Amalia Klapper '06
Name:
Amalia Klapper (nee Weinberg)
Hometown: Kew Gardens Hills
Did you have a favorite class or teachers, and favorite YHT memories?
I definitely can’t pick just one class teacher or memory, but I have tons of clear memories from all of my years in Har Torah. From Mrs. Love and Mrs. Jeff to Mr. Lefrak, Morah Shacham, Ms. Kopman, Mrs. Schmidt, Mrs. Segal, Morah Greenberg, Morah Shifra, Rabbi Fried, Rabbi Satlzman...believe me, I can name every teacher and probably recreate their classrooms in my mind.
The chagigas, color war, recess outside playing "flies up" or "taps," benching in the lunchroom, matzah-making, that show where we lived out yetziat mitzrayim, the chanukka boutique, mitzvah fair, science fair, cleaning the cemetary trip, philly trip, DC trip.
Our grade of students -- my closest friends today are still the ones I went to Har Torah with. This is a mini-reunion in my mind. All of these points together have shaped me and guided me to where I am today, an educator. I must have been taking notes all along.
Is there anything from YHT that inspired you to be the person you are today?
Our third grade teacher Morah Gutman was a huge influence on who I am today. We learned and experienced so much core love of yiddishkeit that year, and we just had a blast while doing it. While living in Connecticut for a bit, I taught 3rd grade Judaics at the local pluralistic day school and Morah Gutman's songs for any and every time of the year was passed down to another generation of young Jewish children. It was a blast teaching Judaics to that age group (perhaps another calling one day :)).
What have you been up to since graduating YHT?
Most recently I became a mother to Joan Hienna, our 6 month old. I'm married to the best man out there, Shlomo Klapper. After Har Torah I went to Central, Migdal Oz, Stern, and then to graduate school for a degree in science education. Now, I am a high school chemistry teacher teaching at an international public school in the Bronx. I love, love teaching and look forward to being a teacher for many more years.