“I grew up in Yerres, France. My father didn’t grow up religious, but my mother’s parents were Shluchim in Vitry. I grew up very close to them—their home was always open, and a lot of what I saw by them shaped who I am today. My parents are not Shluchim, but we had a very open, outreach-oriented home. There were always classes in my house—teenagers always came to study with my father.
As a young teenager, I taught at Chabad Hebrew schools all over Paris. Hebrew school is very popular in France, so they’re always looking for girls to help teach—and I loved it. I was also very involved with camps, winter and summer, always participating as early as I could.
I studied in Montreal for a year, and then went to Milwaukee to help in a small school—there were only 12 students. We lived together and took care of the girls—teaching, guiding, mothering them. It was very intense. My English was really bad, and preparing classes took me hours. But it was amazing. I learned so much, and when you push yourself like that, you grow on the job. The year after that I went to help the Shluchim in Abuja, Nigeria—they eventually suggested the match between me and my husband Mendy, who’d spent time in Nigeria as well. I had a great experience there, but I never imagined I would come back to live there.
As a teenager, I spent summers in Marbella helping the Shluchim. One Friday, their six-year-old daughter spent the whole day making challah—ten kilos of dough—and that night, she stood up and spoke to the community. I remember thinking, this is exactly what I want for my children.
Now, with my own kids, I see it so clearly. They love it—this is their life. Last year I was in France for Shavuot, and my two year old son kept asking, ‘When are we doing Shavuot?’ I kept saying, ‘We are doing it now!’ He said, ‘But we didn’t have the party with everyone.’ For him, Shavuot means being with our community—that’s his reality.
Looking back, I don’t think there’s one moment that shaped me. It’s everything—the people, the places, the experiences I said yes to. Even when something feels uncomfortable, just do it—those are the things that shape your whole life.”
–Mazal Sternbach Lagos, Nigeria
Related Articles
Be the first to write a comment.