Oct 16, 2009 -- Stern College for Women welcomed its first group of Legacy Heritage Scholars this fall after partnering with the Legacy Heritage Fund to create the Jewish Educators Project, a new three-year track for students planning a career in Jewish education.

“We are immensely grateful to the Legacy Heritage Fund for their generosity and vision in helping us prepare talented women to become outstanding Jewish educators,” said Dr. Karen Bacon, The Dr. Monique C. Katz Dean of Stern College.

The eight outstanding students will major in Jewish studies with a concentration in Jewish education. They are Shayna Stollman, Jill Joshowitz, Shane Abbani, Davida Wolfson, Leah Moskovich, Miriam Weiss, Racheli Ratner and Ora Weinbach.

The students, who were chosen through a competitive process, receive full tuition support in the form of grants and forgivable loans for three years of undergraduate study at Stern.

Each scholar is assigned a mentor for the first two years of her employment in Jewish education to support her professional development. Graduates who work in the field of Jewish education for three years will have their loans forgiven in full.

“Ultimately the Legacy Heritage Fund, through this Jewish Educators Program, will elevate the caliber of instruction in Jewish schools nationwide, providing children with a new cadre of dynamic and creative teachers to enrich our educational systems and programs,” said Dean Bacon.

Deena Rabinovich, a respected teacher, educator and leader in the field of Jewish education, will direct the program. Rabinovich has taught at Yeshiva University High School for Girls and was assistant principal at North Shore Hebrew Academy. She holds a master’s degree in English from New York University, is a doctoral candidate at Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration and is an instructor in Bible at Stern College.

Rabinovich will develop new pedagogic courses, oversee the fieldwork, student teaching and mentoring portions of the program and coordinate the program with offerings at Azrieli for students wishing to pursue advanced degrees.

Find out more about the Jewish Educator's Project and its application process here.