Assemblyman Tom Alfano and Councilman Jim Darcy honored Rabbi Solomon Aidelson and his wife Shoshana on their contributions to the West End community of Nassau County. Alfano called the Aidelsons "true role models for young people who continue to give and serve their community each and every day."

Alfano passed a resolution in the State Legislature recognizing the Rabbi and his wife for their community work and lifelong commitment to education and public service. Darcy presented a Town of Hempstead Citation in commemoration of the event from the entire town board.

Rabbi Aidelson was born in Poland and is a survivor of the Holocaust where he escaped concentration camps in Auschwitz and Maidanek. Aidelson also lived through the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and worked in the "Bricha" - a clandestine effort to smuggle survivors from Eastern Europe to Italy, en route to Palestine. In late 1947, he arrived in Palestine and served in the Israeli Air Force during the War of Independence. Rabbi Aidelson received his Rabbinic Ordination from Lomzer Yeshiva in Israel.

Rabbi's wife, Shoshana was born in Tel Aviv and has been an educator both in the State of Israel as well as the United. States. In Israel, she taught immigrant children who came from underdeveloped countries including Iran, Yemen, Turkey, and Iraq. In the United States, Mrs. Aidelson joined the Brandeis School Faculty in 1973. In 1990, in recognition of her excellence in education, she received the Guss Award for Academic Teaching Excellence.

"Both Rabbi and Shoshana Aidelson are incredible individuals who have been through the most trying times in our history. They continue to educate young and old alike and lead by example in their work and scholarship," said Alfano. Councilman Jim Darcy noted that "Rabbi and his wife make a difference in all that they do in our community. They really serve as a beacon for families in today's society."

Alfano also noted that Rabbi Aidelson has held very special positions in the community as a coordinator for the Israel Day Parade and as a speaker on the Holocaust in schools and community events. "Rabbi Aidelson is a focused person whether it was his efforts in the Holocaust and escaping and surviving the concentration camps or his service during the War of Independence. His work for the last 20 years for children is nothing short of extraordinary."

Darcy, in making his presentation to the Aidelson's, talked about the people who are the lifeblood of our community. "Clearly, education, service, volunteerism and understanding define the Aidelsons and their impact to all who have had the privilege to be touched by them," Darcy concluded.