Lauren Pollack is most deserving of the BQLI Region’s Woman of Achievement Honoree recognition. Lauren grew up on Long Island, attended a reform temple and celebrated her Bat Mitzvah there. When she and her husband, Neal, were discussing which synagogue to join, they were both drawn to Midway Jewish Center (MJC). 

 

Lauren has been an active member of the synagogue for more than 10 years. She sits on the MJC Sisterhood Board as Sunshine Chair, a position she has held for 3 years. She also serves on MJC’s Board of Trustees and sits on the Membership Committee, attracting, educating, and enlisting new families to join the synagogue. She participates in a spiritual book club that explores Jewish themes. Additionally, Lauren holds the position of Torah Fund Director on the BQLI Region Board of Directors. Lauren believes her knowledge of and dedication to Judaism has deepened over the years. She shares that this is largely because she has a hard time saying “no.” Whenever Lauren has been asked to serve on a committee, she has accepted!

 

Lauren has been happily married to Neal for 20 years and kvells from her two boys, Noah and Ben. She misses Noah who is away at college at SUNY Cortland. Lauren teaches first grade at Stratford Road Elementary School in the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District. She has been a teacher for 27 years and could not imagine doing anything else. In her free time, Lauren likes to read, watch Netflix, and spend time with her family. As such an active synagogue member, it is hard to believe that Lauren has much time to relax!

 

Lauren treasures childhood memories, most of which center around the Jewish holidays shared with family and delicious traditional foods. She fondly recalls her grandmother’s matzah ball soup and sweet noodle kugel. It has been particularly important to Lauren that her boys have a strong religious upbringing. When they prepared for their B'nai Mitzvah, she studied along with them, spurring her own religious growth as well. It is also important to Lauren that her boys understand that they have traditions that they follow as a Jewish family. She enhances holidays for her family with Jewish foods and customs.

 

Lauren is looking forward to continuing her Jewish journey this summer as she travels with friends to Israel. Midway Jewish Center is proud to honor such a worthy woman as Lauren Pollack.