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School(s): Seattle Hebrew Academy (2014), Derech Emunah (2018)
How has your day school education shaped your life, values, and your involvement in the Jewish community?
“The goal of school is not to force, but to inspire”. This is a line I heard Rabbi Engelsberg, my principal, say often.The first thing that happened every morning, which I think may have had the biggest impact on me, is that I was greeted with smiles from the secretary, principal, teachers, and my fellow friends. The message that I matter and am needed was reinforced every day over my four years at Derech Emunah. Judaic teachers took learning to a higher level by seeing what messages we could extract from Tanach. We were challenged as to how we could apply these teachings to our personal lives. In our Machshava and Hashkafa classes we learned how to access, “Where am I holding? How can I continue growing?” The “off-topic” discussions during class where teachers shared stories and life experiences were some of the most impactful teaching moments. They helped me recognize my priorities in life and how I’d like to build my future Jewish home.
I can see how attending Derech Emunah definitely succeeded to inspire me, helping shape who I am today. I live a life according to Torah because G-d commands me to, but also because I want to. I see the value and beauty in what I’m doing. I found the small individualized classes, both Judaic and secular (math, sciences and English, etc), interesting. I was encouraged to dig deep until I fully grasped and understood a concept well. The emphasis on health-related classes, such as Pilates, circus school (SANCA), and nutrition class was something I especially appreciated and took to heart. The skills and knowledge I obtained gave me the confidence that I was well-equipped to continue on to college and had something to offer. My school experiences taught me to work with and get along with different types of people. This is a skill that will definitely come in handy in my career as a nurse. Even after graduation, the relationships formed at Derech Emunah have continued. Here in Israel, I have met up with teachers and friends at smachot (happy occasions), on Shabbat or just to chat and relax at a café. As part of the Derech Emunah family, I look forward to many more such reunions in the future.
More about Chana
Chana Rachel Segal (Meyers) is the eighth of ten children to Rabbi and Mrs. Ron-Ami Meyers. Born in Jerusalem, Israel, she spent most of her childhood in the United States, of which nine years were in Seattle. Chana attended the Seattle Hebrew Academy and continued on to Derech Emunah Seattle Jewish Girls High School. After graduating in the summer of 2018, she made Aliyah to Israel followed by the rest of her family. Chana is currently in her last year of nursing school at Machon Tal (Jerusalem College of Technology). In the summer of 2020, Chana married Zvi Segal (originally from Baltimore, MD). They currently live in the French Hill community of Jerusalem with their daughter, Esther.
