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Naming
My parents brought me to our Orthodox synoguge to annouce my Jewish name - Elka Elisheva bat Re'uven Avrum -
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Beth Tfiloh
I attended an Orthodox Jewish day school -
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Habonim Dror Machaneh Mosheva
I attended a Labor Zionist summer camp for 3 years. I remained involved with the youth group in my area throughout high school. -
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NCSY
I was very involved with NCSY, including serving on my chapter board. -
Bat Mitzvah
My parents joined a Conservative synagogue so that I could read from Torah. -
Beth Tfiloh Graduation
I graduated 8th grade from my Orthodox Jewish day school and left to go to a secular high school -
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My significant Jewish teacher
The principal of the Judaic Academy had a significant impact on my Jewish educational journey. She was modern Orthodox, and I, at the time, was struggling with my identity as a young modern Orthodox Jew. When I raised doubts or asked questions, she told me to sit down and stop talking. If I was not willing to go along with what the school was teaching me, then I was not allowed to have a voice. As a teacher today, I make sure to do the exact opposite with my students. -
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Judaic Academy
I attended the non-denominational Jewish Hebrew high school program (2 hours a day, 3 days a week), run by Hebrew University of Baltimore -
First trip to Israel
I went for 6 weeks with Young Judea -
Judaic Academy Graduation
I graduated Hebrew Valedictorian and had to give a speech in Hebrew. -
Judaic Academy Expulsion
After graduation, I asked to continue to take classes at Hebrew University at the reduced Judaic Academy rate. I went to one week of class before being asked to leave and never come back. -
Became a B'nei Mitzvah tutor
My former tutor taught me how to be a tutor, and I began working with 12 year olds who needed extra support -
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Study Abroad in Spain
I repeated my senior year of high school in Barcelona, Spain. This was the first time that I had lived anywhere with little to no Jewish community. -
Passover in Prague
Our senior class trip was to Prague and took place over the first two nights of Passover. I had to make arrangements to celebrate in a foreign country with no adults to help. But when I got there, I found lots of people that I knew or who knew people I knew. -
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McGill University Hillel
I was involved with the Hillel at my college, including serving on the Board there and starting the egalitarian minyan. -
World Zionist Congress
I represented Habonim Dror as a Youth Delegate. It was just after Oslo, so my sister and I got to travel in the West Bank. -
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ADL
I was the Assistant Director for Civil Rights and Public Policy in the New England Region. I had answered a blind ad, but this started me on my current career path of being a Jewish educator. -
Made Aliyah
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Joined a conservative Congregation
My parents had done it when we were kids, but only for the Bat Mitzvah ceremonies, so that my sisters and I could read from the Torah. When we were kids, it was clear that the Conservative synagogue wasn't the "real" synagogue. As an adult, this was the most comfortable place for me to join. -
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Hebrew College
I was the Director of Informal Education at Temple Israel in Natick, and, as such, I was required to take classes at Hebrew College. It was the first formal Jewish education I had had since high school -
Orthodox Jewish wedding in Israel
My mother is a Jew by Choice. We had significant difficulty getting married in Israel, despite the fact that she had had an Orthodox conversion. The Rabbanut wasn't sure it was Orthodox "enough" -
Became Youth Educator at Temple Israel of Natick
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Temple Emanu-El of Marblehead
I was the Temple Educator at a Reform Temple. It was the first time that I had had any significant exposure to Reform Judaism. Although it isn't where I find my spiritual home, the experience helped expand my understanding of how one can be Jewish and create meaningful Jewish moments. -
Became Temple Educator at Temple Emanu-El
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HUC-JIR
I had the opportunity to study with other Reform Jewish educators. It opened my eyes to how rigorous Jewish study can be outside the Orthodox world. -
Adopting and trying to convert our daughter
As both sets of grandparents are Orthodox, my husband and I tried to have our daughter converted with the Boston Beit Din. This was a truly horrible experience that reinforced for us why we were no longer Orthodox. -
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Kesher
After years of working in synagogues, I wanted to have a greater reach, so I began working at Kesher, a non-religious Jewish after school program -
Chose Jewish Day School for my children
I have one at Schechter and one at JCDS (plus one in a Jewish preschool)
