The Reporter’s”Community Spotlight” feature seeks to highlight community members and find out more about them. If you want to be among the participants, e-mail treporter@aol.com.

1. What is your hometown?
Larchmont NY

2. What is your earliest Jewish memory?
My earliest Jewish memory is Chanukah at my grandparents’ house in Mt. Vernon. The whole family would gather, cousins everywhere, coats piled up, the kitchen filled with the smell of fresh latkes frying. Old family menorahs lined the table, mismatched and a little worn, and when we lit the candles the room would suddenly feel quiet and special.
Then it was back to chaos, playing dreidel, fiercely guarding tiny piles of chocolate gelt and feeling like I’d hit the jackpot whenever I won. It was warm, loud, sweet and felt completely like home.

3. What is your favorite Jewish food or dessert?
Too many to count, but at the top of the list is a perfectly toasted everything bagel with a generous scallion schmear and lox piled high from Zabars. And I can always go for a bowl of my wife’s chicken soup with matzah balls.

4. What is your favorite Jewish holiday?
If you had asked me years ago, I would have said Chanukah without hesitation. But over the past decade, Passover has become my favorite holiday.
There’s something incredibly meaningful about gathering for two large seders each year, with extended family coming together around the table. The preparation, the storytelling, the traditions, it all creates a sense of continuity and connection across generations. I love watching everyone participate, from my youngest asking the Four Questions to the adults relaxing with four cups of great Israeli wine.

5. What has been the biggest influence on your Jewish identity?
The biggest influence on my Jewish identity was moving to Israel for four years during medical school and living in Tel Aviv. Until then, Judaism had largely felt centered around holidays and family traditions. In Israel, it became something woven into daily life. The rhythm of the week shifted with Shabbat, you could feel the country exhale on Friday afternoons. Jewish holidays weren’t something you scheduled around work or school; they shaped the entire public calendar.
Living in Tel Aviv also showed me the diversity within Jewish identity, secular, religious, traditional, native-born Israelis, immigrants from all over the world, all expressing Judaism in different, sometimes contradictory, ways. It forced me to think more intentionally about what parts of Jewish life were cultural, spiritual, historical or personal for me.
Just as powerful was experiencing medicine there. The value placed on preserving human life, the deep, almost sacred commitment to saving a life, felt profoundly Jewish to me. In the hospitals, I saw Arab and Jewish physicians, nurses and staff caring for patients side by side, treating people based on need, not identity. In those moments, the concept of human dignity wasn’t theoretical; it was lived.
Being there during such a formative period of training and adulthood made Judaism feel less inherited and more chosen. It deepened my connection not only to ritual and peoplehood, but to the moral responsibility embedded in our tradition, the belief that every life matters and that preserving it is among the highest callings.

6. What is your greatest achievement? or What are you most proud of?
My greatest achievement is raising three children with a strong, proud Jewish identity who are active in our community. I’m especially proud of the leadership roles they’ve taken on and the meaningful friendships they’ve built. Seeing them embrace their heritage with confidence and commitment is more fulfilling than any professional accomplishment.
What makes it even more meaningful is that we live in a smaller Jewish community, during a time when antisemitism feels more visible and present. Despite that, they don’t shrink or hide who they are. They wear their Judaism openly and proudly. Watching them stand tall in their identity, not out of defiance, but out of genuine pride and connection, is something that fills me with deep gratitude and hope.

7. Do you have any children and/or pets?
Three children, Aviva, Jonah and Eitan, and a bernedoodle, Babka.

8. What are your hobbies?
I enjoy staying active and hands-on. I play ice hockey and tennis whenever I can, I love the competition, the camaraderie and the way both sports completely clear my head.
At home, I enjoy making maple syrup, which is a surprisingly rewarding mix of patience and process and occasionally questioning whether collecting and processing sap in freezing weather was really a good idea. I also love cooking, especially when it brings family and friends together around the table. And whenever possible, I enjoy traveling, exploring new places, cultures and experiences with my family.

9. What do you like most about living in Binghamton?
What I like most about living in Binghamton is that we found exactly what we were searching for. We moved here intentionally, looking for a strong Jewish day school for our children, and we were amazed to discover Hillel Academy of Broome County.
From the start, we were struck not only by its academic excellence, but by the warmth of the environment. It wasn’t just a school, it felt like a community. The teachers truly know and care about the students, and there’s a sense that each child is seen, supported and encouraged to grow both intellectually and personally. Watching our children thrive there, academically, socially and Jewishly, has made Binghamton feel like the right place for our family. The close-knit nature of the community creates real connection, and that sense of belonging has been the most meaningful part of living here.
Serving as president of Hillel Academy has deepened that connection even further. Supporting the school’s growth and long-term sustainability has become a personal priority for me. Investing in its future isn’t just about today’s students, it’s about ensuring that generations to come have access to the same strong, nurturing Jewish education that has meant so much to our family.