Located at the Shul of Bal Harbor in Surfside, FL, the Solomon Leadership program is an inspiring and uplifting opportunity for 11th and 12th grade students. To develop their leadership skills, students learn the essential skills of character building, navigating challenging situations, and understanding others. The selective program strives to help its participants succeed through the enforcement of its eight pillars: character, tolerance, communication, vision, empowerment, persistence, strategy, and judgment. On Tuesdays, adults from diverse backgrounds and professions visit to discuss the pillar of the week with a speech. Afterwards, mentors huddle with their groups of students to evaluate their opinions on the pillar.
As the program dives into its 2025 year, the first pillar of leadership students encounter is character. Solly Garber, a father and a Co-Founder at Formation VC, was welcomed as a guest at the Shul of Bal Harbor to speak to the program’s participants about his perspective on character through his journey. Garber grew up in the Five Towns of New York and went to Baruch College. Through his biography, he explains that his initial plans were to work in the entertainment industry as a producer. However, as time progressed, he found himself seeking a career in technology and financial gain, leading him to pursue venture capital (VC).
Garber further mentioned that his determined, adventurous character led the risky “idea of discovering” to appeal to him. Additionally, Garber expressed that “the odds were stacked against (him)”. With the mindset of core values, the inspiring words are what transformed the students on November 4, as they realized that although his eleven years of hard work may seem long and tedious, his diligence and aspirations are what propelled him to his current position.
Garber said that the key figure in his life is his grandfather, who owned a supermarket. As customers walked in and out of the store, certain individuals or families were unable to afford the products. As a result, Garber’s grandfather would allow these customers to create accounts that would enable them to make their payments later. He soon revealed that most of them never paid back. However, from this story stems a profound message: the importance of empathy and compassion. Although he might have lost money, Garber’s grandfather was able to accept it for the sake of understanding and creating for himself “shem tov” (“good name” in Hebrew). Overall, Garber utilized his experience at work and with his family to uplift the high school students of the Solomon Leadership program, and was an essential example of the importance of character and facing uncertainty.
