OUR COMMUNITY

28 | MAY 26 • 2022 

F

arber Hebrew Day 
School-Yeshivat Akiva’s 
58th Annual Dinner 
takes place on June 8, and 
this year’s alumni honorees, 
Chaya and Joey Selesny and 
Shaindle Braunstein-Cohen, 
are as representative as ever 
of Farber’s consistency in 
producing communal leaders.
The Selesnys’ time at 
Farber shaped them as people 
and professionals, and Joey 
Selesny fondly recalls there 
always being a desire for 
excellence in education.
“And along with that, 
the Jewish values that were 
instilled upon us as students,” 
he said. “We’re taught from 
the time we’re in kindergarten 
about the importance of Kol 
Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh (“All 
Jews are responsible for one 
another”), tikkun olam and 
all the other attributes that 
make a well-rounded person.” 
Chaya (Akiva 1992) went 
on to work for many years 
at Jewish Family Service, 
including the pilot year spent 
through JFS/Federation at 
Farber providing counseling 
to Jewish day schools. 
 Joey (Akiva 1990) started 
working in the Jewish non-
profit field in 2000. He 
enjoyed working for JNF/KKL 
(Jewish National Fund/Keren 
Kayemeth LeIsrael), the Jewish 

Federation of Metropolitan 
Detroit and Birthright Israel 
Foundation. He is now the 
senior regional director of 
development at the American 
Technion Society. 
Chaya volunteers at Farber, 
served on community 
committees and does com-
munity chessed work. Joey 
sits on the executive board of 
Farber and is currently vice 
president at Chessed Shel 
Emes/Hebrew Benevolent 
Society. Chaya and Joey have 
five children, all of whom 
have attended Farber, with 
three currently attending.
As well as a love for their 
own community, Farber also 
brought to the Selesnys a 
tremendous love of Israel.
“We’re taught to take care 
of Israel, to love Israel and be 
a part of Israel,” Joey Selesny 
said. “And when you’re a part 
of something greater than 
yourself, it opens up your eyes 
and heart to the world and its 
issues and makes you more 
empathetic to what’s going on 
in the plight of humankind 
and our planet at the same 
time.”
The Selesnys were humbled 
when informed they would be 
honored. 
“If this helps the school 
in any way, if even one 
additional dollar is raised for 

the school that would not 
have been raised otherwise, 
we will do it,” Joey Selesny 
said. “We feel this school is a 
very important institution in 
the Detroit Jewish community 
and we’ll do whatever it takes 
to help them.”
Shaindle Braunstein-
Cohen (Akiva 1991) is the 
CEO of JARC. 
She has 20 years 
of experience 
in high-level 
roles at social 
service agencies 
in the Jewish 
community, 
including seven 
years at Jewish Family Service 
and nine years as director of 
the David B. Hermelin ORT 
Resource Center.
She says one of the most 
important things that shaped 
her at Farber was being 
encouraged to be curious, 
to ask questions, to try new 
things and the idea there’s 
nothing off-limits.
“I think that gave me the 
tools at JARC and even at the 
beginning of my career, which 
was in publishing, to really 
feel comfortable and feel like 
I have strong footing in the 
world in my observance, in 
who I am as a Jew, in my 
education, what I feel my 
capabilities are and in my 

confidence.” 
As far as what Farber 
does well to create so many 
communal leaders, she thinks 
a Farber education crafts 
strong Jewish identity. 
“I think graduates come out 
knowing who they are and 
fully confident in who they 
are, knowing what’s important 
to them, and I think that’s 
what creates people who 
want to put meaningful 
contributions into the 
community.”
The dinner’s faculty 
honoree is Nachshon Wyma. 
Wyma joined Farber in 2016 
and has taught not only 
history in middle 
and high school 
but also physics, 
computer science, 
engineering and 
robotics. Wyma 
accepted the 
responsibility 
as the chair of the ISACS 
(Independent Schools of the 
Central States) accreditation 
steering committee at Farber 
in 2019. His leadership of 
the process and of his peers 
culminated in Farber’s receipt 
of ISACS accreditation for the 
first time this past January. 

Go to farberhds.org/giving/ 

annual-event/ for more details and to 

buy tickets.

Farber Hebrew Day School’s 58th 
Annual Dinner honors esteemed alumni.

Alumni 
Honored

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

Nachshon 
Wyma

Shaindle 
Braunstein-
Cohen

Joey and 
Chaya Selesny

