Meet Sammy, president of the South Texas College of Law JLSA. His love of soccer, travel, and Purim makes him our Jewston mensch of the week! Read below to learn more about this future Jewish lawyer.
Alyssa: Let’s start off easy, where are you from and how did you end up in Houston?
Sammy: I am from Austin, born and raised. I went to Texas A&M where I majored in sports management and minored in business. I joined the SAM Jewish fraternity, and kept my Jewish roots through that and by playing football with one of the Chabad family’s boys every week. As college was coming to an end, I decided that law school was a good way to go for a professional career, and figured that law and sports were a good combination that I would enjoy.
Alyssa: What does a sports lawyer do?
Sammy: My goal as a sports lawyer is to work on the team side, creating contracts with players and vendors. I also want to help sports venues bring in big name musical and entertainment acts to the stadium during the off season. I don’t particularly see myself in the courtroom, but if that’s where life takes me, then I’ll do my best, but I definitely see myself as more of a person to person lawyer, not so much an adversarial attorney.
Alyssa: It sounds like you really love sports, so what is your favorite sport?
Sammy: My favorite sport...that’s a tough one! If I can give two, that would be great. I love football, pro, college, all of it. I love watching games, looking back at the film, the whole thing. I also really like soccer. I get up early on the weekends to watch the games going on in England. I even went on a trip to England and saw a few soccer games while I was there!
Alyssa: Have you traveled recently?
Sammy: Well, this past winter break my cousin had a destination bar mitzvah in Mexico! I don’t think anyone has ever done a destination bar mitzvah other than in Israel, but as everyone knows, Cancun is the true promised land. Before that, I did a big Euro trip during my senior year of college, and of course I did Birthright where I traveled throughout Israel and had a brief stop in Turkey where I was patted down...both ways.
Alyssa: When you aren’t studying for law school or waking up early to watch soccer games, what do you like to do?
Sammy: I like to wake up late and watch soccer games...no but really, some days after law school, my friends and I will go play basketball to let off some steam and get our legs moving. I also like to go for runs, and in general I like doing things that keep me in shape. Besides that I love to be with my friends and listen to new music and go to concerts!
Alyssa: I heard that you are throwing a Purim Party at South Texas College of Law! Tell me a little about that.
Sammy: We will have games, drinks, and hamantaschen to teach people about Purim and celebrate in style! We should have a big turnout. It will be in the main area, so hopefully everyone will pass through and learn a little bit about Purim and why we are celebrating instead of just throwing another party.
Alyssa: What do you love about Purim?
Sammy: I love how happy and festive everyone is around Purim. It’s close to spring break so even students who don’t celebrate Purim are in a good mood because they get to go home soon. Often times during spring break I will go back home to my JCC and join my mom, who is a Sunday school teacher, for the Purim carnival to relive my childhood by running around, playing games, seeing friends, and eating a pretzel. As Jews we have been persecuted over and over again, but during Purim we celebrate that one of our own stepped up and did not let anything bad happen to her people. We stood up for ourselves in the story of Purim, and that is really important to celebrate and remember.
Alyssa: When Jewston comes together we…
Sammy: Are supportive.
Email Alyssa (asilva@houstonhillel.org) to nominate your friend to be our next Jewston Mensch of the week!