Interview with Aviel Sheyin-Stevens
Q: What brought you to Miami?
Avi: I came to Miami to pursue an MBA degree and decided to stay.
Q: You have at least three academic degrees. Tell us about that journey.
Avi: I have a geological engineering background and I wanted to stop working in oil fields. They are usually far from civilization. I was offered a job by Citibank and I wanted an MBA degree to prepare for a career in high finance. After my MBA, I was offered an analyst position with Bank of America, where I worked on the values of companies of interest to the bank, and later became a commercial loan officer. While with Bank of America, I became a CPA and I received the Accredited in Business Valuation designation from the American Institute of CPAs. I left banking to practice as a CPA specializing in valuation for mergers and acquisitions (M&A). I eventually went to law school and I ended up being an M&A attorney.
Q: We are very fortunate that you decided to join our congregation. What drew you to Emanu-El?
Avi: I lived in South Beach for a while and I often passed Emanu-El. One day, I decided to look for information about it on the web. I attended an open day that was highlighted on the website and later became a member.
Q: What's your favorite activity or aspect of the congregation?
Avi: The approach in prayer.
Q: Do you have a favorite Temple Emanu-El memory?
Avi: I participated in the Malachei Shabbat program that equipped participants in leading Shabbat services at home.
Q: I know that you study Torah in-depth and with great joy. What draws you to Torah learning? Any advice to people who are struggling with finding meaning in Torah in modern society?
Avi: I love the Torah. It is a tree of life for those who grasp it. Its ways are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are peace. HASHEM desired that the Torah be made great and glorious in words and in deeds. Those struggling with finding meaning in Torah in modern society should understand that the Torah is God's precious gift. It benefits those who are loyal to it; and it results in pleasantness and peace. If only God will help us begin, we will continue with alacrity.
Q: Which Jewish holiday do you find most meaningful?
Avi: Shavuot, because it commemorates the anniversary of the day HASHEM gave the Torah to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai. It is one of the three Biblical pilgrimage festivals. It marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer. The Torah mandates the seven-week Counting of the Omer, beginning on the second day of Passover and immediately followed by Shavuot. This counting of days and weeks is understood to express anticipation and desire for the Giving of the Torah. On Passover, the Jewish people were freed from their enslavement in Egypt; on Shavuot they were given the Torah and became a nation committed to serving God.
Q: Do you have a favorite tzedakah project -- through volunteering, contributions, or other support?
Avi: Israel. I am involved with several organizations that support various aspects of life in Israel.
Q: Is there an area of Jewish learning you'd like to explore more?
Avi: The Mishnah, the first written compendium of Judaism's Oral Law; and the Gemara, a discussion of the Mishnah and related writings that often ventures onto other subjects and expounds broadly on the Tanakh. Recently, I spent a few days at a yeshiva in Jerusalem where I was introduced to the Gemara. It was a lovely experience.
Q: Do you have a Jewish figure or role-model whom you admire (contemporary or past)?
Avi: I admire David and his trust in HASHEM. He was the second king of Israel. He is depicted as a righteous king, although not without fault. David's reign represents the formation of a coherent Jewish kingdom centered in Jerusalem and the institution of an eternal royal dynasty.
Q: Where do you like to spend your free time?
Avi: England.
Q: Any special talents or interesting trivia?
Avi: I know a little about many things and a lot about a few. I have studied so much and I am still studying.
Q: What's something that most people don't know about you?
Avi: I am inclined not to bother. I am often in charge, only because I cannot abide things being left undone that should be done.
Q: Your favorite food or beverage?
Avi: Chocolate and nuts.
Q: And lastly, what idea or wish do you have for the congregation/community?
Avi: Rejoice, be happy and be glad. It is not by power; it is not by might. It is by My Spirit, says HASHEM.
Thank you, Avi!