Sidewalk Sale is a Hit Downtown
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Scarsdale’s annual sidewalk sale took place on Thursday July 26 through July 28 and changeable skies did not prevent shoppers from taking advantage of some great deals. Thursday morning started out with rain showers – but bargain-seekers flooded downtown nonetheless to get into their favorite stores for first dibs on sale merchandise. Some merchants reported sales on par with last year – but the jury is still out on the overall success of the three-day blitz.
The hottest item this year was the coolest item as well – Savona was offering sorbeto and gelato and Carolyn Stevens from the Scarsdale Chamber of Commerce couldn’t decide which was better – the nutella gelato or the strawberry lemonade sorbeto.
Check out these photos of the sale, taken by Lindsay LeBoyer, of Scarsdale.
(At left: residents shop for bags, scarves, jewlery and accessories at Petticoat Lane.)
New Rabbi To Lead Scarsdale Synagogue
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Rabbi Jeffrey C. Brown (right), the new spiritual leader of Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont and Emanu-El, recently joined forces with Rabbi Emeritus Stephen A. Klein to plant a tree in the congregational garden, symbolizing this month’s official transition of leadership at this 500-family Reform Jewish congregation. Rabbi Brown came to Scarsdale Synagogue following seven years as an associate rabbi at Temple Solel in the San Diego suburb of Cardiff, CA. Rabbi Klein has become Scarsdale Synagogue’s first Rabbi Emeritus, continuing his 31-year relationship.
Incoming Congregational President Ellen Baken, said: “We are delighted that Rabbi Brown is now on board and poised to further strengthen and grow our Synagogue. We are confident he will bring innovation and excitement to our congregation, honoring our past achievements, and serving member families and the broader Jewish and Westchester communities with continued involvement and effectiveness.”
Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont and Emanu-El is a Reform Jewish congregation committed to building a covenant community of shared lives and real relationships. Founded in 1961, the Synagogue was joined by the memberships of Tremont Temple of the Bronx in 1976 and Temple Emanu-El of Southern Westchester in 2008. For further information, contact:
Gary Katz, Executive Director
Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont and Emanu-El
Tel: (914) 725-5175
Scarsdale Mourns Tyler Madoff
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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The Scarsdale community is in mourning this week for Tyler Madoff, a student at Scarsdale High School. Madoff, who recently completed his sophomore year, was on a kayaking and hiking trip on the Big Island in Hawaii with Bold Earth Expeditions. On Wednesday, July 4th he was exploring a tidal pool at Kealakekua Bay on the southwestern side of the island when he and another boy were swept out to sea by a large wave that was said to be at least six feet high. The other boy was picked up by a passing boat fifteen minutes later but Tyler disappeared, and despite a wide scale search, has still has not been found.
Madoff’s parents flew to Hawaii on July 6th and hired private boats to assist in the search that utilized boats, divers and helicopters. They returned home on Monday July 9th when the search was called to an end.
In a video on KHON, Madoff’s father called the boy “the best of your mother and the best of me,” and said the people from Bold Earth Expeditions showed “poor judgment and poor character” as they did not remain on site to assist with the search for their son. On July 10th, the Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources said that the tour company who took the group on the trip, Hawaii Pack and Paddle, did not have a permit to take the group to the tidal pool. According to reports, Tyler was a strong swimmer, an avid rower and a football player and was one of the more athletic students in the group. The Madoff’s will not take action against Bold Earth, which is based in Colorado.
Tyler Madoff was a resident of White Plains but attended Scarsdale Schools where his mother, Marianne Madoff worked as the teacher-in-charge at the Heathcote Elementary School. A beloved member of the Heathcote School community, Ms. Madoff plans to move up to the Scarsdale Middle School next year where she will teach math in Fountain House. The family has two other children, Dylan age 16 and McKalyla age 7.
In a note to the school community, Scarsdale Superintendent Michael McGill said “our hearts go out to the Madoff family” and offered counseling for those in distress. Scarsdale-Edgemont Family Counseling Service is available and can be contacted directly.
Debbie Singer, a Heathcote mom said that "everyone in the community is shocked by what happened and devastated by the loss. Our thoughts are with the Madoff family." And rormer Heathcote PTA President Amy Frank added, “we are saddened by this unfortunate event and our hearts go out to Marianne Madoff and her family.”
Tyler was well-liked by his classmates at Scarsdale High School, some of whom offered their recollections:
“Tyler was a great guy and a great athlete, but most of all he was a great friend. He was always there to talk to somebody whenever something was wrong. Just being around him could get things off your mind. He had a huge impact on my life and I know he had a large impact on my other friends’ lives” – Sam Kaplan
“Some people are inherently self-confident, self-respected, and self-assured; all of which are qualities that are not easily attained. Some people are gifted with the ability to believe in oneself, where nothing and no one can bring them down. But Tyler, had a greater and rarer gift. Tyler had the ability to make OTHER people feel good about themselves. Tyler was the epitome of compassion. If you wanted to complain about life with someone, he was the guy! Tyler was a LISTENER. Someone who actively understood everything you said and was determined to help. Regardless of Tyler’s outstanding musical, intellectual, and athletic talents, he was the type of man who remained humble as you boasted about your life achievements. Tyler was passionate about his many talents, but I believe the greatest of them all was his love for making other people happy. With Tyler as my inspiration, a new life-goal of mine is to emulate this talent. When making a difficult moral decision, I will think to myself, “What would Tyler do?” I will think about everything he listened to; everything he was humble about; everything he loved, and nothing he would hate; everything he gave, and nothing he would take. Tyler, thank you for being in my life and inspiring me to make myself better.
Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart.” – Eric Berman
“I remember I was sad one day cause I was having some problems and I didn't wanna talk to anyone at lunch. You know when you don't say anything and you're sad but you still want someone to notice even though you don't feel like talking. One person noticed that day and asked "everything okay bud?'' Tyler was that one person that noticed and cared to ask. Wherever you are right now bud, everything will be okay.” – Alex Benitez
“Even though I did not know Tyler too well I remember him being on my YMCA swim team , and being in the same lane as I was for a short period of time (which was the lane for the slower kids). Tyler quickly advanced out of that lane (which I stilled stayed in) and became a talented swimmer, and a leader. I hope people understand even in the slightest matter the amount of talent this kid had, and the amount of loss our community and future have had.” – DJ Holloway
“Tyler and I played football together for 4 years. He was an incredible person, always there to help, always encouraging, really did anything it took to be a good person, whether it was in football or just as a friend. He was an amazing athlete who really did work as hard as he could to help us all succeed.” – Frank Schwall
“Tyler was a really good kid. He loved to laugh and always had a smile on his face. He was the nicest kid.” – Zach Galst
“He was just a kid that affected everyone around him in a positive way. Always trying to make people feel better” – Jeff Leone
“Tyler was a truly incredible guy. One of the most compassionate, caring, friendly, and genuine guys I knew.” – Dan Needham
This article was written by Joanne Wallenstein with assistance from Brian Shabto.
Share your memories of Tyler in the comments section below.
Scarsdale Community Pays Tribute to Tyler Madoff
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A tribute for Tyler Madoff was held on Dean Field at Scarsdale High School this weekend to offer students, parents, teachers and the rest of the community to share their memories of Tyler, the high school student who was swept out to see two weeks ago. There were over a hundred people in attendance at the event, which was organized by SHS students, Alexandria Natarajan and Alex Benitez.
People were asked to come up to the microphone and share something, any memory or thought or feeling that they were experiencing during these difficult times. Many people took the opportunity to speak, including several members of the football team, students, faculty members and Tyler’s parents.
“We’ve forgotten about each other,” Neil Ginsberg, SHS teacher said to the crowd, and explained that we should all be 
“giving a lot of hugs”. He told the audience to stand up for a moment to give hugs to one another.
His school friends spoke about his concern for his peers and his desire to see everyone laughing, while his football teammates spoke about his strong work ethic and discipline, as well as his commitment to his teammates. They are planning to honor him with a patch on their jerseys with his number, 51, inside a dark circle as well as with a sticker on their helmets for away games. They plan to retire his jersey, and put up a large poster of Tyler at the exit of their locker room to tap for luck before every game.
“We’re incredibly touched. He loved it here. He loved Scarsdale. Hug your parents, even when they make you crazy. And hug your kids, even when they make you crazy,” said Tyler’s mom, Marianne Madoff, to the crowd, the last to speak at the event.
Hats Off to the Edgemont Class of 2012
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Everyone was proud and cheerful on the afternoon of the 56th Edgemont High School Commencement, despite the blistering 99-degree heat and heavy humidity outside. The 143 seniors swiftly marched into the center of Edgemont’s California-style campus, to the tune of Pomp and Circumstance, played by the high school band.
Once the class was seated, Dr. Barry Friedman made brief opening remarks, followed by a witty welcome speech by senior Isaac Marshall. Marshall noted the abundance of inside jokes that the senior class shared, including their elaborate prank on the school just a few weeks ago, and congratulated his classmates on “making it rain” college acceptances.
Dr. Barry Friedman took the podium again, warmly giving the class sound advice for the future. Next was the principal, Devan Ganeshananthan, who praised the students for their creativity and for their sense of community and teamwork.
Gerald Stoughton, from the Board of Education, reminisced on when he first moved to Edgemont, explaining that the community truly revolves around the schools, and that it is education-centric.
The charismatic Jonathan Hansonbrook, a Latin teacher who the students had voted to speak, was next at the podium, humorously comparing life after college to a zombie apocalypse and reflecting upon the tools for success that Edgemont has given its students.
Next was student speaker A.J. Stoughton, who warmly congratulated his fellow classmates, urging them to never be afraid of the future and to always maintain lifelong friendships with good people.
Last was the poised Ameya Acharya, who reflected on her childhood memories in Edgemont, noting how she looked forward to all of the monumental events in high school. She wished her classmates good luck ins their future endeavors.
The clear theme of the ceremony was the friendships and team experiences that develop during high 
school. Each speaker noted that the people are what made their time at Edgemont memorable, and that the community would not be the same without the strong group relationships that radiate throughout it.
Graduating senior Daniela Melamed described the commencement as “a surreal moment. It was truly remarkable to see the culmination of all of the hard work and memories shared by the class of 2012.”
The afternoon ended with the student’s families cheering for them as they each walked across the stage to receive their diplomas. It was a ceremony filled with laughter and memories, which will be remembered for years to come.
Article by Tatiana Melamed and Photographys by Mariela Melamed ( see more photos here)
