Jonathan Brody

I grew up in Merrick, NY going to a reform synagogue. While living in NYC, I was looking for some Jewish connections. I came across Steve Eisenberg’s Monday night Parsha class. I attended the class for 3 years. I learned tools from Steve’s class that I still use everyday to help make the world around me a better place. In addition to Mon night class, I also attended many JICNY dinners, social parties, Gavin’s relationships classes and Gala events. Of the many things I learned from the class is that being a good Jew is not enough; I have to be a great Jew. Always do Mitzvahs. And I met my wife Beth in such an amazing way, doing a Mitzvah. I was involved in many organizations and always volunteering on my free time, (guys this is a great way to meet women). I went to the JCC to volunteer for Project Sunshine, an organization that helps bring free programs to severely ill children. It was a mitzvah project to make “get well kits” for the kids. While there I met my wife, who is an Art teacher and the artist who was running this project. My wife Beth and I live now in Syosset, NY with our 4-year old son Joshua and our home has more Judaism because of all the things I learned from JICNY and so many others in the Jewish Community. I now can spend mornings with our son Josh before work and I drive him to school everyday which I enjoy every moment together. I pray each morning, while wrapping my Teffilin, and look at my son and know that he will wrap with me one day and I am so happy because we will always be connected as Jews and as family. Jodi, Gavin and Steve are amazing people who give and volunteer so much of their time to JICNY; they really deserve so many blessings from Hashem.