Sam J. Sutton

Eighteen years.

You would think by now M&S Softball had exhausted every possible way to create drama.

Apparently not.

As the 2026 regular season reaches its final games, we already know who sits atop the mountain. We know one semifinal matchup. We know who is waiting in the Wild Card. But somehow, incredibly, we still don’t know who the fifth and final playoff team will be.

And getting there may require an entire tournament just to determine who gets into the tournament.

Welcome to Year 18.

Icey Hot Leaves No Doubt

While chaos reigns beneath them, Icey Hot has been the one constant.

At 11-3, they officially secured the No. 1 seed after closing their regular season with six consecutive wins. Their latest statement was a sweep of the Party Animals. Two wins that simultaneously cemented Icey Hot atop the standings and threw the rest of the league into complete disarray.

Marc Sayegh has anchored the pitching, while Moshe Menshikov, David Brecher, Jackie Haber, and a deep lineup have made Icey Hot arguably the most complete team in the league.

Their reward? Rest.

Icey Hot now waits for the dust to settle and will face the eventual Wild Card winner in the semifinals.

A Heavyweight Semifinal Is Set

We also know the other semifinal matchup.

Chronicles Unhinged and the Summer Knight Kings will meet in the 2-vs.-3 series after both finished 8-6.

Chronicles has featured one of the league’s deepest offensive groups throughout the season, while the Summer Knight Kings looked nearly unbeatable early on, beginning the year 6-0 before navigating a much tougher second half.

Now none of that matters. They’re both in, and one will play for an M&S championship.

One Mo Time Is Waiting

Perhaps no team changed its trajectory more dramatically than One Mo Time.

At one point, buried near the bottom of the standings, OMT completely reshaped its roster through a flurry of trades and acquisitions. The result was a second-half surge that secured the No. 4 seed at 7-7.

Their assignment is now simple: wait.

One Mo Time will play the eventual No. 5 seed in a nine-inning Wild Card game, with the winner advancing to face Icey Hot.

Figuring out who OMT will actually play?

That’s where things get ridiculous.

Four Teams. One Spot.

The Party Animals and Murderers Row are both 6-8. Downtown and Take Two are both 4-8, with their final doubleheader still to be played.

And all four are alive.

If Downtown and Take Two split, Party Animals and Murderers Row meet in a seven-inning winner-take-all game. Winner gets the No. 5 seed.

But if either Downtown or Take Two sweeps, the sweep winner first faces Party Animals. That winner then faces Murderers Row.

Survive all of that and congratulations! – you’ve earned the right to play One Mo Time in the Wild Card.

Four teams. One chair.

The Future Is Now

Earlier this season, we called 2026 “The Future Is Now.”

A major youth movement has reshaped M&S. New stars have emerged, younger players have taken larger roles, and they’ve joined a veteran core that isn’t quite ready to hand over the keys.

After 18 years, the league keeps evolving. The names change. The stars change. The standings change. The drama never does.

By the time you read this, we may finally know who survived.

As I write it?

Four teams. One playoff spot. Absolute chaos. Welcome to M&S Softball!

This month we explore the intriguing history behind the…

SELF-DRIVING CAR

For decades, a car that could drive itself existed mostly in science-fiction movies and futuristic drawings. The idea seemed impossible: a vehicle that could understand the road, avoid obstacles, follow traffic rules, and make decisions without a human behind the wheel.

Today, self-driving technology is no longer just a dream. While fully autonomous vehicles that can drive anywhere under all conditions do not yet exist, cars with advanced automated features are already on roads around the world. Behind this transformation is more than a century of research involving engineers, computer scientists, robotics experts, and artificial intelligence (AI) researchers.

The modern self-driving car was not invented by one person or one company. It was created through decades of discoveries that allowed vehicles to sense their surroundings, process information, and respond to changing situations.

The Early Search for Automated Vehicles

The idea of a driverless vehicle began long before modern computers existed. In 1926, a radio-controlled vehicle called the American Wonder traveled through New York City streets in a public demonstration. Although it appeared to drive itself, it was controlled remotely by a person in another vehicle. It was an important demonstration of automation, but it was not truly autonomous.

Interest in automated transportation continued throughout the twentieth century. At the 1939 New York World’s Fair, designer Norman Bel Geddes presented his famous Futurama exhibit, which imagined a future filled with advanced highways and automated traffic systems. Although the technology needed to create that vision did not yet exist, it encouraged engineers to explore new possibilities.

