As parents of three alumni, Sam and Nancy Ifergan chose to dedicate the Mathematics Award to pay tribute to their sons’ experience at TanenbaumCHAT and, by extension,
the remarkable educators who made it possible.

Why did you establish this award?
Our three sons Noah ’16David ’18 and Daniel ’23 each had amazing individual experiences at TanenbaumCHAT and we wanted to thank all the faculty and staff for their support, leadership and patience. Their dedication to the students is what makes the school very special. We chose the Mathematics Award because the boys were imbued with a love of science and mathematics while at the school and, as a result, have all pursued further education and careers in engineering. Most importantly, the school taught our boys to take pride in their Jewish heritage and gave them an appreciation for Judaism, our deep history, traditions and religious texts. The teachers were great influencers and encouraged them to think big, work hard and act Jewish.

Tell us a little bit about the family connection to TanenbaumCHAT.
We are both from Montreal so we did not have the opportunity to attend the school ourselves, but over the years we heard about the community’s wonderful Jewish high school. When our children graduated from elementary Jewish day school, we wanted them to continue in both their Jewish and secular educations. TanenbaumCHAT lived up to its reputation of being a school where the students “play hard and work hard.” Our sons loved attending every day, thrived academically and socially and learned to be menschen. In addition, we gained a wonderful community of friends and families with shared values.

Why support TanenbaumCHAT?
Our family is very committed to Judaism and community. Sam’s father, Yehudah Ifergan, left Morocco in 1948 to fight in the War of Independence. Nancy’s father, Selig Weinstein, is a Holocaust survivor. Both families grew

up with a deep understanding of our unique history. Supporting Israel and community is very important to us, and TanenbaumCHAT is an incredibly important institution in the fabric of Jewish Toronto. The students are taught the value of Tzedakah and helping the community, Israel and the world. We thank all those who support the school and its important work – and we see the establishment of this award as our way of “paying it forward” for future students and families.

“Whoever does charity and justice is regarded as if he filled the whole world with kindness.” (Tehillim 33:5).

Noah, David and Daniel are proud Jews, continuing their Jewish heritage, religion and tradition while thriving in the world at large. TanenbaumCHAT played an instrumental role in their lives.