Meira Academy graduates have gone on to attend Seminaries and Colleges in Israel and the United States, including Nishmat, Ateres Bnos Yerushalayim, Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim, Darchei Binah, Sharfman's, Tomer Devorah, Me'ohr, Stern College Honors Program, University of California San Diego, Touro College, San Jose State University, University of Denver, and IDC Herzliya. Our graduates include National Merit and A.P. Scholars and are currently working towards degrees in a variety of fields, including psychology, computer science, business, education and medicine.
Student Spotlight
Nora Yagolnitser, '16
Nora Yagolnitser, '16
1. Tell us a little bit about your background and your family. Where did you grow up? Do you have any siblings? Was your family always religious? Where did you go to school prior to coming to Meira Academy?
I grew up in the Bay Area and attended public school from Kindergarten to 7th grade. I am the oldest of an ever-growing number of siblings, but for most of my childhood, I was the oldest of four. Over the years, my family became more and more religious, and I always attended Chabad Hebrew School on Sundays. When I was around 10 years old, I started going to synagogue every week on Shabbat with my father, but we never lived very close to an Orthodox synagogue. In 2011, my family moved to Seattle for my father's job, and a lot of things changed. My little sister was born, we moved to an Orthodox community for the first time, and I started attending an Orthodox Jewish day school in 8th grade. In 9th grade, I moved on to the co-ed modern Orthodox high school in the community, but I came back to public school for 10th and 11th grade. Though I was very lucky to continue learning Jewish subjects a couple times a week after school while I was in public high school, it definitely wasn't the same. As grateful as I am for all my years in public school, there's nothing quite like being in the social and academic environment of a Jewish school. I was very excited when we moved back to the Bay Area in 2015, this time to the Palo Alto community. That year, my baby brother (if you're counting, he made six!) was born, and I started my 12th grade year at Meira Academy.
2. Why did you choose to come to Meira Academy?
I had actually been planning to start high school at Meira back when it opened in 2011, and I didn't only because of my family's move and the new baby born in Seattle. I decided to stay there for high school with my family instead of boarding, and I'm glad I did. Nevertheless, me coming to Meira in 12th grade was a long time coming. Meira Academy seemed like an incredible opportunity to focus both on Judaic subjects and secular studies. I knew Meira would prepare me to attend a selective college while also helping me grow as a Jewish woman. I really wanted to gain in my Hebrew skills, to learn how to learn Jewish texts, and to gain more Jewish knowledge. I was also excited to be in a single-gender school for the first time in my life, to make friends who were also observant Jewish women and who would understand a part of my life that my public school friends never did.
3. Tell us a little bit about what you're doing now.
I am currently a second-year student at UC San Diego. I hope to graduate at the end of my third year with a major in Psychology and minor in Creative Writing. On campus, I am active as a student leader in Chabad and Hillel, giving out Shabbat candles weekly on campus and running monthly Jewish women's events at my apartment. In my free time, I also write opinion pieces for our campus newspaper and short fiction for my college's literary magazine.
4. What are your future goals/plans? How has Meira Academy prepared you to meet them?
After graduating from UC San Diego, I look forward to spending a year in Jerusalem, studying at the Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies. I really can't wait to immerse myself in Jewish studies for the year and to be in Jerusalem! After that, I hope to go to grad school and pursue a career in the psychology field, which is a broad statement. I'm still not quite sure whether I'll be a social worker, a therapist, a child life specialist, or something else, but I know I want a career in which I feel that I'm using the talents Hashem gave me to help others. Somewhere along the way, I also want to start a family and definitely consider "being a mom" a big goal. I think Meira Academy was a great stepping stone in my journey towards all these things. Meira Academy was where I got most of my AP credits and fulfilled my university-level Computer Science requirement, which has made graduating early from UCSD a possibility. Thanks to the rigorous Judaics of Meira, I'll also be ready to enter the highest track at Mayanot when I arrive so I can continue delving deep into Jewish learning. And I've made lifelong friends from my days at Meira who I know will always support me in my personal life, wherever life takes me!
5. What would you tell a potential student who is considering coming to Meira? Why should they come? What is unique about our school? What does Meira Academy provide that other Jewish Schools in the Bay Area don't?