Real progress began when computers became powerful enough to help vehicles understand their environment. During the 1980s, researchers developed experimental autonomous vehicles using cameras, sensors, and computer programs. Carnegie Mellon University’s Navlab project and German engineer Ernst Dickmanns’ work on computer vision demonstrated that vehicles could begin recognizing roads, lanes, and other objects.

Another important milestone was the European PROMETHEUS Project, launched in 1987. This large research effort helped advance technologies such as computer vision, intelligent vehicle systems, and automated driving concepts.

However, early experiments revealed how difficult autonomous driving really was. A human driver makes thousands of decisions almost instantly, often without thinking. Teaching a computer to handle the same variety of situations required major advances in sensors, software, and artificial intelligence.

The Engineering Breakthroughs Behind Self-Driving Cars

Modern autonomous vehicles work because several technologies operate together.

Cameras provide visual information similar to human eyesight. They can recognize lane markings, traffic signs, pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles. However, cameras can struggle in conditions such as heavy rain, fog, or darkness.

Radar helps solve some of these problems by using radio waves to detect the distance and movement of objects. It is especially useful for measuring the speed of nearby vehicles and maintaining safe distances from them.

Many autonomous vehicles also use lidar, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging. Lidar uses laser pulses to create detailed three-dimensional maps of the environment around the vehicle. This allows the vehicle to understand the location and shape of objects nearby.

Location technology is another key part of autonomous driving. GPS helps determine where a vehicle is, but self-driving systems require much greater accuracy than ordinary navigation apps. Engineers combine GPS with high-definition maps, motion sensors, and other information to determine a vehicle’s position.

The most important technology may be the vehicle’s artificial intelligence system. AI software combines information from all the sensors, identifies objects, predicts how they may move, plans a safe route, and controls the vehicle’s steering, acceleration, and braking. These decisions must happen in fractions of a second.

The Competition That Accelerated Innovation

One of the biggest turning points in self-driving technology came from the DARPA Grand Challenge, organized by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

The first competition in 2004 challenged teams to build vehicles that could travel across a desert course without human control. None of the vehicles completed the route, showing how challenging autonomous driving was.

By 2005, progress had improved dramatically. Several teams completed the course, and Stanford University’s autonomous vehicle, Stanley, won the competition. The achievement proved that self-driving technology was advancing quickly.

In 2007, DARPA created the Urban Challenge, which required vehicles to handle more realistic driving situations, including intersections, traffic rules, and interactions with other vehicles. Many researchers involved in these competitions later helped develop autonomous technology at major technology companies and automobile manufacturers.

In 2009, Google launched its self-driving car project, bringing together experts in artificial intelligence, robotics, mapping, and engineering. The project later became Waymo, which became one of the leading companies developing autonomous vehicle technology.

How Self-Driving Technology Is Used Today

Although fully autonomous cars are not yet available everywhere, self-driving technology is already being used in several ways.

Some companies operate autonomous ride-hailing services in limited areas where vehicles have been carefully tested and approved. These vehicles use cameras, radar, lidar, maps, and AI systems to navigate without a human driver inside under specific conditions.

Most people encounter a simpler form of this technology through advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). Features such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, automatic emergency braking, and automated parking help drivers but do not replace them. Human drivers must remain responsible and ready to take control.

Autonomous technology is also used outside passenger cars. Mining companies use self-driving trucks in controlled environments, farmers use automated machinery for precision agriculture, and warehouses use robots to move products efficiently.

The Benefits and Challenges

Supporters of autonomous vehicles believe they could make transportation safer and more accessible. Human mistakes, including distraction, fatigue, and impaired driving, contribute to many crashes. Autonomous systems do not become tired or distracted, and engineers hope they can eventually reduce accidents caused by human error.

Self-driving vehicles could also provide greater independence for people who cannot drive, including some older adults and people with disabilities. They may improve access to jobs, education, healthcare, and daily activities.

However, major challenges remain. Autonomous vehicles must handle unpredictable situations such as construction zones, extreme weather, emergency vehicles, and unusual road conditions. Engineers must also protect vehicles from cybersecurity threats and create safety standards that build public trust.

Another challenge is that today’s autonomous systems operate only within specific limits. A vehicle that can drive itself in one location or situation may not be able to operate safely somewhere else.

The Future of Autonomous Driving

The future of self-driving cars will likely develop step by step rather than arrive suddenly. Engineers continue improving AI, sensors, computer power, and mapping technology.

Researchers are also exploring vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, which could allow cars and roads to share information about traffic, hazards, and changing conditions.

