You probably see Teacher Marina Liebowitz walking in the halls every day.  She smiles, she teaches Hebrew and she helps everyone. But what if I told you before she was a teacher, she worked in the fashion world?

Real fashion, designing clothes, meeting famous people and even seeing actresses wear her dresses. Her story is not just about fashion. It’s about change, courage and finding who you really are.

After serving in the Israeli Defense Force, she moved to America and studied at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. She started as a designer and even created her own clothing line. 

“I was always into creative things ever since I was a kid,” she said, “My dream was to get into a fashion school.”

After she started studying, Liebowitz’s dream quickly turned into real work. “I was designing for different companies. I was doing what’s called a private label for Nordstrom.”

She began designing clothes for companies and creating new ideas. “A buyer comes, they choose what they like, and they order it.” she said. 

She often went to big trade shows in Las Vegas, meeting people from all over the country. “It was very interesting and eye-opening,” she said. 

For a time, she even had her own clothing line, which made her proud and excited to see her designs come to life.

After some years in fashion, Liebowitz started to feel something was missing. “I felt like I was only using one part of my brain,” she said. She decided to study art history, looking for something that connects more to culture and meaning. 

But during her time at university, something changed. After Oct 7, the atmosphere on campus started to feel different, and she didn’t feel safe anymore. 

“I was looking for more belonging to Jewish things, to Israeli things,” she said, “So I applied, and the rest is history.” She even taught Hebrew in the army, so teaching was not entirely new for her.

Still, “It was shocking,” she said, laughing. ”The students tried to test me a lot because I was new.”  But very quickly, she found her rhythm; she teaches all levels of Hebrew and has around 130 students. 

“I try to teach the way I would want to learn Hebrew if I was born in America,” she said. Over time, the classroom started to feel like home, and her students became the best part of her job. 

“It makes me happy when they talk to me and when I see that they are actually learning,” she added. 

Her advice to students is, “Change is not a bad thing…“You only grow from it.” 

She believes trying new things is part of life, and people shouldn’t be afraid to start again. “Just because you like something now doesn’t mean you’ll like it in five years,” she explained, “And that’s okay. It’s good for you, it means you’re growing.”  

Today, Liebowitz is happy with where she is. Teaching gives her the creativity she loved in fashion, but also the connection she was looking for. Her story reminds us it’s okay to change direction and follow what feels right and sometimes, that’s how you find your true place.