HONOREES
Rabbi Eliot Mathias, originally from Chicago, IL, is Chief Operating Officer of AISH. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and received Smicha from Yeshiva Aish HaTorah. Rabbi Mathias is the founder of Hasbara Fellowships, one of the premier campus Israel advocacy organizations in North America, training and supporting students to stand up for Israel. Rabbi Matthias expanded Aish’s presence at universities, placing Jewish educators on various campuses. He has also served as chair of the Community Relations Committee of Metrowest Jewish Federation. Most recently Rabbi Mathias is one of the creators of Aish2030, new experiences to help every Jew connect with Jewish knowledge in three ways, digital, community and the Dan Family Aish World Center in Jerusalem.
Shira Mathias is originally from Allentown, PA and attended Bruriah High School. She worked at YNJ and NCSY. Shira is currently a pre-school teacher at the Clifton Cheder. Shira and Eliot met in Israel at the time Eliot was starting the Hasbara Fellowship Program.
As a young married couple, the Mathias’ decided to move close to Shira’s parents in West Orange, joining the Aish Livingston branch, where they could help and be involved on Shabbos with outreach. Rabbi Mathias has led the Beginners’ Minyan for many years.
Suburban Torah valued Aish, wanting to make the Livingston community comfortable on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and every service. Many Aish participants have moved to the regular minyan and community at large. The Mathias’ appreciate how Suburban Toah opens its doors to Jews of all backgrounds in a warm and welcoming way.
Shira and Eliot have six children, Binyamin, Yonason, Yehuda, Aviva, Avraham Noach and Yitzy. All of them went through the Iris Berman Early Childhood Center. The older boys graduated from Shaar HaTorah, Aviva attends Bais Yaakov Clifton. The community enabled them to be needed, whether for davening, laining or for the Shul sports team, Livingston made them feel included.
As they make plans for Aliyah, Shira and Eliot thank the community for its graciousness to their whole family.
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Yael and Sean met as freshman and juniors respectively at the University of Maryland. Roughly two years later, Sean surprised Yael with an on-campus proposal. As newlyweds they moved to the Upper West Side and soon became classmates again. This time they graduated with both a masters degree and their first son, Shai. By the time their second son, Tal, was born they were ready to make the move to the suburbs.
After one shabbat visit at SSTC, they knew they wanted to belong to this warm, lively and spiritual community. In 2013, they moved into their home on Hillside Terrace, venturing into the unknown as the first young family to call “the South Side” home. Nearly 12 years later and with the addition of their daughters, Liat and Adi, they are even more convinced they made the right choice.
During their early years in the SSTC community, Yael and Sean joined the community growth committee, spearheading outreach events in the UWS. Later, Sean was Treasurer of the Men’s Club and joined the SSTC volunteer security team, mainly as an excuse to look tough standing in front of the building with his suit and shades.
Yael was on the IEBECC Nursery board for six years with her co-chairs Sheara Goldenthal and Rachel Joffe. During that time, Yael launched BabyBOP Shabbat music class for IEBECC and led it for six years. In the summer of 2024 Yael joined the SSTC Youth board as co-chair alongside Aaron Hartman, and Emily Korman.
Professionally, Sean leads product management for Nasdaq’s index business. Yael worked in digital advertising for many years and is now focused on family, community and her own professional projects.
In their free time, Yael and Sean love spending time with family and friends, traveling to warm places, playing board games, and cheering their kids on at sporting events and performances.