West End Synagogue Honors Students
The Beit Miriam Closing Ceremony was held Sunday, May 4th at West End Synagogue. During the Awards’ Ceremony, Sophie Newman and Evan Zagnoev were presented with the 2025 Simon and Alven Ghertner Award for Excellence in Hebrew. Acknowledged were Ellis Prichard, recipient of the Sandi and Bernie Goldstein Award for Outstanding Community Service and Zev Moshe Wiston, recipient of the Nathan Davis Award for the Outstanding student in the graduating class. Micah Rosenbloom presented the link in the Chain of Tradition to Gabe Newman, 10th grade Class representative. The 2025 11th grade Graduation ceremony was held Friday evening, May 2 as part of the Congregational Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv Service.
Mazal Tov to the Beit Miriam Graduating Class of 2025/5785
Graduation Class awards:
2025 Sandi and Bernie Goldstein Award for Outstanding Community Service
Bernie Goldstein, a past president of WES, with his three children and grandchildren, established a fund in 2015 for Beit Miriam students who performed meaningful and active community service. Initially the Fund honored the memory of Bernie’s wife, Sandra. When Bernie passed away in 2022, the Fund’s name was changed to the Sandi and Bernie Goldstein Fund for Community Service to honor their shared devotion to the Synagogue. The Fund awards a gift to the student in the Beit Miriam graduation class who performed the most meaningful and active community service in both the Jewish Community and the non-Jewish community. It also offers a contribution to the recipient’s community service project. Students must apply for the award and submit recommendations from their community service mentors. Bernie and his family hoped the award would serve as an inspiration to Beit Miriam students and would instill in them the value that Tzedakah and community services are obligations in Judaism.
This year’s award was presented to Ellis Harmon Prichard, son of Jonathan and Deena Prichard. In his application, Ellis wrote, “Over my years of being a boy scout, I have taken part in many service projects and completed a lot of service hours. My Eagle Scout project has by far, been my favorite and the most impactful to me. In late 2023, I came across information that the Holocaust Memorial needed a butterfly garden to help extend the memorial to include the children who perished in the Holocaust. What motivated me the most to take on this project, are my ties to family who were lost to the cruelty of the Nazis. My Maternal grandmother’s family had several members murdered in the Holocaust. As a Jew I feel these terrible tragedies should never be forgotten and it is my responsibility to help in this effort.
I am very thankful for Boy Scout Troop 418 for helping me build the garden. My entire troop learned the importance of the Holocaust and remembering this time in history. This service project not only educated my fellow scouts, but it also enhanced the Memorial for the community.”
Marsha Raimi, the Docent Chair of the Nashville Holocaust Memorial, wrote this about her involvement with Ellis and the project. “In the fall of 2023, I introduced Ellis to Felica Anchor, the Memorial chair and she approved the project. In 2022, a butterfly tree sculpture had been added to the site and the docents thought it would be wonderful to have a butterfly garden that would attract real butterflies.
“I was able to observe Ellis’ outstanding leadership skills with his fellow scouts, troop leaders, and Memorial Committee members. Although he is soft-spoken, everyone present listened quietly and respectfully as he explained the background of the project, including his motivation to remember the 1. 5 million children murdered during the Holocaust. I was very impressed with his technical knowledge and his ability to direct his fellow scouts. Throughout the 6 months of planning the project, Ellis had to solve many issues: the grading of the site, the size, number and location of the garden beds to be built and the selection of building materials and plants. He sought the advice of outside experts and incorporated their suggestions into his plan. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Ellis on his Eagle Scout Project. Today, we have included the butterfly garden in the docent script. Almost 20 non-Jewish scouts and troop leaders participated in Ellis’ Eagle project. It left a strong impression on them and will have a lasting impact on future visitors.”
The Beit Miriam 6th & 7th graders visited the Memorial and saw the garden; they were very impressed.
