HOPE LEVAV

What is your favorite Jewish teaching or saying?
ואיך נדע אם יש תקווה? שכשנבוא, שכשנבוא, נמצא תשובה

Tell us something interesting about your family’s Jewish roots.
My parents, z'l, were both Shoah survivors, and my Hebrew birthday is the 27th of Nisan, Holocaust Remembrance Day.

What has been your most formative Jewish experience?
Living in Israel: two years with my parents when I was 4-5 years old; one year on my own during college; and one year with my wife and children seven years ago.

Which elementary school teacher had the biggest impact on you and why?
Tova Blum, who taught me Hebrew and Judaics in grades 2, 5, and 6. She taught with her whole heart. She made us all work so hard, and we all cried at the end of the year. She nurtured in us a love for Israel and the Hebrew language. She could sing a million Hebrew songs, on demand. She made me feel so, so loved.

What brings you the most joy as a teacher?
I love seeing that “aha moment” in a student's eyes when they finally get something they've been working so hard to understand. I also love hearing from students years after they've left my class about the impact our time together has had on their lives.