Autonomous trucks, robotaxis, and automated systems in agriculture and logistics may continue expanding. However, the goal of Level 5 autonomy – a vehicle capable of driving anywhere in any conditions without human involvement – remains a long-term challenge.

The invention of the modern self-driving car is a story of human creativity and engineering persistence. From early experiments with remote-controlled vehicles to today’s AI-powered systems, each breakthrough has brought transportation closer to a new era.

The self-driving car is still being invented. The engineers and innovators of the future will determine how far this technology can go – and how it will reshape the way people move around the world.

Your incredible sense of smell can tell you so much about the world around you. It can give you pleasure (think, the wafting aroma of freshly baked challah), warn of danger (think, the smell of smoke or gas), and help you taste food. Life without scents, odors, and aromas would be pretty boring.

Smells are made from tiny chemicals that are inside of odor molecules. These molecules are really small – at most, a few nanometers in size (a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter) – and they float in the air.

Smelling starts with your nostrils. When you breathe in through your nostrils, the air, along with the odor molecules, travel into your nasal cavity, which is behind your nose and above the hard roof of your mouth. Inside your nasal cavity, you have a smelling factory called the olfactory epithelium (ol-FAK-tor-ee eh-puh-THEE-lee-um). It contains very tiny cell receptors that pick up and recognize odors. Your nose has between six million and ten million of these receptors! (Although this sounds like a lot, dogs have up to 300 million olfactory receptors! No wonder dogs have such a great sense of smell!)

These special receptor cells detect smells in the air that you breathe in, and send information about them to the parts of your brain that deal with emotion and memory. This is why smells from our past, such as a delicious bowl of cholent on Shabbos morning or the salty spray at the seashore, can bring back strong feelings and powerful memories.

Mother Nose Best

Women have a stronger sense of smell than men!

Words of Wisdom 

When referring to Mashiach, Yeshayah Hanavi says, “V’haricho b’yirat Hashem… – And he will delight in the fear of Hashem…” (Yeshayah 11:3). “V’haricho – “and he will delight” has the same root as the word for “rei’ach – smell.” Chazal interpret this to mean that Mashiach will be able to judge through the sense of smell. Indeed, the Gemara (Sanhedrin 93b) discusses how a false Mashiach was detected because of his inability to judge by scent.

As with taste, our sense of smell is based on receptor cells (in the nose) detecting odor molecules floating in the air, and sending messages about them to the brain. Unlike taste, smell is a long-distance sense; we can sniff out certain odors from hundreds of yards away.

Makes Sense

Smell is the only one of the five senses directly connected to the area of the brain where memories are formed and emotions are processed.

Why Can’t I Taste When I Have a Cold?

When you have a cold, your nasal passages become swollen and produce extra mucus, which blocks your nose. This makes it difficult for your sense of smell to work. But why does a cold diminish your sense of taste?

The answer is that, although taste and smell are separate senses, with their own receptors, they are closely intertwined. While the tongue has thousands of taste buds to detect the five primary tastes (salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami), it’s the sense of smell that provides the rest of a food’s flavor. That is why it’s difficult to appreciate a food’s flavor when you have a nasal obstruction due to a cold or stuffy nose. However, you can still feel the texture and temperature of the food, since this information is processed on the tongue. That is why you are still able to distinguish whether the food you are eating is hot or cold, and coarse or smooth.

The Common Cold

In the United States, colds account for more visits to the doctor than any other condition!

Fact or Fiction??

Cold temperatures can cause a cold.

This is not true. Cold weather makes you cold, but it doesn’t cause a cold. Both the common cold and the flu are viruses, and they’re not hanging out in the wintry air but in other humans and the surfaces they touch. While the weather is not directly responsible for making people sick, the viruses that cause colds may spread more easily in lower temperatures, and exposure to cold and dry air is not good for the body’s immune system.

Selective Smelling

The same way that the brain can block out sounds that are unwanted, a similar block-out mechanism exists for odors. If you are overwhelmed by a particular odor, after a while you cannot detect it. This makes it possible for someone to tolerate an unpleasant odor after overcoming his initial dislike of it. However, the sensitivity of the smelling organs remains. Even in the stench of a garbage dump, a rose will still smell as sweet as ever.

The sense of smell is backed up by an excellent memory. Every odor that is recorded by the brain is stored away in a person’s long-term memory bank, where it remains ready for instant recall. There are distinctive smells of childhood, homes, gardens, cars, clothes, foods, flowers, etc. Each and every one of the thousands of different odors that enter our noses is faithfully filed away in a manner that no one can explain.

