SORA NEWMARK

Tell us something interesting about your family’s Jewish roots.
There's a family legend that my great-great-grandfather viewed records (before they were burned in Europe) that show a direct lineage from Korach. More reliably, I'm a descendant of the Chofetz Chaim, although through his older daughter, whom people assume has no descendants.

What were your favorite hobbies as a child?
Making miniatures! I used clay and paper and was obsessed with the Thorne rooms in art museums.

Which grade school teacher had the biggest impact on you and why?
My eighth-grade Chumash and Navi teacher- partially just because I kept in touch with her for so long. But mostly because she encouraged a deep curiosity and love of questions. She answered every single question that a student in her class asked. And she was unafraid to explain that she herself didn't have a satisfying answer that resolved all of the nuances of an issue, which was especially formative in terms of Jewish education.

What do you most hope your students learn from you - other than the curriculum?
Curiosity and questioning- I love asking questions and finding the answers through my environment, people around me, books, and my own exploration. I learn all of the time endlessly, and I want to be able to share that love of learning about the world.