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My Flatbush Journey
EDUCATE:
MY FLATBUSH JOURNEY
Jennifer Salzman (ES ‘17, HS ’21)
I began my Yeshivah of Flatbush journey as a kindergarten student. Since then, the person I have become, the values I have fostered and the relationships I have made have all been impacted by Flatbush. As a self-motivated student, guided by my incredibly supportive parents, the years that I spent in elementary school helped me to develop the foundation for my work ethic and allowed me to create relationships with teachers and students that continue to strengthen to this day. But it was at the Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School that I first began to truly take ownership of my education and student life. I am now in my element, my home and the place where I strive to be the best version of myself in every possible way. My teachers inspire me to learn not just for tests but for the joy of acquiring knowledge. Guided by driven and compassionate faculty, I have been pushed to achieve feats far beyond my preconceived notion of my own academic capabilities. As a high school freshman, I realized that taking advantage of Flatbush on a purely academic level would mean that I would be missing out on some of the most important elements of school. The opportunities for involvement after school are endless. I first chose to join extracurricular activities including the Dance Team, Yachad, Tzedakah Commission, and The Phoenix newspaper. Now in my senior year, I am the co-editor of the yearbook and participated in the Witness Theater program. The Pathfinders Program empowered me to pursue my interests on a deeper level when I got the chance to see a virtual heart transplant and shadow a cardiologist from Mount Sinai Hospital.
However, perhaps the most meaningful part of being a Flatbush student has been how the school became my prime source of religious inspiration. Specifically, I have had the honor of creating very special relationships with Rabbi Dr. Raymond Harari, Rabbi Zelig Prag and Rabbi Naftali Besser. These rabbis have guided me, inspired me and educated me throughout every day of my Flatbush journey. My religious and core values have been shaped, strengthened and nurtured by them, and through their guidance and teachings, I have become a true lover of Torah. I also decided to dedicate myself to performing mitzvot, whether through teaming up with Yachad or raising money for different organizations. Community service plays a huge role in what it means to be a Flatbush student. Having had the privilege to go on the 18th annual Chesed Mission, I was awestruck by the 72 students who joined me in giving up their winter vacations to do chesed in the Holy Land. Every day of that trip, whether we were visiting a facility for disabled children or dancing with Israeli soldiers, was filled with inspiring and heart-touching moments that I will never forget.
Flatbush has challenged me far beyond any limit I would have ever set for myself. Although I am graduating this year, a part of me will always remain in the halls of Flatbush. I look forward to returning as an alumna when I can help instill future graduates with the same feeling that Flatbush and its faculty have instilled in me.
