He met his wife through a mutual connection from Israel. She was from Baltimore. 

“I was living in LA at the time. When Shani was suggested, she sounded great, and I had a trip planned to Baltimore, so I figure why not? but then a snowstorm hit, and I had to cancel my trip rather than risk getting stuck in Baltimore.  

So, our first chance to meet was over Skype. We hit it off, and four weeks later when I was traveling to New York, we met there. We married about six months later. Baltimore made more sense, since we both had family here, and I didn’t think that it was sustainable to stay in Los Angeles long-term anyway. Many of my friends were moving from the LA area.” 

He became involved in The Associated, thanks to Chanan Daniel Skurnik. 

Chanan Daniel Skurnik, the husband of one of his wife’s friends, offered to help me make some connections when he moved to Baltimore. One of those connections ended up being with Michael Friedman at The Associated. When they met, they talked about The Associated’s role in Baltimore’s Jewish community. 

“I was a newcomer, and he told me that getting involved would be a great way for me to break into the Baltimore community. He connected me with The Associated’s Young Adult Division, and I joined the Young Leadership Council. I then served on the board and as assistant treasurer at the Myerberg. I also attended a number of events while in law school. I was able to build connections outside the Orthodox community, that I may not have necessarily made otherwise.” 

Giving Back 

“It’s easy to give to The Associated. Because they have so many resources under their umbrella and so many ways to help our community, donating to them, has a broad impact on so many aspects of our Jewish community.” 

Advice he wants to impart to his children 

“Treat everyone with kindness and respect, no matter who they are. It speaks volumes about your character and makes every interaction a kiddush Hashem. And remember, being nice to someone can brighten their entire day.” 

Wine recommendation 

Having grown up with a father who owned a winery, we asked what wine he would recommend. His response. “My father would agree with me on this one. Drink what you like. And if you are going to someone’s house for a meal, bring them something you or they would like. Don’t worry about specific types.  

Favorite holiday 

“Pesach. I love the Seder, the food and its overarching theme of freedom. Every year, we hold one Seder with our kids and try to speak with them on their level. I love the idea of passing down the Jewish tradition from one generation to another.”

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