The ability to detect odor is a great kindness, one that we sometimes only appreciate when we temporarily lose our sense of smell due to a cold. The fact that there is such a variety of odors and aromas in flowers, fruits, and vegetables, each more pleasant than the next, and that so many millions of odor-sensing “machines” are consistently, faithfully, and humbly working hard at the top of our nose, is no accident. It points to a great plan and design, expertly created by the most brilliant Designer.

Jenna  Ashkenazie

Keeping up with new technology can be a real challenge for parents. However,  it is important for parents to understand all the new technology and policies being integrated into their child’s day-to-day learning. Schools use websites or apps, and make these accessible to parents to facilitate tracking students’ attendance, grades, disciplinary actions, and more.

The good news is that following what is going on in your child’s school life has never been easier.. Having information as to how your student is doing in school is as easy as knowing the school website password. Since  most websites require a password, it makes sense to have passwords saved together in a logical place. Keep a small notebook near the device you use most often. Even  easier, have a list of passwords in the notes app on your phone. You can easily lock a specific note in the app to keep it more private and secure.

Some elementary schools require students to use laptops or tablets, so create a device charging routine early. As devices are being integrated into learning more and more, a student not having a charged device could prevent them from participating in lessons. Every night before kids go to bed, have them charge their device, and make sure they put it in their knapsack the next morning.

Online Safety

Technology is becoming more integrated into daily life, so it is important to teach children about online safety. The National Cybersecurity Alliance is a non-profit organization that promotes cyber safety, data privacy, and digital education. According to the NCA, some of the most basic ways to stay safe online include using strong passwords, keeping all software up to date, and most importantly, being very aware of scams. Scams can come  through emails, phone calls, text messages, or even social media messages.

“Phishing remains the most common online threat. Criminals send fake emails, texts, or social media messages to trick you into revealing sensitive information or clicking malicious links. These messages aim to get you to click before you think by playing your emotions. Be highly skeptical of unexpected messages, especially those urging immediate action or asking for personal details. Phishing emails can light up positive emotions (“You’ve won our sweepstakes!”) or negative ones (“You’ve been hacked!”).

“Don’t click suspicious links or download unexpected attachments. Report phishing attempts to your email provider, social media platform, or IT department. If you’re unsure if a message is legit, ask a friend, coworker, or family member. A second set of eyes can be invaluable in spotting scams.” If an email or text message seems like a scam, block the number or email address immediately. Do not engage or click on any links. If you receive a call from an unknown number, it can often be  a scam. Do not answer. If it is someone who is legitimately trying to get in touch with you, they will leave a voicemail or message you.

Teach children not to click on any unknown links, and not to engage with anyone unfamiliar.

Using AI Responsibly

It is important that we teach our children how to use AI responsibly. Most importantly,  AI should be treated as a tool, not as a cheat code, or a way to get out of actually doing work that was assigned. According to the NYC Public School’s Guidance on Artificial Intelligence, it is important to remember that “AI is not a replacement for your child’s teacher, counselor, or school leader.” AI lacks human judgment, empathy, and consciousness. Know that AI is also not always accurate. Every teacher will have different rules regarding the use of AI. Students should adhere to those guidelines. It is becoming nearly impossible to completely avoid AI. It exists in nearly all the technology that we use. However, it is up to parents and educators to teach students how to use AI properly, without becoming solely reliant on it, as so many already are.

The National Education Association (the largest labor union in the US, which represents public school teachers and faculty and staff at colleges and universities) notes that it is up to the educators to ensure that AI is used without compromising ethics (such as data privacy or transparency), while always ensuring that human interactions and human education is the first priority. However, it is not solely up to teachers to show students how to properly use AI. It is also  the parents’ responsibility. Parents need to  ensure their children are not using any forms of AI to do their assignments. It is reasonable to use AI as a tool to study, such as having AI make flashcards. However, parents should make sure that their children recognize that while AI can be an incredibly useful tool, it should be used as a tool and not as a crutch to do their work for them.

Kids’ Mental Health

Beyond all the digital readiness that is required for the new year, parents need to be on the lookout for signs of their child struggling with mental health issues. In the new age of social media, and media in general, it is easy for children to begin to compare themselves to what they see online, or to see or hear things that could negatively affect their mental health. Mental Health America is a leading community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting mental health, preventing mental health conditions, and advocating for those living with mental illness. MHA has compiled a list of signs to look out for, including problems with concentration, changes in appetite, changes in sleep, angry outbursts, and more. It is often difficult for children to express how they are feeling. They may be led to believe that these changes are simply due to growing pains, and parents may believe that as well. Although this might be true for some, it is not true for all. Keeping an eye on your child’s mental health, and getting help when needed are necessary steps to allow children to thrive. Beyond spotting the signs, children need to know that they are not alone, and that their feelings are valid. Sweeping mental health issues under the rug and not taking advantage of the many resources available is, in a way, setting up a child who needs help to fail.

