Community Magazine August 2021

44 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Woman Woman to One on One with ELLEN GELLER KAMARAS “I always wanted to be a teacher and view life from a positive perspective. Therefore, as an educator my goal is to help students be the best version of themselves.” Rachel Tawil Abraham - Rachel I met Rachel in the courtyard of a synagogue in La Jolla, California, while playing with my grandson during a family visit. What a win for me! As we played Jewish geography Rachel and I immediately found common ground in our Brooklyn roots. Rachel Abraham, née Tawil, grew up in Brooklyn and is the youngest child of Carol Abady and Mikey Tawil. Rachel has five older brothers, who are all an integral part of her life. Both her parents and grandparents are of Syrian descent and are members of the Brooklyn Syrian community. Rachel’s great grandparents emigrated from Aleppo, Syria. Time spent with her Ashkenazi maternal grandmother from a young age instilled in Rachel a strong appreciation for different cultures. Rachel attended Magen David Yeshivah from nursery through high school. “MDY was the most formative institution in my life and was the lifeblood of my childhood. I grew up with legends of the school. My grandparents were involved with MDY, my mom is a teacher there and so was my maternal grandmother and my sister-in-law. My oldest brother is a MDY rabbi, my first cousin, an assistant principal, and my dad was a school president. It’s no surprise that my dream was to be a teacher.” Rachel describes herself as a spiritual, energetic, enthusiastic, social, and friendly person. She is passionate about people and loves making new friends. Rachel cherished her years at MDY and found school to be safe and fun. “I was my best self as a kid. I loved the other students and won the student athlete sportsmanship award because of my relationships with my teammates,” Rachel recalls. Reading and literature were her favorite subjects and her summers in Deal were “idyllic.” She thrived as both a camper and counselor at Camp David in NJ, building strong relationships with her siblings and mentors there. A LOVE OF LEARNING As I listened to Rachel’s account of her childhood, her trajectory as a student, and her career path, I understood that a strong love of learning is a major driver in Rachel’s life. Love of learning is more than just intellectual curiosity. Love of learning is connected with the way a child or adult engages new information and skills. The educators in Rachel’s life, including her mother, grandmother, and siblings, were inspiring role models. Her maternal grandmother became a pre-school teacher at 60! Rachel dreamed of becoming an English teacher. She was accepted into the Willian E. Macauley Honors Program at Brooklyn College. As Rachel approached high school graduation, she resolved to keep her Judaic spark alive and enrolled in the Allegra Franco Sephardic Women’s Teachers College. After graduating from Brooklyn College, Rachel signed up for an online master’s degree in Jewish Education at Yeshiva University. Rachel yearned to give back to her community. She wanted to infuse children’s lives with the love of Torah, and to influence them by imparting the Torah’s guidance and life lessons. A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN As my readers know by now, as a matchmaker, I enjoy hearing how couples met, if they care to share. Rachel knew her husband Mickey and his family from childhood. They prayed at the same shul. Several people had toldMickey and Rachel about one another, saying they would be great together. Rachel’s oldest brother, Ikey, gave Mickey Rachel’s phone number but forgot to tell Rachel that Mickey would be calling. “Mickey phoned me thinking I was expecting his call. He starts off with, ‘This is Mickey’ and it was so awkward! I asked, ‘Mickey who?’” Rachel agreed to go out to dinner with Mickey and the two really hit it off. Mickey, two years older than Rachel, had many qualities and experiences that drew her to him. “He was intelligent, worldly, and dedicated in his commitment to helping people by choosing medicine. Mickey attended Ashkenaz yeshivot and had a diverse background, straddling both the Talmudic and science worlds. He was so warm and kind, and his family was wonderful!” Mickey studied in China and Peru and volunteered for a year with Kids of Courage, an organization that is dedicated to supporting sick children and their families. Mickey’s grandfather was born in a Japanese internment camp in Shanghai to an Iraqi Jewish family. He moved to England and eventually to Brooklyn’s Syrian community. Rachel and Mickey were married in 2015. Rachel taught second grade at her alma mater, MDY, and Mickey graduated YU, enrolled in a graduate program in bioethics and applied to medical school. The following year, the couple moved from Brooklyn to Deal when