One of my favourite memories goes all the way back to my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Rosenberg. Our relationship was very special! She often reminded me how she admired my “red” hair as she was a redhead herself and she loved my freckles. As years went by, anytime I would see Mrs. Rosenberg at a function in our community she reminded me that I was and would always remain special to her. Each visit consisted of hugs as well. I also recall enjoying Mike and Lisa’s meals in the lunchroom. My most favorite was the crunchy mac n’ cheese. I always looked forward to singing the pre and post lunch prayers in Hebrew.
Throughout my elementary years at TT, I grew to love learning the Hebrew language. Any chance that I had to practice amongst teachers, family and Jewish holidays (such as reading from the Haggadah at Pesach) was fulfilling for me. I found the language to be beautiful, and took a strong liking to songs and prayers at TT and onward. I enjoyed the Jewish traditions that I learned at school, through my parents, grandparents, great grandparents and family.
My grades were better in Hebrew and French compared to the English subjects. Upon graduating from grade 6, I felt very comfortable to read, write, understand and converse in the two languages outside of English. I kept in touch with my French teacher Mr. Bigras even up until recently. Following grade 6, I went to Crestwood Elementary Jr. High for grades 7 & 8 then onto Parkview Elementary Jr. High for grade 9. Upon graduating I went to Ross Sheppard Composite High School and graduated in 1977.
Throughout high school I worked part time at my Dad’s ladies wear store Burdines to gain work experience. Sadly, after graduating, it seemed most of my Jewish friends went onto other cities and my relationships with friends changed. Over the years we have had a few school reunions which brought us back together where we enjoyed the opportunity to catch up!
After grade 12, I got involved with a few employment agencies and did clerical work in various office settings. I enjoyed working with these agencies and thought that I could become a “headhunter” helping people to find jobs. I gave this a try for a few years and enjoyed it very much. The recession in the early ’80s caused many agencies to close and I needed to figure out my next career move.
An opportunity came up for me to try an aerobic class in the fall of 1980 and I enjoyed it immensely (as I have a dance background) and decided to get certified and become an instructor. I worked for the City of Edmonton Parks & Recreation, YMCA, various fitness centres, and for both Edmonton separate and public school boards. I opened several downtown fitness classes at noon and after hours for employees in buildings, and with the CNIB, just to name a few. With my dance background this was a great fit and led to a career as an instructor teaching various classes, personal training and nutrition consulting.
As part of my fitness career, I worked in Lake Louise as a program director for a health and lifestyle retreat for women for 4 years. An awesome and memorable experience! Currently, I have a home based fitness studio where clients come for personal training. I also specialize in programs for older adults with emphasis on slowing down degeneration and focusing on mobility and functional movements to improve quality of life. I continue to be passionate about making a difference in people’s lives with their health and fitness needs.
My personal life is a bit of a LOVE story! My mom would always ask me to make a wish prior to cutting my birthday cakes. From the time I was 15 years old, one of my annual wishes was to one day share my life with my soulmate and first love, Don Charnaw. We dated for 7.5 years, apart for 15, then reunited at a family Bar Mitzvah. For 8 months during the period of time when Don was winding down in B.C. to make his move back, we spoke daily and wrote love letters daily/weekly. We called them our weekly “logs” where we shared what we did everyday and our thoughts of each other to keep us going until THE BIG DAY! These were mailed weekly and we still have them. I felt like I was the luckiest girl when he told me that he wanted to move back to Edmonton to share his life with me.
We are blessed to remain healthy, to travel when possible as we continue to have active careers, enjoy the outdoors and share time with friends and family. Each day is truly special that we get to wake up and go to bed beside each other!
Interest in connecting with Karen or Don? Email Natalie Soroka today!
Although Don has lost touch with many of his TT classmates, he is very grateful to TT
because of the lifelong friendships that have stood the test of time to this day. He loves
getting together with Randy Soifer, Glenn Cohen and Ron Samuels a couple of times a
year for lunch and golf.
He recalls with fondness cooks Mike and Lisa’s hot dog lunches on Fridays, as well as
the wooden door. “Some of my classmates who read this will remember.”
Following grade 6, Don went on to Westminster Jr High, Ross Sheppard High School
and then to the University of Alberta. His friends from TT were right there with him. They
then went their separate ways. “I went to B.C. to be part of the Okanagan Sun coaching
staff. I spent five years in Kelowna and was very involved with the small Jewish
Community. I even blew Shofar during high holidays. Some of my Hebrew teachers
would be schlepping naches!”
While in Kelowna Don’s personal athletic pursuits switched from team to individual, as he pursued long distance running and triathlon. “I was lucky enough to wear the Israeli team colours in two Ironman triathlons and one Olympic distance.”
(Picture: Don and his Dad at the Canadian Ironman Championships in Penticton 1992.)
Don’s career has been long and varied, but the last 25 years after he came back to
Edmonton have been spent in the nonprofit sector. Currently, after being retired for 2.5
years, he was recruited to work with the Prostrate Cancer Centre in Calgary to bring a project to Edmonton and Northern Alberta. As a prostate cancer survivor himself, this is a passion project for him.
