orthopedic surgeon, Arnie appreciates that he can be of-council when community members get injured. He gets regular knocks on the door Shabbat afternoons from community parents and kids who’ve hurt an ankle, shoulder or knee.

Together, Susan and Arnie have been on the YIS UJA committee for many years, and have been very active AIPAC supporters. They have always been proud that the YIS delegation to the AIPAC policy conference was always one of the strongest in the nation. 

But Susan and Arnie’s most favorite thing to do for the shul is to host families – from Shabbat/Chag singers, to shluchim families, to Rabbi Rockoff and his family, Rabbi and Aliza Klinger’s family, and many others.

But the most special guest they ever hosted was the Bezzubikoff family. When Andrei was first diagnosed with cancer, they offered their vacation home to the family for some respite with the kids. And again, in Andrei’s final month he and his family requested to visit again as the beach was a haven for Andrei and his family.

After many years, working as a solo practitioner in the Bronx, Arnie now works as a full-time attending orthopedic surgeon at Montefiore Hospital. Susan is a speech language pathologist who has worked in hospitals, early intervention and private practice, as well as teaching an undergraduate speech/language class at Stern College for Women for more than 25 years.

They are grateful to the YIS family for providing them with education, warmth, spirituality, and community.