MEET

Dr. Sandra Lilienthal

My Jewish journey started as teenager. Having been born into a family of Holocaust survivors in Brazil, we had no Judaism growing up. It was only as a teenager that I discovered what Judaism was and fell in love with it. It is hard for me to say which part of it I was most attracted to, but I think the balance between intellect and emotion embodied in Judaism really spoke to me. I then started my journey. I belonged, at different times of my life, to several Jewish denominations and found beauty and meaning in them all, in different ways.

It is because of my journey that I chose to become a Jewish educator (which is technically my second career) and, later on, chose to work exclusively with adults and in the non-denominational world. What I love about learning in this kind of environment is a) that a learner chooses what they want to learn, making each session so much more meaningful!; b) in any given session, the give and take that happens is enriching not only for the learner but for myself as well; c) I can present different views of a topic and leave room for the learner to find out where they feel most comfortable.

Besides teaching, I write curricula for a couple of organizations: The Florence Melton School of Adult Learning and the Institute of Jewish Knowledge and Learning. In my spare time, I enjoy playing with my dog, doing different kinds of puzzles, and going on walks. I also love music, of different kinds, and usually have music playing in the background when I am writing. But most of all, I love to learn and am always enrolled in some kind of learning!