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The college student from Woodcliff Lake lost his entire immediate family in a crash on the Garden State Parkway over the weekend. A joint funeral service was held for David and Michele Dryerman, both 54, and Brooke Dryerman, 17, Tuesday morning at Temple Emanuel of Pascack Valley. A burial service followed at Sharon Gardens on Lakeview Avenue, in Valhalla, NY.
Max, whose LinkedIn shows he's studying engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia, launched a GoFundMe page to help put himself through school and honor his family.
As of press time, the campaign had raised more than $102,000. Max writes:
A gift to support Max Dryerman in his time of need, in loving memory of Michele, David, and Brooke. Donations will go to support Max as he returns to college as well as charities of Max's choice. He's considering donating to Camp Raspberry, an after school program for children with special needs. Brooke served as co-president of the Pascack Hills High School chapter. Max would also like to donate to an organization supporting teens battling anxiety and depression, as well as to Jewish causes.
The Dryermans were active in the area's Jewish community. While they were members of Temple Emanuel in Woodcliff Lake, Brooke and Max were both active members of Valley Chabad, run by Rabbi Yosef Orenstein.
The siblings were particularly active in Valley Chabad's CTeen and Friendship Circle programs, Orenstein said, noting they were "friends to so many of our teens. We are at a complete loss together."
The rabbi and his wife, Esti, organized a vigil on Sunday night, at the request of friends that Brooke made in CTeen.
The following is an excerpt from a eulogy shared at the vigil by Gail Gluck, 17, of Montvale, who met Brooke freshman year through Valley Chabad three years ago.
Brooke was my best friend, she was kind to everyone and always could put a smile on anyone’s face. She was funny, always finding a way to make me burst out laughing. But I know if she were here she wouldn’t want us to be sad she, would want us to keep going and be proud of the person she became and continue her legacy.
As previously reported by Daily Voice, Brooke was weeks into her senior year at Pascack Hills High School, and appeared to have been enjoying Sea.Hear.Now in Asbury Park just hours before the crash that claimed the lives of her and her parents.
David's LinkedIn page shows he was in his tenth year working as the Senior Vice President of Finance and Treasurer for the Continental Grain Company.
Michele was a member of the Bergen County moms Facebook group, helmed by Annie Steinberg-Joachim, of Westwood, who shared her condolences in the group on Sunday.
"I didn’t know the family personally but Michele was a member of our board, our community & our lives," Steinberg-Joachim said, encouraging members to reach out for help with fundraising, meal trains, and more.
"We as a community must come together during these hard times. May her son Max know he just gained 45K new moms. "
Fabricio Silva, a former classmate of Michele's, remembered her as being "levelheaded, firmly grounded, and quick to smile."
PHHS made counseling available to all students.
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