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Why we exist
Albert Kornblit
was born on March 24, 1923 in New York City. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School (NYC) and played the violin in their orchestra. After High School he attended the NYU School of Education and graduated in 1945. It was at NYU that Albert met his future bride, Yetta Cizyn. They were married in June of 1946. Albert and Yetta started their family in 1951 with the birth of their daughter Rae (now deceased). Their son Steven was born in 1958.
When Albert graduated NYU in 1945 there were very few teaching jobs available in the New York area. He had to cast his net much further to find employment. A small-town school in Tracy, California received his resume and made him an offer that he accepted. It was off to California!
There was a pull to return to the New York area however and eventually it led Albert to apply to another small town. This town was in New Jersey and it was Ridgefield. In 1955 Albert started his long career at Ridgefield Memorial High School. (R.M.H.S.)
He would spend the next 35 years teaching mainly history and political science. He became the head of the department and also spent many years as a faculty advisor for the high school year book putting his love for photography to good use.
In his class about politics, Albert created a wonderful formula that captured the imaginations of his students and of local, regional and even national politicians. Albert and his students would invite mayors and council members, governors and even those aspiring to be the President of the United States to their classroom. When the guests arrived at class, the format was similar to a modern-day press conference. Who was asking the questions? The students! Who was answering? A most impressive array of political figures.
Imagine George Bush Sr. coming to your school with the Governor (Tom Kean) alongside to speak to your packed assembly while he campaigned for the 1988 Presidency. Albert’s visionary teaching methods were very powerful and had a big influence on many of his students.
The Albert Kornblit Foundation exists to honor Albert’s dedication and commitment to education and the students of Ridgefield Memorial High School. The foundation will grant a scholarship every year to a deserving R.M.H.S. student who has decided to pursue a college degree in history or political science.
We hope that this scholarship will keep Albert’s memory alive and help future generations to pursue careers in the subjects he loved, history and political science.