Thanksgiving is a time when we think about many things, family, food and our unique American experience. Many of our alumni look back fondly and are thankful for their YOF education. Among our proud alumni are many, immigrants and first-generation Americans. They bring new perspectives to the classroom and a wealth of experiences that shaped their educational journeys and those of their fellow students. 

We bring you the unique stories of just a few of these special alumni as they share their thanks. Come along with us as they discuss the impact YOF had on their journey to the American dream. 

Becky Naoulou (HS ‘02) has a life story that resembles a movie script. Becky came to the U.S. as a refugee from Syria with her family in 1992. Her father sold everything they had to insure safe passage. When they came, her parents worked hard to provide for their family, but it was difficult. 

She worked hard to master both English and Hebrew but credits YOF’s mentors who inspired her to go to college and reach for her American dream of someday becoming a doctor.
 
“While attending YOF I met amazing female teachers who became my role models and my cheerleaders. I am still in touch with Mrs. Hanon and Mrs. Sanders today.” 

Today, Becky is a cardiologist at Mount Sinai-Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan. She practices alongside two fellow alums, Dr. Joseph Tawil (ES ‘90, HS ‘94) and Dr. Sam Hanon (ES ‘87, HS ‘91). She is also the proud mother of two YOF students. 

Eli Weiss (HS ‘95) grew up hearing a mix of Russian, German, Yiddish and Polish in his home. He did not learn Hebrew until Kindergarten. Eli is the grandson of four Holocaust survivors. His parents and grandparents came to this country and worked hard, eventually owning their own business. But they always believed education was the way forward. Eli’s parents and grandparents could never have dreamed about the level of professional success that Eli has now achieved. 

Eli has taken his YOF education and values from South Brooklyn to City Hall, the U.S. Supreme Court and beyond. Eli was a clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito while attending law school at Seton Hall University. Later on, he worked for Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration building affordable housing in New York City, an experience that paid off since he currently owns his own residential construction company that does the same. Eli has also consulted with the Israeli government on topics related to affordable housing construction.   

When asked what YOF gave to him, he said, “YOF shaped my views on charity and community. As an alumnus, it is very important to me to be a community contributor. I have mentored young alumni interested in my field and count a fellow graduate among my close knit staff.”

Faraj Samra (HS ‘00) is a proud Flatbush alumnus and current parent who married his high school sweetheart, fellow YOF grad Minna (Hanon) Samra (ES ‘95, HS ‘99). 

Faraj came to the US in 1992 without knowing any English. When he applied to YOF for high school, he wasn’t sure how it was going to work out. Faraj is now a doctor of internal medicine and he credits YOF with sparking his interest. “In my biology class, we visited NYU Hospital and rotated with a doctor at the hospital. We spent time in the operating room observing orthopedic surgery. It was a one-of-a-kind experience.” 

Flatbush is a highly competitive environment but the faculty works to support immigrant students. “When we read Romeo and Juliet, I received a copy that was in both English and Arabic to help me keep up. Without the help of my teachers, I would not have been able to get to where I am today.” 

At the end of our interview, Faraj shared with us his immense hakarat hatov for Rabbi Eliach A”H who gave him a chance to be a YOF student and believed in him.  

Olga Litvak (ES ‘83, HS ‘87) came to the US at age 11. Her parents were passionate about giving her and  younger brother Uri (ES ‘86) the kind of strong Jewish education they were never able to receive in the Former Soviet Union. When she started at YOF, she was one of only a few students from the FSU and often felt like a fish out of water. 

When we asked about her favorite Flatbush memories, she talked about feeling welcomed at a difficult time. “Flatbush gave me a chance to firmly plant my feet in this culture.” She talked about the warmth of her teachers and the students who reached out to her and are lifelong friends.

Olga is currently the Laurie B. and Eric M. Roth Professor of Modern European Jewish History at Cornell University. “Without my education at YOF I would not be able to do what I do now. The teachers challenged us and taught in an intellectually stimulating way. I still use the pedagogy and styles of teaching I saw at Flatbush in my own teaching with my students. My teachers knew how to reach me as I walked through difficult times in my life.” 

We are often shaped by the path of those who came before us. Charles Chakkalo’s (HS ‘14) father and grandmother came to the US in the 1980s. Their long and  complicated path involved being smuggled across the Turkish border with fake passports and eventually connecting with HIAS, a refugee service agency in Italy that helped them come to the U.S. 

When we asked Charles what he felt was different about his Flatbush experience, he zeroed in on his college search. “My parents both worked hard, but have no college degrees. My dad owns a business, but a lot of his corporate training has been on the job. I didn’t have a mentor at home to guide me, but my parents were very driven for my siblings and me to attend college.” 

He talked about his time at Flatbush as being personally transformative. “When I came to Flatbush, I had already excelled in the classroom, but I had struggled socially.” He decided to join the Model U.N., Model Congress, Debate Team, and A/V Squad among other extra-curricular activities and in these groups he found his niche.

Charles asked us to recognize Mr. Engel, his sophomore grade advisor, who helped him through tough times.  He is also indebted to Mrs. Shulman, Math Department Chair, who always believed in his fighting spirit.