Miriam Cofsky Brooklyn College, MS Long Island University Brooklyn, NY MA Early Modern Jewish History I am probably the oldest graduate in this class so that my prior education experiences might seem quaint and a bit outdated. I was born in Boro Park, Brooklyn, to a somewhat Chasidish family and was lucky enough to have grandparents living there who were a living example and constant reminder of my Eastern European roots. Though immigrants, my parents, as many in their generation, were education minded and made their children go to school. I attended Brooklyn College where I received a degree in psychology and later received a MS. ED in Guidance and Counseling from LIU; but my heart was never in that field and I never practiced. For years I taught part time while bringing up a large family (B”H) most of whom are married. Throughout the years that I taught writing and Holocaust Studies, I attended lectures from many different professors at the Heritage Museum in downtown Manhattan. It was at around this time that I decided to pursue a degree in what I was most passionate about – Jewish History. At first I walked the few blocks from my house to Brooklyn College but later switched to Bernard Revel. There, I pursued my degree in Early Modern Jewish History and though it took me longer than most, due to my family and teaching responsibilities, those years were extremely enjoyable. The work was sometimes hard and I did not always have the time that I would have liked to really delve into the subject matter, but I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the courses, the readings and the stellar professors. I also had the pleasure of meeting some wonderful younger classmates who agreed to come to provincial Brooklyn and grace my family’s Shabbos table. I continue to teach history and Holocaust Studies in various and varied schools and seminaries – from the very Chassidish in Williamsburg to the Sephardic on Ocean Parkway. I really believe that learning Jewish history gives one a perspective on the great trajectory of the Jewish family, its beginnings and subsequent migrations, its patterns of settlements and wanderings, the developments of various Jewish ethnicities and cultures, the formation of various movements and reactions to them, the divisions within and the points of similitude. Revel has given me the vision to look at the majestic picture of Jewish history as a story constantly unfolding and evolving and to ultimately recognize the essence of the oneness of the entire Jewish people. This is something that I hope I can impart in my teachings to younger generations, no matter where they live. Though I will not by pursuing my PHD, I hope to audit classes and keep learning, reading, thinking and growing. Not a bad thing to do in middle age.