Steve, Ronna and Stuart Goldstein knew about this year’s winner. Steve Goldstein wrote:
“Our parents, Sandra Klein Goldstein and Bernie Goldstein would be very impressed with this year’s winner. We will go visit the butterfly garden the next time we visit Nashville. We also hope that Ellis continues to do good deeds and contribute to his community, wherever that community might be.”
Nathan David Award for the Outstanding Student in the Graduation Class
The award recipient was Zev Moshe Wiston, son of Stuart and Debby Wiston.
Ellen Davis Dansky, presenting the award shared the following in her presentation:
I am the daughter of Morris Davis, and the granddaughter of Nathan Davis, in whose memory this award was created. Both were past presidents of this Synagogue. This is my first time presenting the Nathan Davis Award and while I am honored to do so, I am sorry that it could not have been presented to you by my sister Charlotte Davis Seloff. She was so eloquent, wise and always had a thoughtful, important message to share with you. I am sharing a message she gave many years ago, because I thought it was so applicable today and I know she would tell you this. She mentioned Amalek, but it could have been Haman, Hitler, Ayatolah Ali Khamenei or Yahya Sinwar and I quote, ‘Amalek had no power over those who chose to stay close to the community. Amalek only had power to attack those who lagged behind, who found themselves walking singly, separated from the protection of the group.’ As you graduate from the West End Synagogue Religious school and then on to college the following year or years, it is our hope that you will remember the importance of staying close to the Jewish community…it might take the form of Hillel, your Jewish friends, a Synagogue close by…regardless, take with you the protection of your families, your religious school class, your community, and the mitzvot and lessons you have learned here and in your homes. Stay connected!
Morah Paz’s great-grandfather, Nathan Davis was president of the West End Synagogue from 1931-1934…that’s 94 years ago!!! His main interest was the Jewish education of our children in the Religious School because he knew that this would strengthen our Jewish connections and community. Little did he know that his great-granddaughter would one day be the Director of Lifelong learning for the Synagogue. When he died, his family decided to give the Nathan Davis award in his memory. The award has been endowed, so that it will always be given to the outstanding student in the Graduation class at the West End Synagogue. The criterion for receiving the award includes academic excellence, leadership ability, dedication, commitment, honesty, sincerity, being co-operative, being respectful, active in Jewish Youth Activities and at the West End Synagogue. The winner is selected by the professional staff with input from the teachers through the years.
Zev Wiston has three passions…Judaism and Jewish learning, mathematics, and making a difference in the community. Regarding Judaism, he has spent eight summers at Camp Ramah Darom and is going on Ramah Seminar to Poland and to Israel this summer. He studies Torah with an adult Chevruta partner once a week and is president of our USY chapter. He is the only Jewish student among 1500 at his school, and he wears his kippah every day and keeps kosher both in and outside his home. And he enjoys the opportunity to educate his peers about his Jewish practices. He has a 4.0 average as a junior. He is a “mathlete” and qualified for a state award in math as a freshman and is on the School Math Team. He was ranked seventh in the state in geometry and is in the National Honor Society. He took five AP classes as a sophomore and five this year as a junior. He has received an honor as an AP Scholar with Distinction. And finally, he has been involved in many volunteer roles at the Synagogue. He is a participant in the Student-to Student program to educate other students about what being Jewish means in helping to combat antisemitism. Through the National Honor Society and the Beta club, he participated in many community service hours and certainly is making a difference in his community. His current dream is to become a Rabbi. He could be the first rabbi with an accounting degree!
2025 Simon and Alven Ghertner Award Winners
Scott Ghertner, great-grandson of Simon Ghertner and grandson of Alven Ghertner, presented the award. Scott shared, “The Ghertner Award now in its 80th consecutive year, is a distinct award presented to the outstanding 7th grader each year for excellence in Hebrew. The award recognizes the importance of Hebrew reading proficiency and exceptional B’nai Mitzvah preparation. This year’s recipients were Sophie Newman, daughter of Simon Newman and Lisa Clewner and Evan Alexander Zagnoev, son of Brad and Jennie Zagnoev. My family and I send our heartfelt congratulations to you and your families.”
