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. 

Itzik attended the one-year program at the Hebrew University through a scholarship awarded by the Canadian Friends of Hebrew University to a selected CHAT grad. He holds a doctorate in law from The Hebrew University and is Senior Assistant to the Legal Advisor of Israel’s State Comptroller helping, among other things, to oversee the auditing and compliance of Israel’s various political parties and candidates. He and his wife Chaya made aliyah to Beit Shemesh where they raised three children. Their growing family includes a son-in-law, two grandchildren and the recent arrival of Savta Mary Becker as a new olah. 

As an undergrad, Lindsay played NCAA basketball at Tufts University in Boston, where she also explored her passion for technology and graduated with a degree in Computer Science. She is now a software engineer and works at Sonos, an American developer and manufacturer of audio products in Boston. 

Lior is a physician-scientist currently living and practicing in New York City. Lior received his BA in molecular biology from Princeton University prior to completing his MD and residency training in radiation oncology at Harvard Medical School. Today, Lior is the director of the radiation oncology residency program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center where he focuses on the treatment and study of breast cancer, leading a number of national and international clinical trials and laboratory investigations.

Jonathan is the Co-Founder and Co-President of Monsters Aliens Robots Zombies (MARZ), a Toronto-based visual effects studio blending VFX and artificial intelligence. MARZ’s portfolio includes work on Marvel’s WandaVision, Netflix’s Wednesday, and HBO’s Watchmen. After graduating from McGill with a Bachelor of Commerce, Jonathan gravitated towards the film industry, combining his business experience with his love of cinematography. He has produced a number of films, including The Witch, Race and Run This Town. In addition, he is the president of JoBro Productions, a full-service film financing and production company.

Russell holds an MBA from Harvard Business School where he focused on social entrepreneurship. He was the Founder and CEO of CrowdChange, a fundraising technology company. He also co-founded Feed the Deed, a social media initiative spreading kindness globally. He is now working on building new initiatives in the self-help and education spaces. 

Sabrina is one of the two founders of Vaccine Hunters Canada. Through the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vaccine Hunters Canada became the primary source for eligible Canadians to source a local vaccine. As Director of the grassroots organization, Sabrina was responsible not only for management and leadership, but also forging relationships with the pharmacy sector across Canada. Along with co-director and founder Andrew Young, Sabrina scaled the organization to a management team of 150+ people, and 400,000+ followers across Canada, in just 5 months. By day, Sabrina works as a Technical Analyst at BMO Capital Markets. But her main focus is helping to solve the COVID crisis by empowering people to help other people get vaccinated, everywhere around the world.

Lisa is an Assistant Professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), at the University of Toronto, where she teaches developmental and educational psychology. She researches and writes about school improvement and professional learning and has published two books on the topic. In 2017, Lisa was the recipient of OISE’s award for Excellence in Initial Teacher Education. In addition, Lisa works at the UJA, serving as the Senior Director of Research & Community Insights to help strengthen the Greater Toronto Area's Jewish Community.

Diane is a renowned Canadian writer, performer and actor across the stage and screen. She is a two-time Emmy-nominated writer for her contributions to The Kids in the Hall and has also received numerous Gemini and Dora nominations as a screenwriter and playwright. Diane's unique writing and acting style blend humor and emotion to deliver memorable and poignant stories. Her extensive portfolio includes four solo shows, plays such as Waiting Room and Bear With Me, TV writing for Working Moms and Baroness Von Sketch Show, and columns for CBC Radio, Toronto Star, and The Globe and Mail.

In 2014, while still students at TanenbaumCHAT, sisters Taylor and Ally Frankel (Classes of 2014 and 2017, respectively) launched their own makeup and skincare company, Nudestix. The two sisters' mission was to provide an easy, multi-tasking and eco-conscious makeup option that promotes natural beauty. Nudestix can be found in major retail chains globally. Taylor is the Chief Brand Officer and Ally, who is now an MD, serves as the company’s Chief Skincare Officer.

Renee is a freelance journalist covering Israel and the Jewish world. Her work has been published in The Times of Israel, Haaretz, The Forward, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Hadassah Magazine, The Jerusalem Report, and other media outlets. Prior to becoming a journalist, Renee worked for nearly two decades in Jewish education in New York and the San Francisco Bay Area. Renee made aliyah seven years ago. She and husband Joel have three grown sons.  

Jennifer is the author of numerous Young Adult novels, including: Soldier Doll, Undiscovered Country, On the Spectrum, and Names in a Jar.  In 2019, she won an IBBY Canada Outstanding Book Award given to authors who highlight young people with disabilities. Jennifer holds a Master of Public Health from Harvard, a Bachelor of Laws from McGill and a Bachelor of Science from York University. Today, she is the Director of Legal Services and Privacy at the Ontario Medical Association.

