Humans of Netivot
Humans of Netivot is an exciting initiative sparked by the experience of Shabbat Netivot Byachad. Everyone has a story to share. As we get to know members of our special Netivot community more closely, our kehilah will be connected, comfortable and stronger.
Leah Markin’s path began with family roots steeped in medicine and community service. After graduating from Jewish day school in Ottawa, she studied in Israel. She then continued on to graduate from Yeshiva University, along with her husband, Joel, a Toronto native. Leah and Joel stayed in New York City while she pursued[…]
Sara and her husband Josh first met at camp and then reconnected in 2005 when they competed as teenagers at the Chidon HaTanach in Israel- both of them were Canadian champions (Sara from Montreal and Josh from Toronto). “Chidon was a phenomenal experience; the first time I was in a room with so[…]
“I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be an educator. I was a mother’s helper, taught swim lessons, worked in camp, and was a group leader on Shabbat, and an NCSY advisor. I always knew I wanted to work with children, it really brings me a lot of joy,”[…]
“School was my happy place as a child, as hard as I had to work. I had the most incredible teachers. Camp and shul were huge, my life was a bubble. Everything felt so good so that even though I didn’t have this burning desire to be a teacher necessarily, I felt that[…]
“Shift work is exhausting and the environment was really intense; as I had my own children, I reduced my hours accordingly. When I look back at spending 12 years working in critical care, I don’t know how I did it. I couldn’t do it today,” reflects Kayla Kanner on[…]
“Hineni, here I am!” exclaims past Netivot President Howie Paskowitz, when asked about his volunteerism at Netivot over the past 15 years. He counts himself as part of the “huge group of people in this community who are super committed to the vision and success of Netivot HaTorah. When I was President (2013-2015),[…]
“Figure out HOW you can give back/volunteer and be active in your community because strong communities raise strong children and strong children are vital to the future of Am Yisrael and Medinat Israel”, shares Jonah Turk when asked for a message he would give current parents as Netivot celebrates its 40th year. He reflects fondly[…]
“My parents’ involvement at Netivot, particularly with my father serving as Chair of the Board in 1992 taught me the value of community work. My love of Israel was solidified through my elementary experience.” Rena (Kesten) Markus’s graduating class of ‘92 was Netivot’s first cohort of students that went from Gr 1 -[…]
“Having lived in 3 different countries, I have spent much of my life being a chameleon. These past 5 years I’ve been working on noticing when I feel connected and a sense of belonging, while also developing a comfort in being true to myself.”
As a child growing up in Cherry Hill, NJ Ellie Hahn was[…]
“What energizes me at work is that, even after 11 years working with hundreds of families, every day is different. I am never bored and always working at a fast pace. Often the most impactful support or service we provide, is not what you would think. Sometimes it’s about bringing a specific food[…]
