Larry Stern and his sons are Keshet donors and founders of the Pam Stern Keshet Teacher of the Year Award. In this article, the Stern family shares why they have chosen to support Keshet and what the organization means to their family.
Keshet has been a big part of our family since my late wife Pam was a teacher at Keshet’s schools. She is known by so many students, staff, and families for her positive energy in the classroom and the difference she made in the lives of people with disabilities. Each year we attend Keshet’s annual benefit and are completely inspired by the amazing kids, teachers, and administrators that make up Keshet. Hearing the voices of the inclusive choir and seeing everyone come together to celebrate all the successes is exactly what Keshet is all about. In all my life I have never seen a benefit where every single person leaves with a smile on their face. This is a testament to the incredible community that Keshet has built over the last 40+ years.
Philanthropy has always been important to my family, and after Pam’s death in 2010, our family was primarily giving money towards cancer research. We had a foundation set up in Pam’s name–the Pam Stern Legacy of Hope Foundation. Once we had a chance to step back and think, my children and I decided that we wanted to pick a cause that felt more personal to us and who Pam was. This is when we realized that nothing speaks more to Pam and her legacy than Keshet. We worked with Keshet leadership and founded the Pam Stern Keshet Teacher of the Year Award. This award honors 2 incredible educators at Keshet’s schools each year for the work that they do for Keshet’s students. It’s amazing to know that Pam’s legacy can continue to live on through this award.
In the last few years, there have been opportunistic ways we’ve been able to give more to Keshet. This past year we purchased the beautiful Lite Brite that is in the entryway to the Keshet Day School at Solomon Schechter Day School. As a family, we recognized the importance of this piece of technology and the need for it within Keshet. Knowing that this Lite Brite has helped bring both Keshet and Schechter students together in a new way is something that we feel very grateful to be a part of.
Keshet always has been and always will be a special place for my family and me. We feel so grateful to give our support to an organization that is making a difference on a daily basis. We know Pam would be so proud of how much Keshet has grown and evolved over the years, and look forward to seeing all the ways that it will continue to do so in the future.
Please make a gift to Keshet today so that we can continue to impact the lives of people for many years to come.