Joanna is the Chief Digital Officer at Rachael Ray where she oversees the strategy, operations and growth of Rachael Ray Branded Media and Projects and successfully designs and delivers revenue-generating initiatives. After earning a degree in Radio & Television Arts at Toronto Metropolitan University (then Ryerson University), she went on to work in the television industry, primarily in Culinary Production. Joanna's television experience also includes work with CBS, Shaw Communications and Tastemade. In 2016, Joanna won a Streamy Award for her work as a producer on Tastemade’s Tiny Kitchen series. Joanna splits her time between New York, Los Angeles and Toronto.

Larry earned a degree in Physics from Harvard University in 1987, followed by an MA in Film from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He was personally selected by Steven Spielberg to direct DreamWorks’ flagship interactive computer game Goosebumps straight out of school. He then went on to direct the box office hits Cats & Dogs and Antz! Larry is the Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer of SonicCloud, a revolutionary technology for personalizing sound on phones and computers for people with hearing loss. In 2018, he was named one of Fast Company Magazine’s "100 Most Creative People in Business."

Dan fell in love with Jewish history at TanenbaumCHAT, inspiring him to pursue a career as a historian of Jewish life in Eastern Europe and Israel. After completing his PhD in History at Stanford University, he worked as an assistant professor in McGill’s Department of Jewish Studies. In 2019, Dan moved with his Australian husband Alex and their daughter Miriam to Melbourne. He currently teaches in Monash University’s Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation.

Martin has worked as a filmmaker, foreign correspondent and war correspondent for 25 years; he has worked with CTV, Global TV, FOX, and as a producer for ABC News. His television series, documentaries and news coverage have exposed major issues throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and the Americas, and have appeared on PBS, Bloomberg TV, NBC, SKY, BBC, CNN, CBC Documentary Channel, CTV, and Global Television Canada, among others. His most recent documentaries include The Arrest, Undercover in ISIS and Secrets of Survival.  

Zach is a Canadian professional ice hockey left-winger and author currently playing for the NHL's Edmonton Oilers. He previously played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and, during the 2016–2017 season, set a new team record for most short-handed goals scored by a rookie in a season, as well as tying the team record for the most consecutive games with an assist by a rookie. In 2011, Zach was named the Canadian Junior Hockey League Player of the Year, and in 2013 won a gold medal representing Canada at the Maccabiah Games in Israel. During the 2014–2015 season, he was named the University of Michigan's Athlete of the Year. Zach is also an award-winning, best-selling author of children's literature. His books include Hockey Hero, The Bambino and Me and The Magician’s Secret. He is married to fellow alum Alannah Hyman ’10.

Miriam is Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Yale Law School, where her team focuses on admitting diverse, academically and professionally excellent students, and ensuring equitable financial support. Prior to this, she worked at NYU Law School as a legal research and writing professor and administrator. She has also been a litigator in private practice and at a non-profit organization focused on child welfare reform. Miriam's first job out of law school was as a clerk for Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella of the Canadian Supreme Court.  

Michael is the Founder and CEO of WealthSimple, a Canadian online investment management service. After earning his HBA from the Ivey Business School, Michael worked in the business and technology fields, and held the position of Canadian director of Ancestry.com. In 2014, Michael started WealthSimple with the mission of helping others to achieve financial freedom by making simple, sophisticated and affordable financial products. Michael positively cites his time at TanenbaumCHAT, sharing that he "developed a community at the school that remain [his] closest friends to this day".

After completing her dentistry degree at the University of Toronto, Simi followed her dreams and made aliyah to Israel. She is currently owner and principal dentist at Landau Dental, providing Canadian-standard dentistry to Israelis and foreigners alike. Simi lives in Jerusalem with her husband Chaim and four children.  

Brian is the founder of AF Creative Media, a Tony Award-winning theatre production company. After attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, he began producing theatre alongside his wife, Dayna Lee. Brian's Broadway production credits include Moulin Rouge, Company (2021), Funny Girl (2022), and Angels in America (2018). Their productions have won numerous awards including the Tony awards for Best Musical, Best Revival of a Musical, and Best Revival of a Play. Brian's proudest achievement is his three children, Emmy, Ella and Ezra. 

After graduating from Queen's University, Jacqueline moved to San Francisco to work as a Software Engineer at Amazon, and is currently working as a Tech Lead at TikTok. Jacqueline is a backend engineer with experience using various technologies across the tech stack.  She is passionate about embracing the ever-changing world of technology by seeking creative and analytical ways to innovate.

