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Brandi Argentar

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Organization: Adlai E Stevenson High School – Hebrew Club
Website of Organization:http://www6.district125.k12.il.us/clubs/hebrew/default.htm

Favorite Place in Israel : What was the Hurva Arch


How has Israel played a part in your personal Jewish identity? Israel is at the center of my identity. My heart belongs to Israel. When I am not in Israel I feel as though a piece of me is missing. I am truly at home when I’m there. Israel is the one nation that allows Jewish people to be exactly that… Jewish.

What is one quote/phrase or text that guides you most? 
There were just too many to choose from so I chose these three from Anne Frank.
“I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.” ~Anne Frank quote
“What one Christian does is his own responsibility, what one Jew does is thrown back at all Jews” ~Anne Frank
"I want to go on living even after my death! And therefore I am grateful to God for giving me this gift; this possibility of developing myself and of writing, of expressing all that is in me. I can shake off everything if I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn." Tuesday, 4 April, 1944, pg. 177 ~Anne Frank

Who was the educator who most influenced your path to Jewish education?Describe the effect that they had on you. My mother. She’s a Biology Teacher, but she made sure that Judaism was the most important priority in my life. She made sure that nothing stood in our way from going to Jewish Camp, AMHSI, or even paying for me to attend a Jewish Day School. Because of her, my love for Judaism and Israel has exponentially grown. SO much that my 3 year old son has already been to Israel and we have started a Jewish education fund to hopefully allow him to attend a Jewish day school.

If you had the ability to build the landscape of Jewish education, what would it look like? - in 140 characters or less. I’ll tweak this to Israel Education for my role. I would like everyone to be able to learn about Israel and what goes on there through the eyes of an Israeli.

What are you looking forward to most in the InCiTE Fellowship? As an educator engaging students is the most important aspect to my job. I’m hoping to learn a lot from SIT and the rest of the fellows, and be able to take that knowledge back with me to improve the Hebrew Club and hopefully help to create more clubs across the Chicagoland area and maybe other states as well.