While all of this information may seem overwhelming at first, these are all ways for parents to not only keep on top of their child and their child’s education, but these are also ways to help parents help their children thrive. Afterall, isn’t that every parent’s goal?

Ellen Geller Kamaras

A recent study titled, “More stressful than a wedding: first time buyers share the shocks of homeownership” was released by Nationwide, an insurance and financial services company.  1,009 adults were surveyed who purchased their first home within the last year. While eight in ten respondents still value homeownership, more than 50 percent reported that they now view success differently. For them, success means living within their means, growing retirement savings, and maintaining freedom and flexibility rather than focusing purely on ownership and real estate size.

Buying a home is one of the biggest decisions one can make, both financially and emotionally. It is one of life’s most stressful events, along with landing one’s first job, planning a wedding, or finding one’s life partner. Buying a home can trigger both anxiety and excitement because it combines a significant financial investment with a major life transition.

Guidelines

The first step is determining how much you can afford. 1) How much do you have available for a down payment and closing costs? 2) How much can you afford to borrow? and 3) How much can you comfortably pay monthly for other costs, such as property taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance, and repairs?

Next, research the type of home and location you desire. Tour open houses and search online to determine what is available within your price range. Make a list of “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves,” then decide where you can compromise and what are your dealbreakers. Visit the neighborhood at different times – during the week, rush hour, and on weekends – to get a realistic feel for what it is like.

Consider whether you will need more space in the future and whether the neighborhood has good schools. Also determine whether there are restrictions regarding future renovations or additions.

Young Buyers

Today’s younger buyers, particularly young families, often prioritize kid-friendly features. Open-concept floor plans make it easier to supervise children while working or cooking. Large backyards with clear sightlines, safe and walkable streets with sidewalks, and flat lots that are easier for children to bike on are all appealing. Many young parents also want multipurpose rooms where they can keep an eye on toddlers, as well as a dedicated space for remote work.

Young home buyers frequently prefer move-in-ready houses that do not require major and expensive repairs. Energy-efficient heating and lower utility costs are also important. Some may prefer a smaller house in a desirable neighborhood rather than a larger home farther away.

Prices are higher and inventory remains low, so today’s young home buyers increasingly look for their “forever homes,” rather than viewing their first purchase as a steppingstone. More than 60 percent reportedly view their first house as their “forever home.” They want homes they can “grow into” over the next ten to fifteen years.

Today’s buyers also emphasize proximity over commuting. Nearby daycare centers, good school districts, playgrounds, shopping, fitness centers, and other amenities may be more important than being close to downtown or the workplace.

The Challenge for Young Jewish Couples

Unfortunately, many young couples are having difficulty affording the communities where their parents or grandparents were able to buy homes and put down roots.

When considering a neighborhood, young Jewish couples may ask: Will we make friends here? Are there families similar to us in observance and at the same stage of life? Can we afford the tuition? Are there schools, shuls, kosher options, and other Jewish resources nearby? Can we build a community and raise our family here for the next 10 to 20 years?

Young couples may consider newer or growing Jewish communities, nearby towns and suburbs with lower purchase prices, or smaller homes that allow them to remain within a community that meets their religious and family needs.

For today’s Jewish home buyer, the American Dream may no longer be defined simply by owning the biggest or most expensive home. Increasingly, it means finding a home and community that provide financial security, family stability, meaningful relationships, and the opportunity to put down roots while living within one’s means.

A Nerve-Wracking Experience

A recent Nationwide survey found that 71 percent of first-time home buyers find the process of buying a home more stressful than landing their first job. Almost 60 percent rate that it is worse than planning a wedding, and 56 percent find it more anxiety-inducing than dating.

Ellen Geller Kamaras 

“I am privileged in helping build the school I always dreamed of – a place where academic excellence, joyful Judaism, creativity, and meaningful relationships all exist together. What means the most to me is hearing a child tell her parents they can’t wait to go back to school tomorrow. That’s the culture we’re trying to build.” –  Rachel                                           

Please meet Rachel Harari, a warm and passionate Jewish educator who serves as Head of School at The Stanley I. Chera SAM School. Founded by Rabbi Elie Abadie as Sephardic Academy of Manhattan, the school remains deeply rooted in Sephardic tradition while welcoming a diverse community of Sephardic and Ashkenazi families.