Jared is a journalist with a passion for public speaking. As an undergrad, he worked at Western University's student newspaper, The Gazette. Later, as a Masters student in Journalism, Jared interned for The National Post. He is now a freelance journalist and contributes regular columns to The Globe & Mail and Fast Company, typically writing about the future of work, sustainable tech and personal finance. Jared's work has also been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, TIME Magazine, and Rolling Stone. Additionally, Jared frequently moderates panels and fireside chats, and presents at conferences and events around the world. 

Leon’s primary academic research area is the life and works of Charles Dickens. He has written and lectured widely, and is an expert analyst of Dickens’ letters, manuscripts, and handwriting. He works at Queen's University Belfast as a Reader at the School of Arts, English and Languages. In addition, Leon has been appointed to the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives (ACNRA), an independent body in the UK that deals with freedom of Information requests. He has held a range of public appointments in the areas of peace and reconciliation, and arts and culture.

Elise resides in Australia, where she has worked in sales and marketing roles in the coworking and fintech industries. She is an active member of the Orthodox Jewish community in Melbourne and co-founded WOTIV (The Women’s Orthodox Tefillah in Victoria), a group that provides opportunities for women to learn and practice skills such as leading tefillot and leining.  

Rachel is a Toronto-based writer, actress and comedian. Rachel's acting appearances include in commercials for the "No Name" brand, Interac and Molson, and in the television programs What We Do In The Shadows and WAYNE. Rachel performs as a comedian in festivals and competitions, including co-headlining two shows at the 2023 Just for Laughs Festival in Toronto. As a writer, she works for various production companies, television networks and publications. She is currently writing feature films for the streaming service TUBI and is developing projects with Incendo, Marvista and LoComotion Pictures. Rachel cites her connection with Judaism as an inspiration for her comedy and as a motivation to continue pursuing her dreams. 

Mitchell has come a long way since his childhood days spent performing one-man shows in his parent’s basement for his family, friends and neighbours. In 2004, Mitchell founded the Musical Stage Company (formerly Acting Up Stage Company), now the largest not-for-profit musical theatre company in Canada. After beginning his professional theatre career as an Associate Producer at the Luminato Festival, he quickly rose to prominence in the Toronto theatre community, being recognized as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40. Mitchell’s passion for theatre and the arts has left an undeniable mark on our city’s cultural landscape. After 18 years of creative leadership at the Musical Stage Company, Mitchell moved on to his current role as the Executive Director, Site Activation & Programming for Northcrest Developments at Downsview Park. Mitchell lives in Toronto with his husband and two children.

Stanley is the Director of International Affairs at EL AL Israel Airlines. Stanley develops and manages the strategic relationships between EL AL and various airlines and governments around the world, as well as being the main contact for foreign diplomats in Israel on behalf of EL AL. During the pandemic, Stanley took part in the aviation aspects of the Abraham Accords and in August 2020 was on the tarmac to witness the first-ever commercial flight by an Israeli airline to the United Arab Emirates.  Stanley was the EL AL representative in the government-to-government negotiations of the Air Service Agreements between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco. Prior to making Aliyah in 2007, Stanley was the General Manager for EL AL in Canada.

Lior first learned about weighted therapy while volunteering at a special-needs camp. After an appearance on CBC's Dragon's Den, he co-founded Hush, a company dedicated to bringing weighted therapy to the masses with the goal of helping to reduce insomnia, anxiety and ADHD. Lior is also the Founder of ScopeLeads, a lead-generation software. Lior was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 for his extensive work in the retail and e-commerce industries.

Jeremy is a prolific and award-winning feature film and television director with too many credits to mention. He has been nominated for the Emmy Award for Best Director for his work on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones, and for the Tom Hanks/Steven Spielberg-produced miniseries The Pacific. He has directed for numerous ground-breaking cable television series, including The Handmaid’s Tale, True Detective, Six Feet Under, Homeland, The Borgias, The Tudors, Dexter, Weeds, and Queer as Folk. He has also written and directed three award-winning feature films: Fugitive Pieces, The Five Senses, and Eclipse.  

Talia is a European and Dutch migration law specialist, currently working as a legal advisor with undocumented migrants in the city of Utrecht, Netherlands. One of her fondest high school memories is a Jewish History trip to Kensington Market, which made a particularly strong impression. Learning about the overlapping migrant groups that lived in that neighbourhood was formative in her choice of career path.  

