Y-Alumni: Rabbi Netanel Goldstein

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Welcome to a new division of Yagilu (and a new feature on the blog): Y-Alumni! Every so often, we’re going to feature alumni who have taken what they gained from Yagilu into whatever they’re working on. 
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Who are you?
My name is Netanel Goldstein, originally  from Chicago, IL.
My wife’s name is Sarah, we have two boys- Avi (4) and Gabey (2), and we live in Teaneck, NJ. I am proud to call Menachem, Tzvi, Tuvia and Yigal, also Yagilu alumni, my younger (but taller) brothers. I went to Skokie Yeshiva for high school, Yeshivat Sha’alvim for 2 years and Yeshiva University for undergrad.
I teach at Sinai Schools at TABC, a Special Education school housed within TABC. On Sundays, you can find me in Manhattan directing a Hebrew school on the Upper East Side for 63 students. In the summer, I am a division head at Camp HASC.

L-R: Menachem, Tzvi, and R’ Netanel Goldstein on Yagilu’s 1-Day Hike

What are the big things you’re working on now? How are they impacting the world around you? 

I don’t work on big things. I work on meaningful things.
I am making Hilchos Shabbos and Maseches Sukkah accessible to students who need material to be presented in concrete and hands-on ways. For example, in order to understand what a Melacha is and how the Bnei Yisrael dyed the fabric for the Mishkan, we tie-dyed t-shirts using natural ingredients (turmeric, beets, carrots/onion skins, pomegranates, blueberries, blackberries and spinach). The purpose of this activity was to experience first-hand the time and effort that went into making a colored  fabric in the time of the Mishkan.  Showing the students how to start a fire using a bow drill gave the students a deeper understanding of what life was like back then.
I am also our site’s educational technologist. I assist students with technology, recommend apps to families and students, and train teachers to use new technology to better reach their students. For us, technology is not the goal, it’s the means to the goal.

At the Hebrew school, we are redesigning the Hebrew school experience to make it more individualized and meaningful. Over the last two years, the school has grown by 20%. Do you have coworkers that would like their children to learn about Judaism? Recommend Jewish Youth Connection.

Are there things you learned from Yagilu that you use consistently?

The most important thing that I use personally and teach all the time is to never give up. Whether it’s home improvement projects that I start or projects for school, I always make sure to finish the job and to give it my all. I pass the same on to my students as they overcome daily struggles, large or small.

The graphic attached is a lens through which I feel Yagilu really helped me see the world and my jobs.

River Scene-create a path

What’s the most important thing you learned from Yagilu?

In two words: life lessons. I wasn’t so much into the outdoor stuff, lashing and hiking. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed those things immensely. However, I haven’t gone camping since going on Yam L’Yam in my Shana Alef! I am extremely grateful for the numerous life lessons that Yagilu taught me. To name a few: teamwork, leadership, how to initiate and problem-solve.

L-R: Ephraim Clair, Yosef Krausz, and R’ Netanel

What’s your favorite camp memory/best camp story?

There are numerous stories I remember about camp. One of the unique activities we do in camp is spear fishing. We go out into the woods, find a good branch, and carve, shape, and whittle it into the perfect fishing spear. I put a lot of time into mine and was really excited to try it out. We all went to the camp lake and spread out, trying to draw fish to our spots with white bread as bait. After hours of trying without success, I actually speared a fish! It felt amazing to have created something with my own hands and skills and succeeded at such a difficult challenge.

I’d be happy to speak to anyone interested in reconnecting or looking to learn more about education/special education, educational leadership, technology and HASC – ngoldstein@sinaischools@org.