Origins                                                         

Rachel, born to Joyce Hanan Salame Frommer and Robert Salame, a”h, is the youngest of eight, with five older sisters and two brothers. Both of her parents are first-generation Americans of Sephardic descent. Her father had an all-American upbringing, while her mother was raised in Brooklyn’s Syrian Jewish community.

Rachel’s older siblings were born in Florida, where her father’s businesses were based. Although the family had built a good life there, Joyce longed to return to Brooklyn and its close-knit Jewish community. When her oldest daughter was eighteen, she convinced her husband to make the move. Rachel was the only Salame child born in Brooklyn.

Because most of her siblings were already married, Rachel sometimes felt like an only child and grew up alongside nieces her own age. “Being part of such a large family, I was on the quieter side, absorbing everything, but I also learned the importance of speaking up and having my voice heard.”

Rachel attended Yeshivah of Flatbush from kindergarten through twelfth grade. She then enrolled in New York University for a bachelor’s degree in English education. She attended Brooklyn College for her master’s degree in special education, and then earned her PhD from Columbia University in Educational Leadership.

At NYU, Rachel participated in an honors program that included a research trip to Ireland. During her senior year, she began working with Dr. Rose Vukovic, who was studying math disabilities in young children. Rachel proposed exploring math anxiety, and together they published three studies, with Rachel named as the first author. Recognizing her talent for research, Dr. Vukovic encouraged Rachel to pursue a PhD, and later served on her dissertation committee.

Enter Albert

Rachel met her naseeb, Albert Harari, at a mutual friend’s engagement party. The bride-to-be was also named Rachel and married a Harary! The two couples still occasionally receive one another’s messages. Albert is president of G & A Services, a company that manages back-office operations for wholesale businesses.

Rachel and Albert settled in Brooklyn and have five children.  David, 16, and  Shelley, 14, are students at the Yeshiva of Flatbush High School, while Bobby, 11, and Joy, 6, are at The SAM School. The baby, Lila Rose, is three months old and has not yet embarked on her studies. 

Rachel’s Core and Her Mentors

Rachel’s family and friends describe her as curious, determined, compassionate, and optimistic – someone who sees possibilities where others see obstacles. That outlook shapes her passion for Jewish and Sephardic education. “Children remember how school made them feel. Academic excellence and joyful Judaism aren’t opposites – they belong together. When children feel known, challenged, and loved, extraordinary learning follows.”

Rachel is also especially interested in our community’s young women.  She advocates the “having it all” model, where  our young women do not have to choose between building a beautiful family and pursuing meaningful professional goals.  They can do both.

“I was fortunate to marry young, have children young, and continue my education and career. I’ve learned that with a supportive family, community, and a lot of hard work, those dreams don’t have to compete with one another.”

Rachel recognizes that her mother has been an extraordinary role model in every sense of the word. When Rachel was eight, her father’s business burned down, prompting her mother to return to college in her fifties after raising eight children. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education and became a fourth-grade teacher, often trying out projects on Rachel before bringing them into her classroom. “Watching my mom begin a new career in her fifties and genuinely enjoy it taught me how capable women are – and how quickly life can change.”

Rachel also gives credit to her professional mentors, Dr. Rose Vukovic, Sabrina Maleh, Ilissa Cappell, Nicole Nash, and her colleagues at the Prizmah Day School Leadership Training Institute.

Career Path – Why Teaching?

Even as a student, Rachel loved teaching others. She helped her nieces and nephews with schoolwork and often learned with friends by explaining the material to them. Watching her mother become a creative and beloved fourth-grade teacher further showed Rachel the lasting impact an educator could have. “People would stop us in the street and tell us about the difference she [her mom] had made in their children’s lives.” Education felt like a natural calling.

After graduating from NYU, Rachel began teaching English at Magen David Yeshivah High School. Her first class of teenagers, not much younger than she was, felt intimidating. But she learned to combine strong classroom management with meaningful relationships. Within a few years, she became English Department Chair and built a strong team.

In 2016, Rachel received the Covenant Foundation’s Pomegranate Prize, designed to recognize emerging leaders (with less than 10 years of experience) in the field of Jewish education, awarding a $15,000 prize to encourage them in their pursuits. This introduced her to the broader world of Jewish education. Through the experience, she connected with inspiring educators, participated in transformative professional development, and felt seen and valued for her work.