Sharon Paz shared the following remarks from the presentation:
Sophie Newman has always been a serious student at Beit Miriam and enjoys learning Hebrew. She retains vocabulary and is very motivated to learn. Her cursive Hebrew writing skills were amazing even in the 3rd grade. Her teachers noted that her Hebrew reading skills improved each year. She always stayed focused and on task in T’filah. She worked steadily to master the Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv Service. Cantor Sarah remarked that Sophie could help lead most of it in 4th grade and co-led with her brother Gabe for his Bar Mitzvah. She mastered the Torah service, Musaf Service, the Haftarah and Torah readings. When she was given assignments, she kept up with them and was always willing to help her friends when they needed some assistance. We hope Sophie continues to lead T’filah at West End Synagogue post-Bat Mitzvah and that she will use her skills at Camp Ramah this summer.
I remember the first day Evan Zagnoev came to learn Hebrew with me. It was the summer before he began 4th grade and the only Hebrew letters he knew were the letters on the dreidel. We worked together over the summer so that his Hebrew skills would be at the level of his classmates. He really worked hard and never complained about coming. Once he mastered the Torah service and Ashrei, I suggested that he could also lead Musaf. I mentioned it to his parents, and they said, “Oh that’s enough. We don’t think he knows it and don’t want to stress him out”. I said, “he can do it.” And Evan said ok! He mastered Musaf and then asked for another Torah portion. Over the years his Hebrew and T’filah teachers remarked how hard Evan worked to master the material and how willing he has been to help his classmates in class and on the bimah.”
We are so proud of both Sophie and Evan’s exceptional growth and excellence and are proud to present them with the 2025 Simon and Alven Ghertner Award for Excellence in Hebrew. The Ghertner award places emphasis on the effort and skills mastered in preparation for becoming B’nai Mitzvah and considers Hebrew language skills. It comes with a gift from the Ghertner Family and the honor of chanting the Haftarah on Rosh HaShanah.
Many thanks to Frank Ghertner and Dorothy Ghertner Miller who oversee this award on an annual basis.
West End Synagogue’s Beit Miriam’s high school senior, Noam Zemer Friedman was honored with the 2025 Anna Isenstein Teacher Aide Appreciation Award. This award, presented by Joel Isenstein, directs cash toward a college-bound teacher’s aide to assist in continuing their education. Linda Nathenson and Joel Isenstein established the Anna Isenstein Teacher Aide Award Fund in memory of their daughter, Anna Michelle Isenstein in 2003 to encourage students to guide younger students as teachers’ aides after completing their formal religious school education at West End Synagogue. During Anna’s short life, they learned that sometimes the most help for a student comes directly from another student.
The teacher aides (madrichim) in the religious school classroom serve many roles. Not only do they assist the teacher in a variety of tasks, they also serve as role models in the classroom. The award recognizes a unique aide who exhibits the attributes the teachers need the most and models the behaviors parents respect the most, dependability, attentiveness, friendliness, and initiative. The annual award is $1000.00.
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Joel Isenstein shared what teachers wrote about Noam: “This year’s aide was exceptional in many ways. He received recommendations from both teachers he worked directly with in the classroom. “Noam demonstrated exceptional initiative and didn’t require much direction. He demonstrated mastery and modeled enthusiasm for the material he taught. He was proactive in identifying problems and addressing them before they escalated. When issues arose, he was quick to take action. He approached every task with persistence and a level of composure that I could rely on. Whether offering support, engaging in conversation with the students, or taking the initiative when needed, Noam stepped up and helped create a comfortable class environment. The students respected him. His contributions were invaluable.
