Immediately following tefillot on Friday, the students of the Upper School participated in an azkarah service in memory of Dr. Noam Shudofsky.  For the past month, with the help of our Talmud faculty, every student assumed the study of several perakim of Mishnah so that by this observance of the Shloshim, a siyyum of shas could be held to honor and remember him.

Rabbi Mayer Moskowitz, a dear friend and colleague of Dr. Shudofsky, for over fifty years, spoke passionately about the beautiful friendship that he shared with Noam. While most of the students present did not know Dr. Shudofsky personally, they were able to relate to our community’s great loss through the personal anecdotes and memories that Rabbi Moskowitz shared with them. 

To conclude the learning that was done in honor of Dr. Shudofsky, sophomores Jacob Meisler and Gabrielle Wilner taught mishnah 3 from Eruchin:2. The mishnah they chose provides the strict guidelines for the use of musical instruments in the Beit Ha-Mikdash. They explained that only with a meticulous order could the music of the Temple be beautiful and meaningful. For the many of us who know and love Noam, the parallel is obvious.

The students noted that the standards that Dr. Shudofsky set are the ones that make Ramaz the great place that it is. They also stressed that like a well organized orchestra, Dr. Shudofsky derived the most pleasure from seeing how “the energies and talents of many individuals come together to produce something extraordinary.”

Our students have raised the money needed to fully furnish  a music room at Kfar Noar Ha-Dati, a home for immigrant youngsters in the north of Israel who otherwise would be abandoned. 

The dedication reads:

חדר מוזיקה זה מוקדש לזכרו של

ד"ר נועם שודפסקי

"אשירה לה' בחיי"

מתלמידי ישיבת רמ"ז

ניו-יורק, ארה"ב

אדר ב' תשס"ה

Rabbi Yossi Weiser, of the Talmud Department, concluded the service with an eloquent reading of “Kayl Maleh Rachamim.”

To listen to the service in its entirety, please click here.