When I hear of people who have decided to change careers, I really relate. Those of you who know me as a writer for the Where What When and other Jewish magazines probably don’t realize that I was supposed to be a health care administrator. Soon after I finished graduate school, however, I decided to pursue my passion for writing – which I have felt since I was eight years old – and combine it with my fascination with the medical world. Rather than work in a hospital, as I had planned, I embarked upon my literary career – first writing for a health policy agency and, later, for Greater Baltimore Medical Center’s (GBMC) Greater Living magazine. It was thanks to my work for the WWW, though, that I ultimately decided to devote my professional life to writing primarily about and for the greater Orthodox community.
Now you know about my career change – but I’m not the only one! According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American changes jobs 10 to 15 times between the ages of 18 and 44, and it is estimated that they change careers between three and seven times. In fact, I am in good company. Walt Disney was a newspaper editor, who was fired because “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” Julia Child was a CIA intelligence officer before she became famous, at 36, as a French chef. And the American folk artist Anna Mary Robertson, “Grandma Moses,” sold potato chips and embroidered for a hobby. She first picked up a paint brush in her 80s, when arthritis made it too difficult for her to hold an embroidery needle.
Let’s find out about some of our friends and neighbors who also took career detours.
It’s Never Too Late
Rebbetzin Chasida Teichman started her teaching career in Brooklyn. She continued in Los Angeles before moving to Baltimore, where she taught in Bais Yaakov’s high school for 12 years. It was there, after teaching for 40 years, that she felt it was time to reassess her role and perhaps make a career change.
In June of 2012, Rebbetzin Teichman undertook to complete a year-long course in life coaching, which she completed this summer. “I think that I actually made a career shift, rather than a career change!” says Rebbetzin Teichman. “When I first started teaching, in elementary school, the administration clearly emphasized academics. However, as I began teaching in high school, it became more and more apparent that, in order to be successful in the classroom, I needed to reach the whole person, and not just teach the student.
“Different times bring different needs,” continues the Rebbetzin. “With the emotional and spiritual topography of the Jewish landscape changing, the needs of my students have changed as well. For some, the very essence of simchas hachayim is missing from their lives. And a (future) mother without simchas hachayim is hard pressed to raise children who would opt for a lifestyle void of happiness. The statistics are out there. The problem is obvious, and I wanted to be part of the solution. In addition, as an active rebbetzin, I became aware of the many wonderful women in our special community who are struggling with challenges in their personal lives. I had also become acquainted with other magnificent women who needed guidance and wanted to get more out of life. I realized that, although naturally intuitive and empathetic, I would require specialized training to best assist those who are overwhelmed dealing with the many vicissitudes of life. And so, b”H, I am now certified as a ‘life coach.’”
The Rebbetzin adds that she will, bli neder, never stop teaching Torah: “I can’t. It’s my passion, it’s my life. Ki haim chayeinu! Presently, I give a shiur to two very different groups of women weekly, where I engage not only my passion for teaching but my coaching skills as well. The experience is totally thrilling!”
Rebbetzin Teichman concludes, “The tools that we were given in my life coaching class – and there were many – have become the means by which I have made significant changes in my personal life. In learning how to coach others, I learned how to coach myself. The quality of my life has increased exponentially. I have become empowered to reach goals that at one time I had only dared to dream of. But what I found the most profound of all, was the truly amazing experience of connecting with the tzelem Elokim of another, on the deepest level!”
Accounting for Bagels
Stanley (Yaacov) Drebin worked for many years as a certified public accountant, the career he trained for. It was only upon his return from a visit with his parents in Seattle that he told his wife Chava he wanted to open a bagel shop in Baltimore. He was inspired, during that visit, when he went out to eat at a bustling bagel shop filled with “regular people.” This is how he referred to a customer base the kosher shop somehow drew from the greater population. He was probably the only frum customer eating there, although it was one of the several kosher bagel shops that had begun to dot the West Coast.
With his wife’s encouragement, Mr. Drebin got started. It took just over a year to actually open the franchise, in 1998, and Goldberg’s New York Kosher Bagels came to Baltimore. “The original plan was for me to continue to work in the financial sector, in Washington, DC, while running Goldberg’s on the side,” explained Mr. Drebin. “But within months, the business exploded, and it became apparent that this was more than just a side job. I left accounting and made Goldberg’s my full-time career.”
