Written and Nominated by Ilana Bauman, NCSYer
Erin Stiebel is an incredible role model who puts her heart into everything she does. She has a love for Torah and Hashem, a strong appreciation and recognition of her Jewish identity, a passion to instill in others the love of Judaism that she feels so intensely, and an excitement about life and making the world a better place. She is a constant and stalwart role model for me, representing all that she stands for at every moment, with every action she does. I hope her enthusiasm, her love of Judaism, and her desire to make every single person feel special will rub off on me and be part of my character as well.
Erin has always been involved in NCSY and is now Director of GIVE, which I had the privilege of going on just two summers ago. To tell you the truth, I found it a bit strange at first to have my cousin as my advisor and share her with the other girls on the program. But I realized, that summer, that Erin has a greater and more powerful presence than I had ever imagined. She led, and continues to lead each summer, a large group of girls on a journey to help them find themselves and their roles in the Jewish community at large through doing acts of chesed and helping other people. What a beautiful way to spend life. What a perfect representation of everything that Erin is and stands for. I realized that Erin was not only my role model, but she was looked up to by the other seventy-eight girls on GIVE with me, the hundreds of other girls who have gone on GIVE previously, and the thousands of people who have encountered her, her phenomenal spirit and her contagious smile.
Watching Erin in action, I began to understand why so many people look up to her and realize what makes her so inspirational, as she leads by example. Everything she wishes to see in others, she does herself. She does not sit still, but she takes action. She is constantly on the ball, constantly noticing what actions she is taking, what words she is saying, because she is constantly being looked up to and being observed as a role model. She never gets a break, never ceases to inspire, and never stops being the remarkable person she is. I don’t even know if Erin realizes the impact she has on me and on so many people, though she is told often. She not only inspires others to be better, but she inspires others to inspire others. Erin, thank you for everything you have taught me, for making the world a better place, and for inspiring so many people.
Written and nominated by Zisse Hanfling, NCSY Advisor & Alumna
That’s right. The one and only, who brought the Fannypack BACK.
Erin Cooper Steibel has not only been an inspiration to me in my childhood, however Erin has been a constant inspiration and shoulder to lean throughout every stage of my life. When I met Erin that summer on GIVE 2010, I instantly knew this was someone I wanted to model my life after. Her on going dedication for Am Yisroel never stops. Her constant love towards every Jew never diminishes, AND her continuos smile can always brighten up a room.
Erin was the person who always believed in me. She trusted the leader inside of me and helped me blossom into the person I am today. Not only do I feel blessed that I crossed her path as a highschooler, but even more blessed to be able to work for her. Having the opportunity to have Erin as my counselor and then work for her a few years later, is only but a bracha from Hashem.
Erin opened up my eyes and my heart to the beauty of Judaism. It wasn’t only what she said about Judaism, but truly the way she lived her life as a Jew. I knew after that summer that I wanted my life modeled after hers.
“In Judasim, memory is everything. No less than 169 times does the Torah command us to remember the past. The significance of memory is that, by it, the past is made part of the present” Spoken by Dr. Yosef Burg
Learning from Erin is not just part of my past but something I take towards my present and future.
