Honorees
Born in Orlando, Florida, Jimmy earned his BSM degree from Tulane University before heading to New York City to launch his career as a financial consultant at Merrill Lynch. After five years, he ventured out to establish his own hedge fund, Infiniti Investment Fund, which he successfully ran for eight years. In 1998, Jimmy joined Steve Cohen at SAC Capital, a position he held for 24 years until his retirement in 2022.
Beyond his professional life, Jimmy is deeply committed to community engagement. He has been involved with TeachNYS, an organization that advocates for equitable government funding for nonpublic schools, and also serves as a dedicated board member of the Morris Franco Cancer Center. On the personal front, he married Amy a'h in 1996, and they are proud parents to their son, Nathan, who attended Ramaz from start to finish, graduating in 2023 and now attending the Falk College of Sport at Syracuse University. Jimmy was fortunate to find love again and wed Helen Freilich in 2023. Helen and her late husband, Elliot a'h, have three children, Alexander '22 (a junior at Emory), Lily '25 (on her gap year at Kivunim and attending University of Pennsylvania in the fall), and Isaac '29 (current Ramaz freshman).
Jimmy's longstanding involvement with the school runs deep, having most recently served as the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the last five years.
Born and raised in New York City, Rachie Shnay is a designer, entrepreneur, and proud Jewish advocate who has built a global community around her empowering fine jewelry brand, Rachie Shnay. After making a few shifts in her career path, Rachie launched her namesake line in 2019 and quickly gained worldwide recognition for her iconic Mazel Collection. Her pieces have inspired thousands of women internationally to join the “Mazel Club,” wearing her designs with pride and purpose.
Rachie’s jewelry has been worn by celebrities and influencers including Gal Gadot, Rachel Zoe, Amy Schumer, Julianna Margulies, Floyd Mayweather, Debra Messing, Lizzy Savetsky, Noa Tishby, Emmy Rossum, Selma Blair, Emmanuelle Chriqui, and even Miss Universe. Each piece serves as a sparkling symbol of identity and connection. Her collections are sold at leading retailers such as Anthropologie and Nordstrom, reflecting her blend of luxury craftsmanship, spiritual meaning, and modern design.
A proud graduate of Ramaz (Class of 2008), Rachie earned her Bachelor’s degree from New York University’s Gallatin School and her Master’s in Jewish Education from Yeshiva University’s Azrieli School of Education. Deeply rooted in her heritage as the grandchild of four Holocaust survivors, Rachie is passionate about spreading Holocaust education, Jewish pride, and the beauty of Judaism through every facet of her work.
Since October 7th, she has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Israeli relief funds and personally gifted Mazel pieces to soldiers and survivors, offering strength, love, and a reminder that they are never alone.
Rachie is also the co-founder of The Healer’s Collection, a jewelry and wellness brand that unites fashion and healing energy. In addition to her entrepreneurial ventures, she serves on the governing boards of WIZO, AIPAC, and ASHER, where she continues to advocate for Israel, women’s leadership, and Jewish unity.
At her core, Rachie is all about spreading positivity and light. Through her brand and her community, she has created a movement that celebrates self-expression, spirituality, and Jewish pride.
Jay, his wife Jackie (who is a college administrator), and his two children, Noam and Etan, live in Brooklyn. He was born in Queens and grew up in Merrick, Long Island, where he attended John F. Kennedy High School. He then spent two years at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before transferring to New York University, where he graduated with a double major in Physics and Mathematics and a minor in French. After spending a few years working for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, where he did technical indexing of scientific articles in various languages, and traveling around Mexico and Europe, he finally made it back to school for a Ph.D. degree in Physics. Life, however, had other plans, and he wound up with two master’s degrees instead, one in Physics and one in Education. He has been teaching at Ramaz ever since, now in his thirtieth year.At Ramaz, Jay has had the opportunity to teach the subjects he loves, including of course physics and math, but also mini-courses on such diverse topics as linguistics, New York City, and Stephen Sondheim, among others. One of the aspects he most loves about Ramaz is students’ ability to take advanced math courses with Jay, ranging from BC Calculus to Linear Algebra to Differential Geometry, usually in a one-on-one setting. His greatest appreciation, however, is for the students he has had, and from whom he has learned as much as he has taught them. The students’ warmth and their appreciation for their teachers and for learning has been a continual inspiration. He is grateful to have found a warm, Jewish, supportive environment in which to grow and to spend his career. He is looking forward to the next thirty years!