Yonah and Whitney Fisch

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Yonah and Whitney Fisch

Yonah Fisch swears that he didn’t become a marine biologist because of a famous 1994 “Seinfeld” episode. That’s the one in which the George character pretends to be a marine biologist to impress his latest girlfriend and later accidentally saves the life of a beached whale.

“I was pretty young when it first aired. But of course I’ve seen it in reruns,” Yonah said with a chuckle. “The real reason I was interested in the profession was a scuba dive I made while visiting the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The pristine beauty and tranquility of the ocean, and the variety of sea life there captivated me almost instantly.”

Yonah was raised in Teaneck, N.J. and attended a modern Orthodox day school. Whitney was raised in the Reform tradition in Marietta, Georgia, near Atlanta. They met in Jerusalem when Yonah was earning his Masters degree in marine biology at Hebrew University. At the same time, Whitney was in Jerusalem studying at The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies.

“One day I saw a group of people from Pardes on the street walking toward me,” he recalled. “I knew some of them, because my brother was studying there at the time, so I stopped to chat. That’s when I first met Whitney. And as they say, ‘the rest is history.’ “

The couple has three children: Siona, 6, Eden, 3, who attends the VBS ECC, and Amos, 6 months. Whitney works as director of counseling at Milken Community High School and Yonah teaches science to middle school students at The Mirman School, a school for gifted children in Bel-Air.

They joined VBS three years ago, about a year after relocating from Miami, Florida. “We love the people we’ve meet and we love the variety of programs and services that are available here,” Yonah said.

“The diversity of educational and religious programing is mind-blowing,” Whitney said. “As a counselor, I’m particularly happy to see that there is a counseling center where people can go for emotional help or to just talk to someone, whenever there is a need.

"And as a social worker by training, I’m well versed in community organizing and fundraising. So time permitting, I like to help out in those areas.”

Yonah especially likes the scope and variety of religious services available at VBS.

“Having been raised modern Orthodox, I attend services at the Playground Minyan and the Library Minyan, which are a bit more traditional and remind me of the shuls I attended growing up,” he said. “VBS has a service for just about anyone’s preference. And when you add in the daily minyan, regular Sephardic services, a monthly service run by women, tot-Shabbat service, and even a mediation service, you can see there really is something for everyone.”

Yonah said he particularly enjoys reading the Torah in the main sanctuary once a month on Shabbat. “Sometimes Yossi even lets me read the traditional longer portion for each Aliyah,” he said with a smile. “Its just more proof of how VBS can accommodate almost anyone’s religious observance.”

Interview conducted by and article written by Jay Schuster