Meet New Student Jesse Berkowitz

Giselle Weiss ‘24

Switching high schools, especially in the middle of the year, can be a somewhat nerve-racking experience, but new freshman Jesse Berkowitz is taking the transition in stride and with excitement. The Golda Och community welcomed Berkowitz on Feb. 1, as he joined his fourth-grade sister and his brother, a senior.
Berkowitz previously went to Livingston Public High School. Coming from a school with no Judaic courses, he must adjust to the sudden application of Jewish classes in day-to-day life. 

“In public school, there are no Jewish academics, so catching up with those classes has proven to be a bit challenging,” he said.
Along with this major academic change, in the time of COVID-19, the social aspect of switching schools is difficult to maintain. The virtual schooling due to snow days and remote weeks makes this transition unusually rocky, but Berkowitz is looking at it with an optimistic view.
“So far, I’ve really enjoyed meeting new people. I have already met a couple of students in my grade who I seem to really get along with,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll get to know everyone eventually.” 
Berkowitz mentioned his first impressions of the GOA community and how it differs from his previous school, pointing out a major difference.
“GOA gives me a very homey feeling,” he said. “It’s very comforting to me that everyone in the grade seems to know each other. This is a big difference from public school, to say the least.”
Additionally, Berkowitz points out the benefit of attending school in person rather than having online classes. Having in-person school is something many other schools are not able to do yet and it makes quite the difference socially and academically. 
He said, “my previous school was online for the most part, so the fact that I’ll be able to eventually go to school in person every single day makes GOA much more favorable to me.”
Outside of school, Berkowitz’s “interests mostly consist of reading, watching YouTube and seeing movies with [his] family.”
He is excited to explore and participate in the clubs and extracurriculars that GOA has to offer.
“As of now, I plan to write for The Flame, but I will most likely join other clubs in the future,” he said.
Although Berkowitz is new to GOA, he is quickly understanding and appreciating the tight-knit community that GOA is, and how much the school values each student. Everyone is very excited to get to know him better.
“All the teachers and students are very kind,” Berkowitz said