I met Adam at Moishe House – Columbia Heights! We were hanging out with Reb Aaron when he was teaching some Chasidic text. In classic Jewish fashion, I approached him asking if I had known him from somewhere else. Awkwardly, I didn’t. Still, it led to a beautiful friendship. Learn more about him below.
Shaina: So Adam, one of the first things I noticed about you when we met is your height. How tall are you?
Adam: Yes! Thank you for noticing 🙂 Last I checked I am about 6’5”, but I’ve never gotten a consistent answer when I get my height measured, so I just guesstimate at 6’5”
Shaina: What’s the best part about being so tall?
Adam: I’ve honestly never thought a bunch about why I like being tall. But the top things that come to mind are always being able to reach the top shelf …and that it’s an easy excuse for needing to eat lots of food.
Shaina: So, what’s the family recipe that helped you get so tall? Jews aren’t often known for their height…
Adam: Nope, no secrets. The most peculiar thing about my diet is that I didn’t eat vegetables until I got to college [Editor’s Note: we don’t recommend you try this]. As soon as I found out that something was a vegetable, I immediately decided it wasn’t for me. The no-vegetable habit only really changed in college because it had to – I was keeping kosher and effectively had to be a vegetarian while eating in the dining halls. But, being a vegetarian without vegetables was a little too much… so I finally broke and haven’t looked back since!
Shaina: What are the top 3 things people say to you because of your height?
Shaina: What’s your favorite Jewish holiday and why?
Adam: Passover. When I was growing up, my extended family would get together for a huge Passover meal, and having all my family around was always incredibly fun. But now, even if I’m not home with my family, I love getting together with my friends and having a nice long Seder with a bunch of great food and even better conversation.
Shaina: What’s your favorite museum?
Adam: I still have a ton of them to check out (I’ve only been here for 13 months), but my favorite so far has to be the Renwick Gallery† . There’s this one exhibit on the second floor that has really colorful waves of netting on the ceiling and it’s a great place to go, lie down on the floor and just stare up and think. [Editor’s Note: I don’t think that this is there anymore. Interested? Check this out. The WONDER exhibit was magnificent – get your own virtual reality tour here.]
Shaina: Complete the sentence: When Jews of DC Gather…
Adam: I almost always try to teach them about my favorite game, The Resistance.
