Mr. Greene, Student Life Superhero

By Sam Zaslow-Braverman '23
    This year, Golda Och has welcomed a wonderfully large group of faculty members into our vibrant community. From Dr. Apter to Rabbi Nevins, our new leaders have already helped the school evolve and grow like never before. One new member directing the charge is Mr. Greene, the newest addition to the Jewish Life and Experiential Team.

Some may know Mr. Greene as the man behind the Shabbatons and the at-school Sukkaton. 
    "My wife is an alum of the school. I was very excited when the opportunity came up to work here, and to join this community," Mr Greene explained when asked about what initially drew him to GOA. "[There are a lot of] wonderful staff and students."
    Mr. Greene very much enjoys working with a large range of grade levels at GOA, and interacts with students and faculty through his multiple responsibilities at the school.
 "I have a couple different roles here. I teach sixth grade in Judaics. I'm also on the Student Life team with Mr. Fox, Ms. Mittleman, and Mr. Mittleman,” Mr. Greene said. “I also help a lot with Tefillah. By doing that, I've been able to interact with a lot of students here across different grades, and that's been really fun… I've really enjoyed getting to see the whole Upper School as opposed to just one grade."
    Mr. Greene also runs several extracurriculars. He advises the National Honor Society, Racial Justice Club and Town Hall.
Mr. Greene says, "We have a lot of fun [in these clubs]. The Shabbatons [are] coming up, so I'm excited to be with the 11th grade and the 12th grade on [those]."
    Of course, Mr. Greene also has a life outside of the school building. 
"In my free time, one of my favorite things to do is hanging out with my wife and our one-year-old son Gavi, who just had his birthday a few days ago," he said. "I'm also a huge sports fan. I love playing basketball, football, and baseball… I love being outdoors."
In terms of interests, Mr. Greene has multiple, including reading a good book. He’s chosen to expand his love for Jewish learning into his career.
"I'm interested in Jewish education, that's why I'm here, and that's what I chose to do for a living," he explained. "I've worked in schools for a long time, and I've also spent many summers at Camp Ramah."
    Mr. Greene shared meaningful insight to shed light on why he enjoys educating so much. 
When asked what inspires him, Mr. Greene said, "In a school setting, one thing that inspires me is when you see that lightbulb go off in a kid's head, when they understand what you're teaching, or when they've found something that they're passionate about. Those moments are inspiring. I enjoy creating those moments and opportunities for students to find what it is they truly love to do." 
    Before departing the interview, Mr. Greene added, “And yes, I am (Senior) Ilan Feldman's cousin. You can include that if you want."
    Until recently, Mr. Greene has been somewhat of an enigma. Although the student body knows far more about him than it did at the beginning of the school year, one thing has not changed: the community recognizes his hard work, and are proud to have him, as well as all of our new faculty members, at Golda Och Academy, making it the best place it can possibly be.
     "I'm really excited to be here," Mr. Greene said. “"I'm excited to meet everyone!”

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