4 Things I Learned From My Time At Torah High
By Daniel Silverstein
People ask me all the time if going to Torah High was worth it. I tell people that it was one of the best experiences of my life.
I’ve distilled my time at Torah High to four things that made the most difference for me.
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As I look back on the years I’ve spent at Torah High, I know that going through the program has shaped me in many ways. Torah High is the place where I became proud of my Judaism, a place where I learned about the history and meaning behind many of the things in Jewish culture that we practice but don’t really think about. Torah High has been one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had. I met so many people whom I would have never met outside of the program. The teachers and advisors helped me to get involved with the Jewish community and provided me with many experiential opportunities outside of the classroom. To capture was most essential, I’ve come up with four main ideas that made the biggest difference for me:
Leadership Skills
Torah High has a course specifically for leadership skills. The thing that I loved most about Torah High is that many of the courses give you skills that are easily applicable to your life after school. I personally took the Leadership course and the Business course at Torah High. I really liked that the courses not only gave me valuable leadership skills, but helped me understand how I could take my Judaism into those areas.
Putting Myself Out There
When I first started at Torah High, I didn’t know many people. Because kids from all over the city were in my classes, I was forced outside of my comfort zone. I was relieved when I started to make new friends. Over time, I learned how to respect many different points of view. This was really helpful once I started university, as I was able to connect with students from all walks of life.
Being Proud of My Judaism
Before I started at Torah High, there were so many things I didn’t know about my own heritage. My Torah High courses delved into the history of the Jewish people, Jewish leaders, and made me appreciate where I come from. It made realize that I am just a small part of a long chain that goes back thousands of years. Learning about the significant events in both ancient and modern history, as well as the deeper meaning behind shabbat and holidays, created a sense of understanding and pride in my heritage that I don’t think I would have found without Torah High.
Ethics and Application
In my public school, we didn’t discuss ethics and how to how to apply those ethics in difficult situations. At Torah High, we were constantly challenged with ethical dilemmas that our teachers would invite us to help solve. It made me think about things differently, and allowed me to develop critical thinking skills that I wouldn’t have otherwise. I learned that about the Jewish roots to universal ethics and how Jewish ethics sometimes stands apart from our mainstream values.
My time at Torah High was one of my most rewarding experiences in high school. In addition to the amazing courses and teachers, Torah High made me feel like part of a community; it allowed me to explore my Judaism in a way that really resonated with me in a deeply personal way. Thank you Torah High. I know that you will stay with me as I move forward into the next phase in my life.