Moshe is a senior advisor to World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder. With a lifelong passion for advocacy, Moshe became the youngest person to be elected President of the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), and he continues to advocate for Zionism and other Jewish-related matters. Moshe's experience as a lawyer, strategic advisor and prominent community leader have led him to work alongside various notable prime ministers, premiers and political figures. In 1996, Moshe was recognized by the Jewish National Fund with its prestigious Jerusalem of Gold Award for outstanding communal service, and by the Government of Canada. 

After articling and working in Toronto, Jeffrey relocated to London and was a partner in UK-based law firm, Freshfields, for 17 years. In 2016, he became Partner in the London office of New York-based international law firm, White & Case. He resides in North London with his wife and four children, all of whom attend Jewish schools.  

Rabbi Seed serves as an Administrative and Jewish Chaplain in the New York City Department of Correction, where he ensures all religious and spiritual needs are met in the correctional center. After receiving his semicha from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, Rabbi Kretzmer Seed went on to complete his chaplaincy at the Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan, working with people of multiple faiths. Today, he solely works in correctional facilities, citing that his passion for working with the incarcerated is based directly on his beliefs in teshuvah (repentance/return) and tzelem elokim (being created in God’s image) as core Jewish values, something he learned from his time at TanenbaumCHAT. 

Adam is an external consultant to the United Arab Emirates' Embassy in Washington, DC, focusing on the Abraham Accords and peace normalization efforts between the UAE and Israel. This comes following more than a decade working on Capitol Hill, where he served in such roles as the Communications Director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committees. His time on Capitol Hill saw Adam work for two US Senators, and four US Representatives. 

Karen is a writer and senior teaching fellow and the director of Liberal Arts at the University of Bristol in the UK. She is a scholar of multiethnic, American, and women’s literature. Her most recent book, Women of Valor: Orthodox Jewish Troll Fighters, Crime Writers, and Rock Stars in Contemporary Literature and Culture (Rutgers University Press, 2018) examines media portrayals of Orthodox Jewish women and delves beyond stereotypes to identify a powerful tradition of feminist literary portrayals of Orthodox women – often created by Orthodox women themselves. 

Karl has served in various positions at Rambam Medical Center and at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. He is currently Dean of the growing Azrieli Faculty of Medicine at Bar-Ilan University in the Galilee. He is a nephrologist and enjoys teaching and conducting research in population genetics. Karl and his wife Linda moved to Israel in 1995. His five married children and eighteen Israeli-born grandchildren live, study, and work in Haifa.

Noah is a registered psychotherapist, business owner and Orthodox rabbi living in Toronto. A strong advocate for mental health awareness, Noah founded Resolvve Inc, a student-focused therapy, education and peer-support platform, providing quality services for students seeking help for mental health, academic success and personal growth. As an ordained rabbi, Noah has a passion for learning and teaching Torah, illuminating the relationship between Judaism and mental health to better serve the needs of the Jewish community. In addition, Noah runs a blog and podcast called Torah Thoughts, and is involved in Project Aseret, a movement seeking to integrate the Ten Commandments as core values for Jews across all spectrums of observance. 

After graduating with an MBA from Tel Aviv University in 2019, Kyle was drawn to the tech ecosystem in Israel. He joined high-growth start-up Oribi.io where he is scaling up their Business Development and Sales Team.

While pursuing her BSc at the University of Toronto, Esther built and scaled a national clothing line, and then went on to join the Canada Goose design team. When the pandemic hit in early 2020, she co-founded Canada Emergency Medical Manufacturers (CEMM) to tackle Canada’s PPE shortages and logistical needs. Esther connected with the Deputy Ministers Office and Department of Economic Trade and Development to plan and execute a nation-wide emergency manufacturing response unit. CEMM activated and retooled two-dozen domestic factories, created hundreds of domestic jobs and supplied more than one million units of PPE to various levels of Canadian government. For these accomplishments, she was named to the Bay Street Bull’s 30x30 list in 2021.

Mike is a baseball writer and broadcaster. He began his sports broadcasting career at the University of Toronto where he was quickly named sports director at CIUT-FM and provided play-by-play commentary for various sports. He began his baseball broadcasting career at the age of 19 with the Class-A Welland Pirates. His broadcasting experience includes working on Sportsnet the Fan 590, and he spent six years covering sports at 680News and hosted Blue Jays Talk for 17 years. From 2013 to 2020, he called the play-by-play for the Toronto Blue Jays' radio broadcast. He is currently a baseball columnist for the Toronto Star and hosts a podcast called "Deep Left Field".

After graduating from TanenbaumCHAT, Robbie went on to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He co-founded the seven-piece jazz-funk band “Ripe” with fellow students. The band has since grown into a North American touring act.