Torah MiTzion Kollel St. Louis is planning to say farewell to Rabbi Uria and Vardit Teperberg and their family, with a reception in their honor on June 29.

The l’hitraot party will be held at St. Louis Hillel, 6300 Forsyth at 7:30 p.m., and is free and open to the community. The event includes a dairy dessert reception.

Mickey Ariel, president of Torah MiTzion Kollel St. Louis, said the Teperbergs have served as the organization’s shlichim or ’emissaries’ from Israel for the past four years. Now, they will return home to Israel in July.

However, in their four years in St. Louis, the Teperbergs have become an integral part of the St. Louis Jewish community, serving as educators and establishing a community presence for Torah MiTzion Kollel, Ariel said.

Uria and Vardit Teperberg have taught daily at Epstein Hebrew Academy, at the weekly Tichon program, and have supervised the Sherut Leumi program, which has served Epstein, Saul Mirowitz Day School-Reform Jewish Academy and Solomon Schechter Day School.

Uria has also directed the Torah MiTzion Kollel and Epstein Drama Club. Vardit has led a Hebrew language Ulpan since 2005, and a Beit Midrash for women each Wednesday.

“I don’t know when they sleep,” Ariel said. “They have done so much for the community in the four years they have been here. They really have brought a fresh perspective on Israel to a broad range of the Jewish community.”

“They have become wonderful friends to so many people,” he said. “I am very sad to see them go, but I hope to see them after they leave when I go to Israel.”

Torah MiTzion Kollel will also welcome this summer the next couple serving as shlichim: Chaim and Merav Possick, who were born in the Midwest, but made aliyah with their families when they were young.