MDY Alumni: Where Are They Now?

Our high school years  helped mold us into who we are today and left most of us with very fond and  special memories. Do you ever wonder what your classmates are doing now? I recently asked several MDY graduates about their journeys thus far and their personal accomplishments. Their choices reflect the education and advice they received from their teachers and advisors; their decisions embody who they are as individuals.

Charles Manopla
Class of 2007
After high school Charles went to the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, a seven year BS/MD program. He is currently going into his 5th year.

“My best memories from MDY are of spending time with close friends in and out of class; there really is no other time in life where you get to spend all day, everyday, with friends. In particular, I remember the times we spent “studying” for finals together as being some of the best. (We eventually got around to actual studying.)”

“I learned some of the most important things about interpersonal relationships from faculty and friends in high school. Most of those lessons I only appreciated in retrospect, but the things I learned in high school paved the way to where I am now.”

Shula Mann
Class of 2010
Shula is a sophomore at Brooklyn College, with a passion for dance/zumba. She teaches dance/zumba in her spare time and would like to make it her career. She is currently working in the Sephardic Community Center Day Camp.

“I remember loving my high school years—the clubs, teachers, other faculty, seminars and hesed programs. I have special memories of my internship working for Mr. Abe Maleh in his Children’s Apparel Network. MDY taught us to always have emunah (faith) in Hashem and to always think positively.’

Ilana Gabbay
Class of 2009
After graduating in 2009, Ilana went on to study speech pathology and audiology at NYU and will be graduating in May 2012. After graduation she hopes to go  to graduate school to get her master’s degree.

“Our grade, the class of 2009, was given the nickname ‘The Legacy.’ I’m not sure how it came about. It may have been given to us because we were the grade that piloted the senior internship program, or it may just have been a name we took because we thought highly of ourselves. Either way, the name stuck and it puts a smile on my face every time I hear it.”

“As much as I love college, it doesn’t compare to my high school experience. In general, Magen David taught me a ton, and I’m not referring to the things you can learn from a book. They taught me that I could do what I wanted, and not what other people wanted or expected me to do. If someone wanted to take a class that wasn’t offered, they made you fight and create the class yourself. If there was something you were interested in, they encouraged  you to start your own club for it.”

“Magen David taught me to branch out, have fun, and try new things. In the end, I still got all my work done, did well on my SATs, graduated with 28 college credits, and a scholarship to college. I learned that I didn’t need to be a lifeless zombie to accomplish everything. I learned how to balance everything and get things done, and I’m very happy with where I am now because of it.”

Aaron Shasha
Class of 2007
Aaron attended St. John’s University and graduated this past May with degrees in sports management and medicine. He worked for the National Football League and Icer Brands (UNK NBA) and he married Jill Torgueman this past March.

“My favorite memories are of the color war dance. When deciding which college to attend, Rabbi Haber helped me realize I should do what made me happy and not what others expected me to do.”

Ezra Dayan
Class of 2010
Ezra is a sophomore in NYU’s pre-health program. “My favorite memories from MDY are of the hesed programs and projects I was involved in. The faculty at MDY were more like friends to me. I formed relationships with some of my rabbis and teachers that still exist today. The lessons they taught me will stick with me forever.”

Raquel (Shemesh) Pahuskin
Class of 2007
After graduating from MDY in 2007, Raquel attended Kingsborough Community College. She graduated in June 2009 with a degree in speech communication with a concentration in speech language pathology. At Kingsborough, she was a member of the Accelerated Study in Associates Program (ASAP), the National Society of Leadership and Success, and the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society.

After graduation, she continued her study of speech language pathology and minored in psychology at Brooklyn College. While attending Brooklyn College, she was a member of Sigma Alpha Eta: Speech and Hearing club. She is currently working as the mainstream liaison in The Chehebar Academy at Magen David Yeshivah Elementary School. Raquel married Adam Pahuskin in October 2009.

“I have wonderful memories of my four years at MDY, during which time I learned many lessons that will last a lifetime. Beginning with “Freshman Day” at Clove Lake Park, moving onto the sophisticated sichot (discussions) with Rabbi Matalon and Mrs. Boiangui every Friday, rikkudim (dances) on Rosh Hodesh, Jewish philosophy with Rabbi Esses, street law, global history, all of the sciences, many works of Shakespeare, and the intriguing halachot about kivud ab va’em (laws about respecting your father and mother) with Mrs. Maslaton—the faculty at MDY covered it all.

Aside from the relationships created with many of the faculty members, my favorite memories are of the friendships that were made.”

Kimberly (Guber) Djouejati
Class of 2008
Kimberly is a senior in Brooklyn College majoring in English education (English teacher grades 7-12). She will begin  student teaching in the public school system in September. She has been married for a year and a half.

“When I was a student in Magen David, I really discovered my love for learning, especially in literature and writing. I think this was realized in 11th and 12th grade when we were able to choose classes that we wanted to take and I fell in love with literature in film and creative writing. The teachers in both of these classes really taught me the value of creativity and influenced me in a way that I knew I wanted to emulate with my own students in the future.”

“I think it was important that we were able to choose the classes that interested us, because we connected more with those subjects and  teachers. I also learned the value of hesed in Magen David and how you should never miss an opportunity to help others, especially those less fortunate than ourselves. This is something that MDY constantly instilled in their students. It was  very important.”

Manny Haber
Class of 2010
Manny is a sophomore at Baruch College, working part-time both as an intern at a Manhattan law firm  and as a private tutor.

While reminiscing about his high school days he said, “one experience stands out from the rest—the day a Holocaust survivor spoke to the entire school. His story was truly incredible and touched the hearts of each and every audience member.”

“I learned valuable lessons from my many inspirational teachers at MDY. My 10th grade math teacher, Ms. Ullmann, taught me the importance of persistent effort and focus, and that laziness will get you nowhere in life. Dr. Tawil constantly reminded me that if I enjoy my career, I won’t have to work a day in my life and Rabbi Jacobsohn showed me the beauty of Torah in the sense that just one word in the Tanakh can contain countless meanings and spark new ideas for Jewish thought and life.”

Eddie Sassoon
Class of 1999
Eddie was salutatorian of the class of 1999. He received the Chase Smart Start Scholarship and went to NYU Stern, majoring in finance and international business. After graduation, Eddie accepted a job with JP Morgan Chase in Foreign Exchange Sales, where he has been working for the past eight years.

In 2004, he married Frieda Torgueman. They have two beautiful children, Ronnie and Sandra, who will both be attending MDY in the fall.

“When I think about MDY, I have a lot of great memories—seminars and competitions against other schools—but my favorite is of our senior class trip in Disney World. It was so much fun feeling like kids. We shared a lot of great times and laughs during our few days there.”

“One of the most valuable lessons I learned, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, was Mr. Fisher’s famous speech that ‘genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.’ We all made fun of it at the time, but over the years I have been able to appreciate that it takes a lot of hard work to be good at what you do—whether it’s your job; taking care of your family, playing a sport, or even practicing a hobby. I realized that it’s important to never stop giving 110% of yourself to everything you do—even though it may seem hard; it pays off in the long run.”

It is so nice to hear about the wonderful accomplishments of Magen David Yeshivah’s graduates. Their drive and commitment to achieve their goals is truly remarkable and commendable.
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Randi Shomer is a mother of four children, a community member, and a freelance writer.