Spotlight: Alumni

Spotlight: Alumni 

TanenbaumCHAT is thrilled to relaunch our Spotlight: Alumni initiative—a celebration of the inspiring paths, achievements, and unforgettable memories of our incredible graduates.

Whether you're breaking ground in your field, giving back to your community, or simply carrying forward the values you gained at TanenbaumCHAT, we want to hear from you! This is your chance to be featured across our social media platforms and reconnect with the vibrant TanenbaumCHAT community.

We’re looking to highlight your story, your successes, and your favourite TanenbaumCHAT moments. Let’s celebrate what it means to be a TanenbaumCHAT alum!

Interested in being spotlighted?
Email us at alumni@tanenbaumchat.org and be a part of the amazing alumni who have made a lasting impact in their communities and beyond.

Spotlight On:

Richard Birfer '12

Richard Birfer '12

Tell us about yourself. 
I grew up in Toronto and attended the TanenbaumCHAT Kimel campus, graduating in 2012. From there, I earned an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology at Western University, followed by a Master’s in Biomechanics at Brock University, which led me to take a position with the Texas Rangers, a Major League Baseball Team, after graduation in 2020. Currently, I am the manager of pitching analysis with the Texas Rangers. In this role, I wear many hats that all focus on player development and pitching-related initiatives. Depending on the time of year, I help the team in multiple capacities, ranging from identifying players to consider for the MLB draft, building tools to support the coaching staff, to keeping track of pitching prospects in their minor league system. 

What is the most important thing you took away from your time at TanenbaumCHAT?
I look fondly on my time at TanenbaumCHAT—I made a lot of good friends during my time there. The school also gave me a great foundation to build upon and it set me up for success when I went off to university. As a result of the workload, longer hours, and curriculum, I found that I was well-prepared for the next stage of my educational journey. I also want to thank the teachers, who were great influences who taught me how to work hard. 

What skills did you develop at TanenbaumCHAT that have been instrumental to your success? 
A big part of working in baseball is that you need to be curious, you need to ask the right questions and have an analytical mind that focuses on identifying and solving problems. I believe that these are traits that I gained from being a student at TanenbaumCHAT. It gave me the desire to be curious, and I carried this over into my undergraduate and graduate experience, alongside my current career in baseball.

Is there anything you learned at TanenbaumCHAT that you have taken with you to your current profession? 
I provide support for a whole range of individuals and departments in the Texas Rangers organization—GMs, assistant GMs, coaches, scouts, players and more. Essentially, there needs to be strong connections and communication between everyone, and this is done by understanding the importance of how our organization is one big community. Understanding the importance of community is something that I recognize as a significant part of my TanenbaumCHAT experience. We always knew that what made our experience special was the feeling of community that our school facilitated and we always felt we were there for one another. This carries over to how I want all members of the Texas Rangers organization to feel.

Was there anything at TanenbaumCHAT that pushed you into your current field? 
My first experience with kinesiology, which led me down this path, was with Mr. Krupski in high school. I thought that the subject was fascinating, and it was my first exposure to a sports-related academic field. It was specifically biomechanics, which was what I eventually did my Master’s in (thesis: motion capture technology to analyze pitching mechanics), that I first discovered through TanenbaumCHAT.  

Why is Jewish day school education important? 
Attending Jewish day school allows you to feel a part of something bigger than yourself, a special community made of like-minded individuals who share a common identity. It helps you understand your family history and aspects of your own personal identity as well. Given what’s going on in the world now, being connected to your Jewish community and roots is more important than ever, and TanenbaumCHAT is an ideal conduit to realize that. 

Interested in being spotlighted?

Contact us at alumni@tanenbaumchat.org and be a part of the amazing alumni who have made a lasting impact in their communities and beyond. 

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