Schechter Alumni Spotlight: Elana Horowitz (‘06)
Meet Elana Horowitz (‘06), a dynamic Schechter alumna whose passion for mathematics, education, and dance has led her on an exciting journey from the classrooms of Schechter and Glenbrook North High School to the University of Maryland to the bright lights of Super Bowl LIX — as a cheerleader for the Philadelphia Eagles!
Elana currently lives in Philadelphia, PA, and works as a high school math teacher in Wilmington, DE, where she teaches Algebra II, Precalculus, and AP Calculus. She has wanted to be a math teacher ever since she took math in 7th grade with Mrs. Ohcana and 8th grade with Mrs. Graves. “I loved both of their classes,” she says. “I learned so much and gained a lot of confidence in my math abilities, which propelled me through my math major in college where I graduated with a dual degree in Mathematics and Education with a minor in Jewish Studies.” Despite the heavy academic load, during her college years Elana was active in campus life through Hillel, the Sigma Delta Tau (SDT) sorority, and the UnBound Dance Team.
Today, when Elana isn’t solving equations or inspiring students, she is in her rookie year cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles. “For my final audition piece, I infused my own choreography into an Israeli folk dance and brought my Judaism to the forefront!” she says proudly. She has also shared the joy of Jewish holidays with her teammates, adding, “They have absolutely loved it.”
When asked to describe one of her proudest accomplishments, Elana says emphatically, “performing at the Super Bowl! It was one of the most incredible experiences to be able to dance in front of thousands of people and cheer for an organization and a group of players that do so much good in the world.”
Elana credits Schechter with shaping her personal and professional journey. "The values I grew up with and the friendships I developed at Schechter truly changed me and shaped me into the person I am today," she says. "I am forever grateful for the group of friends I made at Schechter. They were honest, supportive, hysterical, and loving!"
She also appreciates the Hebrew skills she gained. “I am so grateful that I left Schechter being conversationally fluent in Hebrew,” she says. “I have family who live in Israel and my sister has since made Aliyah, so having that ability is so important to me.”
To Elana, Schechter represents much more than a school; it symbolizes a sense of home.
"When I think of Schechter, I think of families with shared values and history, and being surrounded by people that just get you on a deeper level.”
Elana also treasures the friendships and experiences she had at Camp Young Judaea Midwest, CHUSY, and Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, where she met her husband, Dan Soler.
“He was on staff at Camp Ramah in the Poconos and I was on staff at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin,” she says. “We met when the Poconos staff came to Wisconsin for Shabbat. When we got married we combined sports teams and are a Cubs and an Eagles family. Trying out and becoming an Eagles cheerleader has meant so much to us, and Adam is my number one fan!”
