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Schechter Shining Moment: Sherry Levin
by Sherry Levin, Schechter Parent of Alumni and Board Member
Brad and I recently had the privilege of attending Birthright Israel Excel’s: EXCELERATE 24. More than 400 young Jewish leaders from around the world attended the sold-out weekend conference in New York City.
Birthright Israel Excel’s mission is to inspire young Jewish business leaders during a professional summer experience in Israel and empower them to pursue successful careers and build a global, lifelong community dedicated to supporting the Jewish people in the 21st century.
The weekend program included fascinating speakers, forums, and peer-to-peer discussions. There were also roundtable talks and incredible presentations from ‘Excellers’ who are now actively serving in the IDF following the events of October 7th. Their military roles include: data collection from the destroyed areas of Southern Israel, specialized intelligence and technology units, an airforce pilot, and a sergeant on the ground in Gaza.
As a proud Schechter parent of 2 alumni and a current board member, it felt remarkable that 3 of the top 5 leadership positions were held by Schechter graduates, including our daughter, Lexi (SSDS '13), one of the summit co-chairs along with Shula Horton (SSDS '15), and Samantha Merrick (SSDS '13), VP of Global Leadership Board.
Our investment in Schechter has been priceless. Beyond exceptional academics, SSDS fostered a strong sense of Jewish community, religious values, and personalized support of our children. In these difficult times, we are especially proud of Lexi’s service as a Jewish leader.
