Jacob is wearing a gray sweater and jeans and standing outdoors next to a structure made of branches. Leafless trees and a clear blue sky are in the background.

About Me

I am a lifelong, 4th generation resident of Lower Merion who has been enrolled in LMSD schools since Kindergarten.  I am currently a Senior at Harriton High School, where I am enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Program.  I am a rower, a swimmer, and an avid reader.  I love to cook and bake, and I love learning about cybersecurity.

Since 1st grade, I’ve been enrolled in the District’s gifted learning program. By the same token, only since 11th grade have I been receiving support services to help me with my ADHD.  Getting LMSD to even acknowledge my neurodiversity, let alone provide the support services I very much needed, has been a battle for my family.

Why do we have the best special and gifted education services in Pennsylvania but make it so incredibly difficult for students and families to access them?

Recently, I was targeted with anti-semitic vitriol on campus.  This was not anti-Zionism or anything related to Israel; instead, it was old-fashioned anti-semitism related to centuries-old tropes.  I reported it to the school, but instead of confronting it head-on, the school seemed to sweep it aside.  

Why is this?  Why should Jewish children at LMSD schools be forced to put up with this hate?

As a student of LMSD for 13 years, I’ve seen firsthand our district's strengths and shortcomings. I know what works and what needs to change. I’m running for School Board to improve special education accessibility, take a firm stand against antisemitism, and ensure that the board and the District focus on the needs of students and families—not bureaucratic red tape or external politics.

Our schools should be a place of safety, inclusion, and academic excellence for all students. That means ensuring swift action against antisemitism, increasing access to vital educational resources, and eliminating unnecessary waste so that taxpayer dollars go directly to benefiting students.


Priorities

  • Ensuring every student has access to quality education, essential services, including special and gifted education, and meaningful support to reach their full potential.  By law, every child is entitled to a Free and Appropriate Public Education, and we need to actually deliver on that.

  • LMSD must have a clear, enforceable policy against antisemitism, with consequences for hateful behavior. No student should feel unsafe or targeted in their school.

  • The best decisions come from listening. I will push for greater transparency and collaboration between the school board, parents, and students.

  • Taxpayer dollars should be used efficiently to benefit students—not wasted on eventual legal settlements, unnecessary attorney fees, or administrative bloat.