Honor Teen of the Year

Senate Resolution No. 1983 BY: Senator MARCELLINO HONORING Ethan Ertel upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the Teen of the Year Award by CTeen West Suffolk on June 5, 2017 WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and pay tribute to those young people within the great Empire State who have made strong contributions to their communities and who serve as role models for their peers; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Ethan Ertel upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the Teen of the Year Award by CTeen West Suffolk to be celebrated at its Annual Dinner on Monday, June 5, 2017, at The Chai Center, Dix Hills, New York; and WHEREAS, Ethan Ertel, a resident of Dix Hills, New York, will receive this prestigious award for his steadfast and unremitting commitment to CTeen West Suffolk; and WHEREAS, This auspicious event will take place at The Chai Center, an orthodox Synagogue located in Dix Hills, New York; it is a popular facility for Jews of all backgrounds and affiliations who wish to learn more about their Jewish roots through the Chabad-Lubavitch approach of joy, scholarship and unconditional acceptance and love of every Jew; and WHEREAS, The Chai Center offers a wide variety of educational and spiritual opportunities, including Hebrew School, Preschool, Torah classes, Shabbaton dinners and an array of Jewish Holiday programs; and WHEREAS, With over 200 chapters globally and tens of thousands of members, CTeen is the fastest growing Jewish teenager network in the world; this vital organization inspires and facilitates young people to give back to their community and environment, with an emphasis on positive character development; and WHEREAS, The CTeen Network truly believes in the power of youth, and transforming the teenage years into a time of purpose and self-discovery, turning young people into tomorrow's leaders; and WHEREAS, Over the last two years, the West Suffolk chapter has tripled in size; this year alone, the teenagers of CTeen have cooked for needy families, held a toy drive, packed holiday gifts for ill children, wrote letters to Israeli soldiers, raised funds through a bowl-a-thon for special needs children; and WHEREAS, CTeen West Suffolk members attended three major conventions, a regional, national and international Shabbaton, representing Long Island; for the last three years, it has been the recipient of three national awards at the convention including the 2017 CTeen Female Leader of the Year, the 2016 Male Leader of the Year, and the 2015 Chapter of the Year; and WHEREAS, With his sense of civic duty and his commitment to others, Ethan Ertel represents the best development of the potential which is inherent in our most precious resource, our youth; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor Ethan Ertel upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the Teen of the Year Award by CTeen West Suffolk on June 5, 2017; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Ethan Ertel.