After ten years at Magen David, Rachel began pursuing her PhD in Educational Leadership and she moved to Yeshivah of Flatbush to teach middle school English. After completing her PhD, Rachel learned that The SAM School was looking to grow and immediately felt that it was the right match. She joined SAM in 2023 as Co-Head of Elementary School and became Head of School in 2025.

Roses and Thorns

Rachel considers her family her greatest personal achievement. “Each of my children is unique, and nothing brings me more joy than watching them grow into kind, thoughtful people.” Rachel is equally proud of her marriage. Albert believed in her from the beginning, even when she doubted herself, and his encouragement has been one of the greatest gifts of her life.

Professionally, Rachel is proud that she persisted in pursuing her dream of becoming an educational leader. Some doors closed, and opportunities did not come as easily as she had expected, even after earning her PhD. Ultimately, those disappointments led her to SAM and the opportunity to help build the school she had always envisioned.

Together with Rosh Yeshivah Rabbi Shlomo Farhi, SAM’s leadership team, and its faculty, Rachel has helped create distinctive experiences that include individual piano lessons beginning in kindergarten, public speaking through acting, innovative STEM programming, and social-emotional learning woven throughout the curriculum. At the heart of it all is a learning environment in which every child feels known, loved, challenged, and excited to come to school. Looking ahead, Rachel hopes to see The SAM School continue growing through high school.

Parenting and Balance

Rachel shares a close relationship with her children, and they talk about anything and everything. At the same time, she believes strongly in boundaries, routines, and discipline. While always supporting her children, Rachel encourages responsibility and independence. Her teenagers, for example, schedule their own appointments, and although she is available when her children need help, she does not do their homework with them.

Her children are also among her greatest supporters. “They’ve watched me work hard, celebrate successes, navigate disappointments, and continue growing. I hope they’ve learned that meaningful work, resilience, and family can all exist together.”

How Rachel Does It All

Rachel is quick to clarify that she doesn’t do it all: “We do it all. I have an incredible husband, family, friends, colleagues, mentors, and people who step in to help. Community makes everything possible. Some days my family needs more of me, and other days my school does. What matters to me is that, over time, both know they are deeply loved and prioritized.”

Relaxation

Rachel recharges by reading, writing, taking a long bath, or enjoying dinner and meaningful conversation with family and friends.

Community

Rachel serves on the board of The SAFE Foundation, where she helps provide parents with tools to raise children who can cope with anxiety and pressure.

Connect with Rachel at [email protected].Ellen Geller Kamaras, CPA/MBA, is an International Coach Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach. Her coaching specialties include life, career, and dating coaching. She can be contacted at [email protected].

Morris Schweky

When I made aliyah to Tzfat (Safed) six and a half years ago, I could not have imagined the life that awaited me. 

I grew up in Brooklyn’s SY community, surrounded by family and tradition, where everyone knows how to show up for one another. When I was eighteen, my mother and I started Stitches, a needlepoint business that became a familiar part of the Syrian community. We ran it together for fifteen years, getting to know our customers and helping them turn their ideas into one-of-a-kind pieces. Moving to Israel meant stepping away from work I loved and had put my heart and soul into, to begin again in the Holy Land. 

My Israel Experience

Three and a half years after making aliyah, I met my wife. We settled in northern Israel and were married one month before October 7th. We have since been blessed with a beautiful baby girl, and much of our family life has unfolded against the background of war. 

Like so many communities up north, Tzfat changed dramatically after October 7th. Tourism disappeared, businesses struggled, and daily life revolved around uncertainty, sirens, and bomb shelters. After working from home for so long, my wife and I agreed that I needed a change of atmosphere and a renewed sense of purpose. 

That was when I was introduced to Mordechai Kaplan, who was managing Beit Binyamin. At first, I thought I had found a job. Over time, I realized Hashem had opened a door I never expected. 

Enter Beit Binyamin

Beit Binyamin was created by Jen and Rob Airley of Beit Shemesh (originally from NY and the UK, respectively) after the loss of their beloved son, Sergeant Binyamin Meir Airley, H’yd, who fell in Gaza on November 18, 2023 (5 Kislev 5784), at just 21 years old, only a little more than a month after the war began.  

Before Binyamin’s passing, the Airley’s purchased a beautiful property in Tzfat with plans to make an Airbnb. Their overwhelming grief transformed that vision into a retreat home for soldiers and their families, a place where people carrying the weight of war could rest, reconnect, and begin to heal. In the process, it also became a source of livelihood for local tradespeople, artists, caterers, cleaners, and small businesses throughout Tzfat.  

The house, with its ancient stone walls and beautiful pergola overlooking Meron, has a peace that is difficult to describe. It feels both like an escape and like home.

