Eitan Ehrlich - Class of 2016

When Eitan Ehrlich (2016) was in middle school at Schechter, he discovered a passion for creativity and visual storytelling. Tasked with taking photos in Israel that communicated a feeling and a story, Eitan enthusiastically assembled a small portfolio that decorated the walls during their 8th grade graduation. Today, Eitan works at the Hartford Film Company as an in-house cinematographer and editor. He takes the lead on creating a visual plan for in-house commercials, works with digital editing software, and, as a film colorist, he works on the finishing process to elevate a film’s colors and hues.

For Eitan’s senior capstone project at Emerson College, he filmed and starred in a documentary that tells the story of how Parkinson’s Disease has impacted his family, and how training for the Oceanside Ironman triathlon is both a form of healing, and a way to share his family’s story. He explains, “Since Parkinson’s is often seen as a movement disorder, I wanted to use movement as a visual motif in my film.” In May, 2025, Eitan returned to his roots at the Schechter auditorium to hold his first Greater Hartford screening of Live. Ride. Cure.

Eitan recalls that creativity was always part of his Schechter education, no matter what subject. Language study (Hebrew and Spanish) was always infused with art and creativity. The Judaic Studies curriculum involved thinking out of the box, thoughtful text study, and hands-on projects. In fact, Eitan still treasures the Passover Haggadah he made in third grade: its ornate cover adorned with hard-glued glitter, and the custom artwork that depicts the Passover story. It was this kind of creativity that helped Eitan feel engaged in his Jewish faith. We are so proud that as an adult Eitan has built upon the core values he learned at Schechter!