By JERUSALEM POST STAFFmark stern 298(photo credit: )TRY ONE YOURSELF>>>Age: 35
Residence: Illinois, United States
Married? With children? Single with great girlfriend (Lauren)
Occupation: Commercial Real Estate Broker and Landlord
Education: University of Michigan Business School and DePaul Law School
Religious affiliation / observance: Just a Proud Jew
Last person / party I voted for: George W. Bush
Next person / party I will vote for: Rudolph Guiliani, Fred Thompson or Mitt Romney
My history (100 words max): Born in Muskegon, Michigan, which is a small town with a quaint synagogue in Western Michigan. I had a Bar Mitzvah and attended Jewish summer camp in Wisconsin. I had only one other Jewish classmate, but was always proud to be Jewish and always identified with Israel. I played high school basketball and tennis. After high school, I attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and studied abroad in Israel, Mexico and Spain. During law school, I studied for a summer at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and participated in Volunteers for Israel on an army base in Ramle
Family history (100 words max): My grandparents on my mom's side lived in Poland until the Nazis came and they escaped to an area near the Ural Mts. in Russia. My grandfather was a tailor and sewed for food and survival during WWII. They returned to Poland after the war, as stateless Jews, and my mom was born in 1948 and she moved to Chicago with her parents and sister in about 1961 with the help of family. My dad was born in Muskegon, Michigan and his parents were of Russian/German Jewish origin. My parents met at a Sunday night synagogue dance in Chicago and the rest is history. They had a daughter, Michele, who is my sister and I was born 3.5 years later
My connection with Israel: I have always been Zionistic, probably for a combination of reasons, including the fact that Jews, most amongst all nations, should have their own country as a matter of historical, spiritual, practical, relgious and militaristic fact. Further, I have been to Israel many times to visit family in Herzliya and recognize that Israel has a place in this world as a vibrant, multi-faceted, alive, leading, cultered, creative and dynamic Jewish state. Anyone who denies these facts and reject Israel, should stand by their position and boycott all of the Jewish contributions to the world, including the cell phone, instant messaging, Israeli pharmaceuticals, etc. In other words, they can go live in a cave, about the only place they can survive without the benefits of Israeli and Jewish contributions to the World
On Friday night... My girlfriend and I usually light Shabbos candles and acknowledge that it is Shabbat. Even though I put my kippah on just for the lighting of the candles, its a reminder of who I am and a connection to Jewish spirituality. As a side note, I met my girlfriend Lauren by typing in the keyword 'Zionist' on a website and she was the only one who came up within 250 miles. She became a Zionist after participating in Birthright. Thank you to Birthright!!!
What I would take with me to a deserted island: My girlfriend Lauren, my parents, friends, backgammon, and a lot of great Jewish books, lox and bagels and my Shabbes candles...and, of course, the IDF because, as we know, they find the Jews no matter where we are
Last book I read was: Schmucks by Jackie Mason and Raul Felder
Comfort food: Hummus, Pita, Falaffel...Israeli food
My life five years from now: Married, children and a closer connection to Israel and the Jewish people
Happiness: 1-10 (10 being the happiest) 9
TRY ONE YOURSELF>>>Meet all 'About Me' participants
if(catID != 151){
var cont = `Take Israel home with the new Jerusalem Post Store