Meira Academy has a unique blend of serious secular studies and in-depth, text-based Jewish learning. Thanks to the small class sizes, students at Meira really have the chance to choose their own classes and build meaningful connections with teachers. Personally, one of my favorite things about Meira was also its location on the OFJCC campus, which gave me the opportunity to volunteer during free periods through the preschool and senior center right next-door. Meira is a really a school where you can play a role in shaping your own high school experience and become part of a close-knit community of Jewish girls. That's absolutely unique in the Bay Area.
I grew up in the Bay Area and attended public school from Kindergarten to 7th grade. I am the oldest of an ever-growing number of siblings, but for most of my childhood, I was the oldest of four. Over the years, my family became more and more religious, and I always attended Chabad Hebrew School on Sundays. When I was around 10 years old, I started going to synagogue every week on Shabbat with my father, but we never lived very close to an Orthodox synagogue. In 2011, my family moved to Seattle for my father's job, and a lot of things changed. My little sister was born, we moved to an Orthodox community for the first time, and I started attending an Orthodox Jewish day school in 8th grade. In 9th grade, I moved on to the co-ed modern Orthodox high school in the community, but I came back to public school for 10th and 11th grade. Though I was very lucky to continue learning Jewish subjects a couple times a week after school while I was in public high school, it definitely wasn't the same. As grateful as I am for all my years in public school, there's nothing quite like being in the social and academic environment of a Jewish school. I was very excited when we moved back to the Bay Area in 2015, this time to the Palo Alto community. That year, my baby brother (if you're counting, he made six!) was born, and I started my 12th grade year at Meira Academy.
2. Why did you choose to come to Meira Academy?
I had actually been planning to start high school at Meira back when it opened in 2011, and I didn't only because of my family's move and the new baby born in Seattle. I decided to stay there for high school with my family instead of boarding, and I'm glad I did. Nevertheless, me coming to Meira in 12th grade was a long time coming. Meira Academy seemed like an incredible opportunity to focus both on Judaic subjects and secular studies. I knew Meira would prepare me to attend a selective college while also helping me grow as a Jewish woman. I really wanted to gain in my Hebrew skills, to learn how to learn Jewish texts, and to gain more Jewish knowledge. I was also excited to be in a single-gender school for the first time in my life, to make friends who were also observant Jewish women and who would understand a part of my life that my public school friends never did.
3. Tell us a little bit about what you're doing now.
I am currently a second-year student at UC San Diego. I hope to graduate at the end of my third year with a major in Psychology and minor in Creative Writing. On campus, I am active as a student leader in Chabad and Hillel, giving out Shabbat candles weekly on campus and running monthly Jewish women's events at my apartment. In my free time, I also write opinion pieces for our campus newspaper and short fiction for my college's literary magazine.
4. What are your future goals/plans? How has Meira Academy prepared you to meet them?
After graduating from UC San Diego, I look forward to spending a year in Jerusalem, studying at the Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies. I really can't wait to immerse myself in Jewish studies for the year and to be in Jerusalem! After that, I hope to go to grad school and pursue a career in the psychology field, which is a broad statement. I'm still not quite sure whether I'll be a social worker, a therapist, a child life specialist, or something else, but I know I want a career in which I feel that I'm using the talents Hashem gave me to help others. Somewhere along the way, I also want to start a family and definitely consider "being a mom" a big goal. I think Meira Academy was a great stepping stone in my journey towards all these things. Meira Academy was where I got most of my AP credits and fulfilled my university-level Computer Science requirement, which has made graduating early from UCSD a possibility. Thanks to the rigorous Judaics of Meira, I'll also be ready to enter the highest track at Mayanot when I arrive so I can continue delving deep into Jewish learning. And I've made lifelong friends from my days at Meira who I know will always support me in my personal life, wherever life takes me!
5. What would you tell a potential student who is considering coming to Meira? Why should they come? What is unique about our school? What does Meira Academy provide that other Jewish Schools in the Bay Area don't?
Meira Academy has a unique blend of serious secular studies and in-depth, text-based Jewish learning. Thanks to the small class sizes, students at Meira really have the chance to choose their own classes and build meaningful connections with teachers. Personally, one of my favorite things about Meira was also its location on the OFJCC campus, which gave me the opportunity to volunteer during free periods through the preschool and senior center right next-door. Meira is a really a school where you can play a role in shaping your own high school experience and become part of a close-knit community of Jewish girls. That's absolutely unique in the Bay Area.
