DINNER PREVIEW
MOTZAEI SHABBOS 1.16.21 darchei . org / talmidim
Mr . and Mrs . Andrew and Stephani Serotta
National Leadership Award
Dedicated to building Torah and their kehillah , Mr . and Mrs . Andrew and Stephani Serotta have a hand in establishing and growing an entire community through their involvement in an impressive array of institutions and initiatives in the Houston area and beyond .
Born and raised in Philadelphia , Andrew is a graduate of Harvard University . He and his wife Stephani met and settled in Los Angeles and then made their mark on Jewish communities across the country , including Boston , Stamford , and Clifton , New Jersey . When an opportunity arose for the family to relocate to Houston , their rav in Passaic , Rav Menachem Zupnik , encouraged them to make the move . Viewing his directive as a mission , the Serottas have since dedicated themselves to building Torah in the Texas metropolis .
Perhaps their biggest accomplishment is the founding of the Houston Kollel , where Andrew still serves as president . He is also a founding member of the Torah Girls Academy , where he was president and still serves on the board , and the Hecht-Serotta Free- Loan Gemach , of which he is president . In addition , he serves on the board of the Houston Mesivta and Yeshiva Torat Emet .
As founder of the commodity fund Logista , which focuses primarily on oil trading , Andrew has brought new jobs to the community , further contributing to the overall growth of the Jewish population and infrastructure .
The Serottas take pride in the beautiful family they have raised . They are joined in Houston by their oldest daughter and son-in-law , Sydney and Shimon Puderbeutel — Shimon is a Darchei alumnus — and grandson Ezra . The Far Rockaway community is pleased to count their other children as locals : Carly and her husband Moshe Berger – also a Darchei alumnus - have recently settled here , and Zachary is a twelfth grader at Mesivta Chaim Shlomo .
The Serottas ’ connection with the Bender family extends back many years to their sojourn in Stamford , when they established a close connection with Stamford ’ s Yeshiva Beis Binyomin and its venerated mashgiach ruchani , Rav Michoel Bender , brother of Rav Yaakov Bender . The Serottas ’ daughter Sydney was a beloved staff member in Darchei ’ s Harriet Keilson Early Childhood Center while living in the New York area . By the time their son Zachary joined Mesivta Chaim Shlomo , the Serottas felt like part of the Darchei family . It was no wonder , then , that Rav Yaakov Bender joined the Serottas for the dedication of a Torah in conjunction with the chanukas habayis of the Houston Kollel in the fall of 2019 .
Andrew and Stephani portray a stellar example of translating passion for Torah-true ideals into positive action that has brought about the blossoming of a now-vibrant Jewish community . It is an honor and a privilege for Yeshiva Darchei Torah to bestow upon them this year ’ s National Leadership Award , a tribute that is so very well deserved .
6 Bedarchei Hatorah Winter 5781 / 2021