Sophia’s parents, Gila and Roger Attias, were born and raised in Morocco. Being Jewish was very difficult and unsafe and, ultimately, they were driven out of their homes. Her mother and her family went to live in Israel. Her father, too, went to Israel to serve in the army. However, the rest of his family immigrated to the United States. Sophia’s parents met on a kibbutz, were married and had two children, first Sophia and four years later, her sister, Roni. Life was challenging and expensive, so they left Israel to move to the United States when she was seven years old.
 
Sophia grew up in Queens, graduating from Forest Hills High School. She majored in Special Education at Buffalo State College and went on to get her Masters and Administration Degrees at Queens College. Sophia’s first teaching job was in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. After meeting her “Long Island” boy, her husband, Jamie, Sophia got a job teaching in Herricks Middle School. Sophia and Jamie were married by Rabbi Portnoy in December 1986. Rabbi Portnoy warned Sophia that theirs would be a “mixed marriage” since Jamie is Ashkenazi and she is Sephardi and he was not wrong! Sophia taught for 33 years and loved her job as a Special Education teacher right up until her retirement. 
 
Sophia and Jamie lived briefly in Seaford, joining Wantagh Jewish Center for a year. They then moved to Bethpage for about six months, and this is where they began their family when their son, Jeremy, was born. Belonging to a synagogue has always been a top priority to Sophia and Jamie. They went on to live in Farmingdale for eight years before moving to their present home in Old Bethpage. They joined Bethpage Jewish Community Center which is where Sophia began her Jewish volunteerism, first as a member of the Religious School Committee and then as an active Sisterhood member.
 
Now members of Midway Jewish Center in Syosset, due to a merger many years ago, Sophia is a Sisterhood Board Member in charge of the Social Media Accounts. She is always the first to volunteer to help work at all Sisterhood and Synagogue events. 
 
Jamie and Sophia have three terrific children, Jeremy, who is dating Rachel, Zach, who is married to Jessica, and Sydney, who is dating Ryan. Best of all, they have a one-year-old granddaughter named Kendall.
 
Besides spending time with Kendall, Sophia enjoys traveling abroad, exercising on her Peloton treadmill, reading, doing jigsaw puzzles, crocheting, playing Canasta, loving the family dog, Koda, and being with her family and friends!!