Madison Fayth Pollack
L'Dor V'Dor HonoreeForest Hills Jewish Center
Madison Pollack is a 16-year-old 11th-grade student at the Academy of American Studies High School in Long Island City. Madison was born and raised in Forest Hills, Queens, and is the daughter of Howard Pollack, vice president of government affairs at the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York and the director of the Israel Day on Fifth Parade, and Alyssa Pollack, who is deeply involved in the Forest Hills Jewish Center (FHJC). Madison is the fifth generation of her family to pray at FHJC, a legacy that has shaped her strong commitment to leadership, service, and community involvement.
Madison excels academically and loves mathematics and history. She has consistently earned Gold Honor Roll recognition. Her passion for history has led to significant achievements, including placing second in New York City and third in New York State at the National History Day Fair for her project examining the role of the media in the Watergate scandal. She is also the recipient of the National History Club and the George Washington Mount Vernon 2025 “History Student of the Year” Award.
Within her school community, Madison is an active member of student government and currently serves as Junior Class President. In this role, she leads monthly meetings and organizes events focused on junior class engagement and college preparation.
Madison is also deeply involved in her synagogue and broader community. On Sundays, she serves as a madricha (assistant teacher) at FHJC, continuing her long-standing involvement that began when she was inducted into the Ashrei Academy. She is also committed to service beyond her synagogue, volunteering at the Project LEAD Queens food pantry and participating in the Commonpoint Teen Council, a leadership and community service program centered on the values of tikkun olam.
In addition to her academic and service commitments, Madison is passionate about dance. She has been a member of the All Star Studios’s competition team for the past seven years and now serves as an assistant teacher, giving back to the studio which has trained her to dance since the age of three. She has attended Sababa Sleepaway Camp, a Commonpoint camp in Virginia that specializes in surfing, for four summers and completed the camp’s Counselor in Training program last year. She is so proud to share her camp experience with her sisters, Hailey and Melissa, who recently became B’not Mitzvah.