Rabbi Dani Meisels is currently a Rebbi in Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh’s Boys High School where he teaches Gemara and Chumash, as well as davening and topics on Jewish philosophy and history. In addition to teaching he works on marketing material for Hillel Academy and runs Hillel’s Youth and Parent Education program, also known as HYPE. He has a background in fine art and storyboard illustration and experience in sales having worked in the building industry in Toronto, Canada for almost 8 years. Rabbi Meisels, and his family are always looking for ways to help in their community and to pass on their passion for Torah to all other Jews.
Gems:
- Everything that we’ve gone through in the past leads us to where we are now.
- Don’t teach, learn it with your students.
- Continue learning and share the value of learning.
- There’s no separation between our Judaism and the rest of our life.
- Find a leader to follow.
- Think about how we relate to G-d and the Torah.
- Look honestly at whether we are living L’Shem Shamayim (for the sake of heaven).
- Anything of meaning in our lives is connected to G-d.
- G-d cares about us and wants us to pay attention to every detail.
- Learn to shift our focus from the doom and gloom and onto having a relationship with G-d.
- Education is an apprenticeship.
- Education happens inside and outside of the classroom.
- Set expectations but meet your students where they are.
- Build a support network.
- Dedicate yourself to personal growth.
- Recognize that any change comes with discomfort.
- Allow your students to invest in their own education.
- Give your students the tools to continue grow in their Torah learning.
- When we don’t have a love for something, we become indifferent.
- We can teach our students how to love G-d and Judaism.