Goldberg’s employed eight employees at first; today, it employs 30 people. Due to the shop’s rapid growth, it moved from the original Pikesville location to its present site at Club Center, off Reisterstown and Old Court Roads, about six-and-ahalf years ago. This year, as Goldberg’s celebrates its 15th anniversary, it boasts a second location in Timonium. More than one million bagels are baked and sold at Goldberg’s annually – over 25,000 on the days prior to Yom Kippur, alone.
Mr. Drebin’s dream of catering, literally, to as wide of a spectrum of people as the Seattle bagel shop he patronized has come to fruition. Goldberg’s provides the relaxed backdrop and opportunity for people from all corners of our community to interact with one another. And, it is quite obvious to its customers that its owner enjoys every minute of his newest career, especially when he “works the room,” schmoozing with them.
As Mr. Drebin concludes, “I succeeded at what I wanted to do: creating an Orthodox store that a frum Yid can walk into and feel just as comfortable as everyone else does.”
Exercising Another Skill Set
Leah Eichenthal really loved being a gym teacher, a job she did for 25 years. She made the switch to certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA) a little over two years ago, although she decided to go back to school over five years ago. It took her a year to complete her prerequisites and two additional years to finish the required classes.
“The decision to go back to school was a tough one, especially since I was 42!” says Mrs. Eichenthal, “but I had tremendous support from my grown children and wonderful husband, so once I got started, it made things a lot easier. I felt like I wanted to be able to pursue a career that afforded me a lot of flexibility as my grandchildren were arriving.” As a teacher, it was more difficult for Mrs. Eichenthal to take off time from work. “If you miss your class, you can’t really make up the time. As a therapist, if I find coverage, there is more flexibility.”
Mrs. Eichenthal has a caseload of patients to see every day, just as an occupational therapist does, but has some restrictions to her license, such as not being able to do evaluations. “I have grown a lot clinically and the way I relate to people with physical disabilities, especially amputees, whom I treat daily,” continues Mrs. Eichenthal. “I love making a difference in people’s lives by helping to rehabilitate them so that they can become more functional and prepared to reenter the community. Sometimes my patients don’t go home, but I try to make a difference in their lives just the same, by showing them new ways to help themselves.”
From TA to CEO
Many of you WWW readers might remember Rabbi Avrohom Leventhal, who was an elementary school rebbe at Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim-Talmudical Academy before he and his family made aliyah in 2005. Currently, Rabbi Leventhal is the executive director/CEO of Lema’an Achai (www.lemaanachai.org), a social service non-profit organization, a position he assumed in May, 2006.
Finding that mechanchim (teachers) had difficulty earning enough in Israel, he initially decided to switch to technical writing. “I decided to retrain as a technical writer,” explains Rabbi Leventhal. “The switch to non-profit CEO came as a surprise. I was offered the position after volunteering on the board of the organization. The other board members felt that my experience with Ahavas Yisrael in Baltimore made me a good candidate for the position.
“A person can (and should) grow from all of life’s experiences,” continues Rabbi Leventhal. “My current position has given me the opportunity to grow the organization and meet people from all walks of Israeli life. In addition, I have gained valuable skills in management, budgeting, and, to some extent, business development and marketing.
Lema’an Achai’s mission is to assist needy families in Ramat Beit Shemesh in breaking the cycle of poverty. The organization does this by providing them with the tools to cope with their problems, facilitate their growth, and lead them towards self-sufficiency. There are over 500 unpaid volunteers who run the majority of its programs, and many of them are specialists in their fields, including social workers, lawyers, and financial advisors, who donate their free time to help others.
In recognition of its great work, Lema’an Achai has received local and national awards for its innovative and effective “smart chesed” approach, which combines volunteerism with a professional and comprehensive system of financial assistance, programs, and community services.
“What does Rabbi Leventhal like about this job? “I like knowing at the end of the day that I have worked to improve the lives of those less fortunate,” says Rabbi Leventhal. “When I meet people whom we have helped and they can now smile, it is a rewarding feeling. I have also been privileged to meet many great rabbanim, politicians, and community leaders. I have spoken in Knesset committees about combating poverty in Israel. Although each day brings new challenges, I enjoy working with my colleagues to face them head on.”â—†