Sharon Paz, Director of Lifelong Learning shared this about Noam. “Noam has been a madrich at Beit Miriam for the past two years. The first year, he missed some classes, arrived a little late and needed to be reminded to communicate in advance with me when he was going to be absent. This year, he hardly missed a day of Sunday School and communicated with me directly. We talked about the importance of being on time and he stepped up. He showed remarkable growth and maturity over the past year. He did a great job in the classroom in all three of his classes and related well to our 4th and 5th grade students. We wish him “hatzlacha” at Vanderbilt University in the fall. We are hoping he will continue to teach next year!”
We salute and thank all our 2025 high school teacher aides: Jaxon Buchanan, Tommy Buchanan, Noam Friedman, Ariela Lowen and Esther Nissenson and wish them well as they graduate High School.
Many thanks to Joel Isenstein and Linda Nathenson for creating this special recognition award and opportunity for our Teacher Aides.
The closing Ceremony included a shout out to all the teachers, a video of the year’s programs—a salute to Israel’s 77th Birthday and an Israeli shawarma lunch for all the Beit Miriam families and faculty, sponsor by the Sisterhood.
2025 Anna Isenstein Teacher Aide Award Winner
And to all our graduating high school and college seniors:
High School Seniors Graduating Class of 2025
Thomas Yitzchak Buchanan (Tommy)
Son of Michelle and Jason Buchanan
graduating from Blackman High School in Murfreesboro with Honors & Tri State Student
Attending MTSU to study Mechatronics Engineering and Music Composition.
Jaxon Rivka Buchanan
Daughter of Michelle and Jason Buchanan
Graduating Blackman High School in Murfreesboro with Honors & Tri-State Student
Attending Motlow Community College for Business Associate’s degree and going to Pastry School
Joey Eagle
Son of Susan Eagle
Graduating Templeton High School
Attending Belmont University to study business
Luis Eagle
Son of Susan Eagle
Graduating Curry Ingram
Attending MTSU to study journalism, videography and live media production
Noam Zemer Friedman
Son of Nili Liat and Eitan Friedman
Graduating Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA)
Cum Laude
Inducted into the Martin Luther King Society for Community Service; member of the Vanderbilt Curb Youth Symphony
Attending Vanderbilt University
Mia Jean Marcus-Hawkersmith
Daughter of Valeria Marcus and Dave Hawkersmith
Graduating Battle Ground Academy
Attending George Washington University to study International Politics
Zoe Jazmin Marcus-Hawkersmith
Daughter of Valeria Marcus and Dave Hawkersmith
Graduating Battle Ground Academy
Attending the University of Tennessee Knoxville to study Accounting
Ariela Rose Lowen (Ari)
Daughter of Debbie Lowen and Peter Lowen
Graduating Ravenswood High School
She is a National Merit Finalist, Salutatorian, AP Scholar with Distinction, and graduating Summa Cum Laude (with a 4.25+ GPA).
Attending the Honors College at Colorado State University majoring in Animal Science to become a veterinarian
Leeds Asher Nahmias
Son of Evan and Sandy Nahmias
Graduating Montgomery Bell Academy
Attending University of St. Andrews in Scotland
Esther Arjon Nissenson
Daughter of Jenny Nissenson and Randy Saba
Graduating Hillsboro High School
Esther is the 1st place winner of the Tennessee Scholastic Award in Photography
Winner of the Cheekwood Golden Key Award for Photography
1st place winner of the National Scholastic Art Competition; receiving her award at Carnegie Hall in June
Attending University of Tennessee Chattanooga
College Graduates:
Gabrielle Anna Bengelsdorf (Gabby)
Daughter of Steven and Sarah Bengelsdorf
Graduating the University of Maryland
Pursuing a Masters in Public Health from the University of Maryland
Maia Aleezah Herman
Daughter of Michael and Lauren Herman
Graduating from the University of Wisconsin with BA’s in Economics and Legal Studies
She will be working for Goldman Sachs
in the Operations for the Global Banking and Markets Division
