It was music to the ears of Aventura Marketing Council business and community leaders when they learned the AMC’s March general membership luncheon was going to feature the amazingly talented 12-year-old entertainer extraordinaire Ethan Bortnick. Beyond being an international pianist, composer, singer, humanitarian and star of the feature film Anything is Possible, Bortnick is also a star student at Hochberg Preparatory School, where “the best and brightest learn, explore and excel.”
AMC Chair Cliff Schulman of Weiss, Serota, Helfman helped welcome hundreds of guests gathered at the Trump International Beach Resort along with luncheon co-hosts including Joel Hochberg, benefactor of Hochberg Preparatory; Head of School Dr. Linda Marks; Hochberg Pre-K student Ben Cohen, the youngest AMC member sponsored by his parents Yoav and Izabella Cohen; and Christian Bertot, branch manager of Popular Community Bank in North Miami Beach.
Before Ethan wowed the audience, Dr. Marks expressed appreciation to Hochberg benefactors and proud parents such as the Cohens and Bortnicks. They’re among over 400 families entrusting their children’s education to South Florida’s only Jewish prep school integrating science, technology, engineering and mathematics academies.
School; Izabella and Yoav Cohen with 3
year-old Ben Cohen, Student at Hochberg
“Our school serves children from six weeks old, all the way through the eighth grade,” Dr. Marks explained. “We offer highly advanced Hebrew, Judaic and general studies programs. All students partake in our science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs; and our teachers work with Nova Southeastern University.
“The STEM curriculum is enhanced by a new and exciting ‘Exploratorium,’ where boys and girls are encouraged to synthesize and analyze information about a myriad of topics including sustainable energy, aerodynamics and space exploration. Our students are also studying Mandarin-Chinese and Spanish, taking art and music classes, and using high-tech learning tools in classrooms equipped with personal i-Pads and smart boards. Emphasizing moral character and ethics, we exemplify ‘one family.’ Everyone at Hochberg is here for the kids.”
Taking center stage, Ethan Bortnick proclaimed it was “the best moment in his life” when AMC first introduced his family to Hochberg. Awing everyone with his diverse talent, he proceeded to perform classical piano concertos (even one composed spontaneously from a cell phone ringtone), hit ballads, an old time rock n’ roll hit and two of his newest original songs that may have been inspired by Hochberg Preparatory: We’re All Family and the theme from the movie Anything is Possible.
“I learn a lot when I travel, but school is where I learn the most,” Bortnick said. “Our teachers educate us, inspire us and really love us. No matter what you want to do, if you put your heart into it, anything is possible!”
Registration is currently under way for the 2013-2014 school year. For more information about Hochberg Preparatory School at the Beth Torah Benny Rok Campus, phone: 305-933-6946 or visit hochbergprep.org. To contact Popular Community Bank, committed to delivering consistently superior customer experiences, phone: 305-944-2370 or visit popularcommunitybank.com. To follow Ethan Bortnick’s success story, www.ethanbortnick.com.
