User Profile

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I was born and raised on Long Island, New York - though I came out as a gay man and came into my own in the West Village when I was sixteen.

After graduating High School, I spent six incredible years at the University at Buffalo, earning a B.A. in Linguistics (with a concentration in Applied Linguistics), a Certificate in Paralegal Studies from the Millard Fillmore College and a TESOL/TEFL/TESL Teaching Certificate from Oxford Seminars.

After putting in my papers to graduate (and declining the option of walking through graduation) I made Aliyah to Israel, landing as an immigrant on December 27, 2007. I spent one month in Zihron Ya'akov before I eventually found myself on Kibbutz Ma'agan Michael milking cows in the north while studying on their Ulpan for six months. I then took a month long break in the United States before returning to Israel and enlisting in the IDF on August 20, 2008 - I spent three months at Mehve Alon where I completed basic training and a Hebrew course. I was then transferred to the Foreign Relations Branch at the IDF Ground Forces Command where I was the assistant to the Head of the Foreign Relations Branch. During this time, to keep myself occupied, I setup the first Ground Forces wide ESL Program. After a year and a half in this position I was sent on the NCO course for Foreign Relations, which I passed. I was then transferred back to the Foreign Relations Branch at the Ground Forces Command and was moved to the Overseas Office. After being transferred to the Overseas Office I was sent on the NCO course for Information Security, which I passed, and was then sent back to the Foreign Relations Branch at the IDF Ground Forces Command.

In my position at the Overseas Office I was responsible for mission management - sending delegations around the world on behalf of the Ground Forces Command. With two weeks left to complete my service, I was then offered a contract by the Overseas Training Division to be the Instruction NCO on the Battalion Commanders Course, where I served as one of eight commanders, with ten cadets underneath us collectively. I was responsible for translating the course and creating all of the instructional material to mold our cadets into battalion commanders. We were incredibly successful in our mission and today our cadets are serving as Battalion Commanders in their own countries, applying the lessons we taught them in the field.

Towards the end of my service, I was once again offered contracts - though I was incredibly touched to have even been asked to continue my service, I declined them with thanks.

During the previous years I lived on Kibbutz Zikim (1 kilometer from the Gaza Strip), Ashdod and the Soldiers' House in Jerusalem.

Having survived for 37 months on army service at the grace of Israeli welfare, I decided to complete my M.A. at my parents house on Long Island so I could once again rebuild my nest egg, work, and study without having to worry about constantly foraging for, or stealing, food.

Having been accepted to the Open University of Israel I began my studies at the Open University through their online system - but I wasn't happy, and I didn't feel that running after these two initials after my name was going to lead me to any further answers of where I wanted to live, what I wanted to be, and what I wanted to do with myself - whatever it was, I knew it wasn't this endless, and mind-numbing mental masturbation with people who think that they can represent the very depths of their soul or imagination by discussing someone else's two dimensional black and white work as if it were their own unique production, and not an argument that has been rehashed and milked dry year after year - something was lacking, something was out of balance.

I wanted something more, I was looking for something a little more "אמיתי" (Amiti - personal, genuine, something that moves the soul)...I was looking for something real.

After withdrawing from the Open University - happily and as far from disappointment as you can get before someone locks you up for being a little too happy, I applied - and was accepted - to the Soma Institute, the National Institute of Clinical Massage Therapy in Chicago, IL where I'll be moving to and studying at this August as I begin my path to become a Clinical Massage Therapist.

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