Two 11th grade boarding students at YULA Girls Division, Adena Wilson and Gabriella Zargari,
described the experience as both challenging and rewarding, concluding that overall the
benefits far outweigh the negatives.
Adena enjoys the vibrancy of the LA community and YULA specifically, though she misses her
family. For Gabriella, her newfound independence and responsibilities have been both the most
exciting and terrifying aspects of the move.
“You have to grow up differently, you have to do everything yourself,” said Gabriella. “It’s like
you’re in college, but you’re not.”
Gabriella is originally from Las Vegas, where she attended Adelson School, a
non-denominational Jewish school that accepts students from all backgrounds (including
non-Jewish). She said that one of the driving forces behind her decision to board in LA and
attend YULA was the desire for a more religious environment. However, that wasn’t her only
reason.
“I wanted to get more religious,” she explained, “but more just have a better future for myself
and my kids.” Gabriella said that she found the small size of the Vegas Jewish
community—specifically the Persian community—limiting, and didn’t see herself marrying and
starting a family there.
She met YULA students through a Pesach program where she heard about the school and the
LA community. She decided that becoming a part of the LA Jewish community now would
benefit her greatly for the rest of her life.
She lives with her paternal grandmother in Beverly Hills, so she’s near to YULA and much of the
LA community.
Reflecting on her newfound freedom, she reveals that while she enjoys her new life, she misses
her family and the protection parents offer. “I’m responsible for myself, I’m responsible for my
actions,” Gabriella said. “If I do something wrong, that’s on me at this point.”
Adena Wilson is from San Diego, where she attended Torah High School. She’s been boarding
at a few different homes this year, but is now staying in the back house of fellow YULA junior
Ahuva Lieder.
She came to YULA searching for a larger community and a more active student life. Her old
school only had a few girls per grade, and the Jewish community as a whole had very few teens
and they were very much separated by the schools they attended and the type of Judaism they
practiced, Adena said.
“I wanted to broaden my social scene, have it be more fun for myself,” she said.
The most challenging part for her is being away from her family. She only sees them one to two
times per month.
In contrast, the highlight of her experience has been attending YULA.
“The best part about it is the school,” she said. “Just being here is so cool. It’s what I came for.”
She enjoys taking part in extracurriculars that weren’t available in San Diego, such as track and
U’leila.
Adena Wilson
1. Where are you from (location and school)?
a. San Diego
b. Torah High School
2. Where are you now, and where else have you stayed this year?
a. Ahuva Lieder’s back house
b. Rabbi Brander’s house
3. Why did you decide not to attend high school in San Diego?
a. “It was just really small”
b. “There was not a lot to do outside of academics”
c. “Broaden my social scene”
d. “Be more fun for myself”
4. Why YULA?
a. “Mainly because I went to the volleyball tournaments with my school”
b. “It was the first school that I was introduced to, and got an inside perspective on,
and I really liked it”
c. Also looked at schools in “random places in Connecticut and Tennessee”
d. Also looked at Bais Yaakov, didn’t want to go there
5. What’s been the hardest part?
a. “Not having your parents around all the time”
6. What’s been the best part?
a. “The best part about it is the school. Just like being here is so cool. It’s like what I
came for.”
7. What is the LA Jewish community like in comparison with the San Diego community?
a. much bigger, “a lot more lively”
b. every community is organizing events for holidays, everyone goes to all these
events together
c. San Diego each school has little events, “No interworking between schools,”
“more adult parties than younger parties,” not a lot of kids
d. “I’ve been to so many different communities, I don’t think I’ve been to the same
shul twice”
8. Compare YULA and your old school?
a. “A lot more structured”
b. “A lot more to offer”
c. Track and U’leila
9. What do you miss most?
a. “The no traffic”
b. “San Diego is like empty streets, you get places in like five minutes”
10. How often do you see your family?
a. 1-2 times a month
11. What are your plans for next year?
a. YULA!!!
Gabriella Zargari
12. Where are you from (location and school)?
a. Las Vegas, Adelson School
13. Where are you now, and where else have you stayed this year?
a. Dad’s mom
14. Why did you decide not to attend high school in Las Vegas?
a. I wanted something different
b. I didn’t see myself getting married in Las Vegas and having kids
c. I wanted to get more religious… but more just have a better future for myself and
my kids
15. Why YULA?
a. *supposed to come freshman year, but scared to board
b. perfect time to change, still young but more mature (know community for future)
16. What’s been the hardest part?
a. You’re not with your family
b. You have to grow up differently
c. You have to do everything yourself
d. You’re your own parent now, you have to make your own decisions
e. It’s like your in college now, but you’re not
17. *not having the regular comfort of home to return to
18. What’s been the best part?
a. When you go back home, being with your family is so special
b. More cherished, you don’t take it for granted
c. I’m responsible for myself, I’m responsible for my actions. If I do something
wrong, that’s on me at this point.
19. What is the LA Jewish community like in comparison with the Las Vegas community?
a. More people
b. More religious
c. “In Vegas, people were also religious, but they were more relaxed”
20. Compare YULA and your old school?
a. *More religious
b. Only girls
21. What do you miss most?
a. Nostalgia
b. The places where I had memories growing up
c. Shabbat dinners with my family
d. It’s the little things
22. What are your plans for next year?
a. Stay at YULA
