Young and old, the members of the Kansas City Jewish community are important to Shoshana Margolies. The 17-year-old senior at the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy regularly tutors younger students at the school and helps leads kabbalat Shabbat services at Village Shalom.
“I really like working with younger kids,” she said. “I had some trouble in school when I was younger, and when others helped me, it was really beneficial to me. I want to give somebody the chance to improve their skills (through the tutoring).”
She helps second through sixth grade students with their reading and writing skills. On Fridays, she and her brother Jacob go to Village Shalom to lead services.
“Hyman Brand students have been leading kabbalat Shabbat services for many years. A spot opened up when I was a sophomore, and I signed up right away,” she said. “I’ve made a close bond with a few of the residents there. I have about five or six people who are regulars (at services) and know me by name. I really like getting to know other members of the Jewish community. They’re really wise, and I like learning about their lives.”
Shoshana, who is a member of Kehilath Israel Synagogue, says her school is a major reason she’s become involved with Jewish community activities like the Village Shalom worship services. Within the school, she participates in many different groups. In addition to being president of the student council, Shoshana is also the yearbook editor, manager of the basketball team and has been both an actress and assistant director for the drama society.
“She has a lot of responsibility. (The students) know she’s not afraid to step in and do grunt work when it needs to be done. She helps people do things to contribute to the school environment,” said Todd Clauer, the college guidance director and student council advisor at the Academy. “She is an incredibly determined, focused and honest person in the way she does everything. She rarely seeks accolades or the spotlight for what she does. She almost downplays the work that she does to help other people.”
According to Shoshana, her work with the student council has helped her learn better time management skills while also allowing her to form closer bonds with both the students and staff at the Academy.
As yearbook editor, Margolies has also made her mark.
“The yearbook adviser feels as if Shoshana has … been able to set very firm deadlines with staff members to get work completed in a way that hasn’t been done in the last five years. She’s able to set an example for others on a consistent basis,” Clauer said.
Margolies hopes to attend either the University of Michigan or the University of Wisconsin to study either history or English and eventually work in law or business. However, before she goes to college, she plans to spend a year in Israel through a Young Judaea gap year program.
There, she’ll spend three months each in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the Negev studying Hebrew and other Judaic topics while also doing volunteer work.
“I feel like it’s really important to keep the Jewish spirit alive, especially in America, when we’re involved in a lot of secular activities. It’s important for kids my age to remember our heritage and what we’ve been through … it’s sort of my generation’s duty to pass that on,” she said.
She credits both of her parents, Diane and Jonathan, and her grandfather, Rabbi Morris Margolies, for encouraging her to take a keen interest in Israel
“Everything I do, my family’s responsible for that. They always push me to do more,” she said. “It’s hard to think I won’t be living at home next year, (but) I feel like I’ll be prepared. I’m really enjoying my time at home right now, though.”
Clauer has confidence that Margolies will continue to make an impact wherever she goes.
“I just think she has great potential to be a leader after high school, and she will do that with a sense of values and compassion that is nice to see,” he said. “She has a strong set of principles she lives her life by, and I think those will be appreciated and embraced by people in her future.”