The Story Unfolds  

As I became more involved, I met parents mourning children who had fallen defending Am Yisrael and soldiers arriving straight from the Lebanon front, grateful for a few days of rest, music, conversation, and good food.  

Standing among them, I realized I had been invited into a much bigger story. 

For the first time, Israel’s war was no longer something I was watching. It had become something that allowed me the privilege to serve Am Yisrael in my own way. 

Before Passover, after a major cleanup of the property, I was offered the role of House Manager. My job was to prepare the house for each event and welcome every soldier and family. The position connected naturally with my background, but at Beit Binyamin those practical skills came to serve something far more meaningful. 

A few days before Lag BaOmer, a group of soldiers arrived for an intensive three-day retreat. We filled those days with shiurim, music, spa treatments, meals, and an atmosphere of genuine unity.

Precious Pages Turned into Song

After the retreat, Mordechai asked me to dispose of papers left behind from one of the shiurim. When I brought them to the genizah, I noticed handwritten notes on the back.  

The question at the top read: “Why do we fight?”

Three soldiers had poured out their hearts. I could not throw those pages away. 

For nearly two hours I stood beside the genizah, reading and rereading their words. I realized there was a song hidden in those pages. I began writing, building the lyrics from their reflections, and “Soldiers of Truth” took shape. 

When I shared it with Mordechai and the Airleys, they immediately understood these words deserved to be heard. Binyamin’s longtime counselor, mentor, and friend, Shlomo Lipman, himself a soldier, graciously agreed to sing and produce the song. 

As I grew closer to Jen and Rob, I also felt I was getting to know Binyamin. I heard about his mischievousness, his aspirations, and his determination to become a better person. One soul changed the course of an entire family, and through that family he continues to inspire a nation.

Then another part of the story unfolded. 

A Painting Takes Flight

While scrolling through a WhatsApp art group, I came across a heartfelt video from an artist asking for help. One of her paintings, Kiddush HaShem, had been copied and reposted on X by a vicious anti-Semite who hoped to mock the work, the artist, and the message behind it. Instead, the post introduced the painting to more than 2.7 million people. Rather than hide, she encouraged people to keep sharing it, believing that truth would travel farther than hatred. 

When the painting was revealed, my heart stopped. It showed an Israeli soldier making kiddush over a cup of wine. I immediately knew it belonged at Beit Binyamin. 

The artist was Jordana Hanono, a talented member of the SY community from New York. Since October 7th, she had devoted herself to painting Israeli soldiers and donated her first year’s collection to support Israel’s war effort.  

Learning that Jordana was also from the SY community made the connection even more meaningful. Here was someone from our own community using her gifts to stand up for Am Yisrael through art. 

Once Jen understood the story behind the painting, she immediately saw what I saw. This was more than an image of a soldier. It was an image of Jewish identity, sacrifice, faith, and the longing to return home for Shabbat. 

It felt only natural that kiddush Hashem would become the cover artwork for Soldiers of Truth. A painting inspired by Israeli soldiers now embraces a song born from the reflections of Israeli soldiers. Though they have never met, they are telling the same story.  

Today, kiddush Hashem hangs at Beit Binyamin, greeting the very soldiers and families whose experiences inspired both the painting and the song.  

The soldiers, the song, and Jordana’s artwork all tell the same story: each is fighting for Am Yisrael in its own way. 

The Essence of Beit Binyamin

To me, that connection captures everything Beit Binyamin represents: grieving parents who transformed unimaginable loss into purpose, soldiers who continue to inspire through their courage, an artist from our SY community using her talent to fight anti-Semitism, and a fellow member of the SY community from Brooklyn who somehow found himself helping bring their stories together.  

Every time I open the doors of Beit Binyamin, I meet another soldier, another grieving parent, or another family searching for strength. I see how Binyamin’s life continues through every retreat, every meal, every conversation, every song, and every work of art.  

I am deeply grateful to Hashem for bringing me here. What I thought was simply a new job became an opportunity to witness courage, kindness, sacrifice, and faith in ways that continue to shape me every day. 

To my fellow members of the SY community, I hope you’ll visit Beit Binyamin and experience this remarkable place for yourselves. I would be honored to welcome you and share some of the extraordinary stories that continue to unfold within its walls. Whether by visiting, supporting our mission, making a donation, or simply sending words of encouragement to the soldiers and families who pass through our doors, you can become part of their story as well.  

I came looking for a job. Instead, Hashem brought me to a place where stories meet. 

For that, I am forever grateful. 

Contact Beit Binyamin at [email protected].