Have You Heard: Spring 2022 Octagonian

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Supreme Recorder Rabbi Paley

In January 2022, Supreme Recorder Rabbi Andrew Paley (Ohio State, ‘87) was called to action during a hostage situation in nearby Colleyville, Texas, at the Congregation Beth Israel. Rabbi Paley recalls watching the selfless work of hundreds of law enforcement officers on the front line. Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and four others were held hostage for nearly 11 hours.

“To be a part of it in real-time was hard to process,” he said. “You don’t know how many people are working to make us safe and secure, and I got a little picture of that.” Paley was one of the first to comfort the families of the hostages, and the hostages themselves, as they were released. “What I tried to tell those that I had a chance to meet with, including Rabbi Charlie’s wife and daughter, was that, ‘We’re here. You’re not alone. We love you and we care about you, ” shared Rabbi Paley. “Even though they will have to deal with the effects of this for some time and go through it in a very personal way, there is this entire community of people who are there, and who stand with them and support them.”

Rabbi Paley says the most powerful act was so many people of faith showing up. “I’ve been saying it a lot this week…you can pretend to care. That’s kind of easy, actually. But you cannot pretend to show up. And the faith communities showed up as an optic of what love and care and support it looks like,” he said.

Rabbi Paley says his congregation is talking about their own security and letting Colleyville figure out their next steps with plans to support them in any need in the months and years to come.

Fra Lt. Col. Tabankin

Lt. Col. Fra Shaw Tabankin (South Florida, ‘93) took command of New York City’s historic “Fighting 69th” Infantry Regiment in October 2021. Fra Lt. Col. Tabankin is a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and serves as deputy director of joint operations for Joint Force Headquarters- New York. Shaw shares his appreciation for his family for their support throughout his career, and the leadership of the New York Army National Guard for selecting him to command such a famous unit. He also thanked the Soldiers of the battalion for being part of the traditional change of command ceremony at the Lexington Avenue Armory in Manhattan. “Thank you for your service and for continuing to do the great work of this regiment — particularly during the past two years under extremely trying conditions. I promise you that I will endeavor to do the same,” Tabankin said.

His awards include the Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Purple Heart, the Iraq Campaign Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 1 Bronze Service Star, Valorous Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Award with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Parachutist Badge, and Air Assault Badge.

Fra Tabankin lives in Clifton Park with his wife Jenn and their children, Addyson and Ephren.

Fra Schachter

Fra David Schachter (USC, ‘90), UBS Wealth Management Financial Advisor in Los Angeles, has been named to Forbes / SHOOK Research’s Top Wealth Advisor list for 2021.

David leads the Endurance Artist Management team at UBS Wealth Management USA, a group that represents top artists, songwriters, record producers, directors, showrunners, digital talent, and executives with profound influence in Hollywood. In his role, he focuses on managing investments and providing comprehensive financial advice to his entertainment clients. With many years of experience, David is an ideal choice for some of the top earners in the industry.

David has dedicated his entire career to the pursuit of excellence in the financial services industry in order to provide clients with clear insight and a complete picture of their financial situation. He and his team focus on tax-efficient investing, asset allocation, and the transfer of wealth between generations. David is from New York and studied at the University of Southern California, where he graduated with a degree in business administration. He was a co-founder of the USC Second Decade Society, a board member of the TJ Martell Foundation on the West Coast, and a member of the USC Trojan Entertainment Network.

Fra Finkelstein

Fra Bill Finkelstein was elected Board Chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas on June 10, 2021. Bill has been an active member of Dallas’ Jewish Community for many years. He chaired the Community Campaign, Lawyers’ Division & Cardozo Society and led several Federation missions to Israel, Argentina, Ethiopia, Poland & Prague. He and his wife, Jeri (AEPhi @ UT) are also active in Israel Bonds and Dallas.

Bill, a ’71 graduate of the University of Texas, pledged Sigma Theta Chapter in 1967 and was an active leader and twice voted Outstanding Frater. He was Pledge Class President, Rush Captain, Canidate Educator and Prior. While at UT, Bill represented the fraternity on the Interfraternity Council and was elected Chairman of IFC Rush Week and Secretary. Fra Finkelstein was also a member of the Texas Cowboys at UT. As a proud UT Sammy alumnus, Bill served on the board of the Sigma Theta Housing Corporation for years. After earning his undergraduate degree at UT, Bill received a JD cum laude from Baylor and then clerked for the Texas Supreme Court.

Bill, now semi-retired, is Senior Counsel at Dykema Gossett, PLLC where he previously served as Dallas Managing Partner and was the Head of the Bankruptcy Departments at Hughes & Luce and KL Gates.

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