If you would like to reconnect with Don, please email
nataliesoroka@talmudtorahsociety.com
Jeff attended Talmud Torah School in the Glenora location and graduated in 1974. Jeff was really dating himself because he wrote that he attended TT from nursery to Grade 6. Only those of us who were born in the ’60s and ’70s use the term nursery school, as opposed to playschool or preschool!
Some of Jeff’s fondest TT memories are:
Jeff moved to Calgary after graduating from TYT and attended Woodman Jr. High and Henry Wise Wood High. He lives in Calgary and works for AVI SPL as Managing Director of Canada, a global AV/IT company. Jeff is in touch with some of his TT classmates on social media, and says that his positive experiences at TT planted in him deep Jewish roots to this day.
One of my favourite memories goes all the way back to my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Rosenberg. Our relationship was very special! She often reminded me how she admired my “red” hair as she was a redhead herself and she loved my freckles. As years went by, anytime I would see Mrs. Rosenberg at a function […]
Although Don has lost touch with many of his TT classmates, he is very grateful to TTbecause of the lifelong friendships that have stood the test of time to this day. He lovesgetting together with Randy Soifer, Glenn Cohen and Ron Samuels a couple of times ayear for lunch and golf. He recalls with fondness […]
Jeff attended Talmud Torah School in the Glenora location and graduated in 1974. Jeff was really dating himself because he wrote that he attended TT from nursery to Grade 6. Only those of us who were born in the ’60s and ’70s use the term nursery school, as opposed to playschool or preschool! Some of […]
Hannah attended TT from KG to Gr. 6. “I appreciated learning Hebrew there (and even a little French), which has served me well since I moved to Israel and made Aliyah in 1999. Hannah’s last two children were born in Israel and are Sabras. Her youngest son, Avi, 19, went to kindergarten at TT and was taught by Robin Marcus. He is serving in the special forces combat unit of the IDF Nahal brigade.” Her daughter, Liat (who also attended TT with Ms. Soifer and was elected mayor of her Grade 2 class - twice!) recently married and planning to join Hannah in Israel. Her middle son graduated from the Technion university in Haifa in their engineering program. “Our eldest daughter made Aliyah with us at 16 years old. She married her ‘prince” - a music composer and video producer, and they have 5 beautiful children, all living in the mountains of Judea.”
“I appreciate that I received a Jewish education at TT, as well as a love for Israel and it laid a good foundation for me in my life. I have been self employed for the last 20 years as an advocate for Israel in the nations Canada, U.S., Poland and Japan, as well as online now over social media. I teach Torah studies online (parashat Hashavua) and have authored several books on Biblical subjects. I also volunteer teaching classes to women who have been victims of domestic abuse at a women’s shelter in the Negev. I am also involved in animal rescue in Southern Israel as a volunteer.” Hannah is currently living in the Negev and loves the “peacefulness of the desert”.
I loved learning about the culture and enjoyed picking up a few Hebrew phrases. The community was welcoming and inquisitive. Honey showed me what it meant to be a teacher; how to bring out the best in each student (build the relationship first, teach them second), and she modeled how to welcome and mentor new teachers into the profession. She said, “We’re a team and I hope we can plan and implement our program together.” And that’s what we did – she shared everything with me, and honoured and used my ideas too. I never forgot that.
The JH program at TT was established in 1997 and the next year, 1998, Lesley Heppleston and I became the JH Core teachers. I learned so much from Lesley, an experienced and highly skilled teacher and we became a dynamic team. That year, September 1998, there were Gr. 7 and Gr. 8 students enrolled, and we built from there- WE being staff, parents, Board Members, the community.
I taught in the JH program for 6 years and it was undoubtedly a highlight of my 30-year career. One of those six years, we maxed out our JH student enrolment with 65+ students representing all 3 grade levels. It was exciting to be a part of building something from the ground up with such dedicated and passionate people. Some of those students I taught for 3 years – grades 7, 8 and 9; I am still connected to many of them online. I learned a lot about the Jewish religion, culture, and community. I participated in school cultural celebrations, attended Bar mitzvahs and Bat mitzvahs, and accompanied two groups of students, along with Hebrew Curriculum Coordinator, Nurit Reshef, to Israel for their Gr. 9 trip.
During my 6 years with the JH, I taught English Language Arts, Social Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Drama. Teaching drama alongside a parent, Michelle Miller, and learning from her was another gift I received at TT. Over the 7 years I taught at TT, I worked with 5 Principals (Phyllis Levine, Honey Weinlos-Issacs, Tom Davey, Scott Miller and Pat March) and many wonderful staff.
I was asked to share favourite memories, some which I have woven in; there are so many wonderful memories that it’s difficult to pick but I’ll highlight a few.
I left Talmud Torah with mixed emotions at the end of the 2003 -2004 year. It was hard to leave a place and a community that I loved. A new opportunity presented itself and everything aligned in my favour.
“Our lives are fashioned by our choices. First we make our choices. Then our choices make us.” – Anne Frank
I’m forever grateful that early in my career I chose to teach at Talmud Torah. The school and the community will forever hold a special place in my heart. With fondness, Debbie Jackson
