13/11/2015
In 2010 Jacob Bernstein and I co-founded the VBS program, creating an amazing, fun and meaningful event for hundreds of high schoolers. The event has spread through New York and New Jersey, including six different high schools. Our program has brought in musical talent such as Eitan Katz, Yerachmiel Begun, Simcha Leiner and the Maccabeats, just to name a few. And we have raised significant amounts of money and awareness for the Koby Mandell Foundation. I have been truly honored to serve as the President of VBS for the past 5 years and see its growth and I thank you, our supporters, for your part in making that happen. This would not be possible without you!
I wanted to announce that I will be stepping down as President this year. I will still be involved in the VBS program albeit in a lesser way and I will always be available if you need. However I am very pleased and excited to introduce the new Director of VBS, Ari Mandelbaum! Ari is quite experienced in the musical field as a percussionist and lead vocalist. He is the lead singer of Kol Mevakesh, a new group debuting their first single this January iy"H, and this summer he will be serving as the Musical Director of Camp Kaylie. But perhaps more importantly, Ari is not new to VBS. He was a participant and soloist on the MTA team in 2013 and 2014, with both years MTA bringing home the winning trophy. I am sure you will quickly see Ari's passion and vision for VBS as he helps it expand to even greater heights.
Ari is not the only new element to VBS. Under Ari's leadership the whole committee is being restructured to create an even better VBS program. Because of these changes we have decided to postpone VBS 2016. Our next event will be held in spring 2017! We will be sure to keep you updated on all the details when the time comes. We apologize for any annoyance that this news brings, especially to those outgoing seniors. We hope that you will continue to support and be a part of the VBS program in the future.
Thank you once again for your help in making VBS what it is and we hope to see you in 2017!
Gaby Novick
Outgoing President
