Leah
Bogopulsky
Nickname: Chumash Mama
Age: 34
where she’s at now:
Vice principal for Judaic studies at Torah High School of
San Diego, and a medical social worker at Children’s Hospital of
San Diego.
why she’s on this list:
Though the students may not know it, Bogopulsky was at first
reticent to work at Torah High. Still, her enthusiasm, energy and exhilaration
in teaching Chumash – along with her sincere interest in the well-being
of the schoolgirls – have infused her pupils with a genuine fondness
for Judaism. “I believe in what I teach and I’m excited about
what I teach,” she says in a tough-as-nails New York accent. “Hopefully
they pick up on some of that.”
why ‘my dog ate the homework’ just won’t cut
it:
Last year, Leah and her husband, Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky of
Beth Jacob Congregation, were unexpectedly invited to attend the White
House Chanukah celebration. She first thought it was a scam, and called
the police. When local law enforcement had no knowledge of it, she contacted
the FBI. They didn’t know about it, so she called the Secret Service.
They didn’t know about it and told her to call the White House.
“I called and said, ‘Look, we’d love to come, but could
you please call me back and let me know that this is legitimate?’
Well, the next morning, I got a phone call from the White House and they
said, ‘Yeah, you’re in our database.’ So I said, ‘Fine,
it will be our pleasure to come.’”
where will she be in 18 years?
“Retired,” jokes the mother of five. “Hopefully,
I’ll be living in Israel, teaching and studying and learning and
growing.”
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