(Courtesy of AMIT) Eight AMIT educators are among the education ministry’s religious-education administration list of this year’s “teachers of the century.” All of the teachers and principals selected for this distinction were recognized for their groundbreaking values-based leadership and educational innovation.
Hailing from schools across Israel, the eight AMIT teachers are Rivka Berger, a veteran counselor at AMIT Fred Kahane Technological High School in Ashkelon; Yigal Bohbot, a longtime teacher at AMIT Ashkelon Bet Junior and Senior High School and the school’s parent coordinator; Chana Cohen, who heads R&D at AMIT Evelyn Schreiber Junior and Senior High School for Girl in Tzfat; Rav Itai Weiss, principal of Yeshivat AMIT Amichai in Rehovot; Shoshana Lev, head of the English department at AMIT Wasserman Torah, Arts and Sciences Junior and Senior High School for Girls in Ma’ale Adumim; Pnina Israeli, a teacher at AMIT Gwen Straus High School for Society & Law in Ra’anana; Iris Jarufi, coordinator for new immigrants and Hebrew teacher at AMIT Ashdod Yeshiva High School; and Meir Mordechai, assistant principal at AMIT Nordlicht Religious Technological High School in Jerusalem.
Each of these educators embodies AMIT’s core values of educational innovation, Jewish and Zionist values and striving to help each student to fulfill their unique potential.
Berger has been a faculty member that the students at AMIT Fred Kahane, one of the network’s vocational schools, know they can turn to and count on.
In addition to serving as a teacher, Bohbot has also helped get parents more involved at the school by setting up different committees related to chesed, marketing and collecting donations and resources for the school. He also maintains contact with parents of fallen soldiers who attended the school and set up a memorial for them.
Cohen, one of the veteran faculty members at AMIT Evelyn Schreiber, helped introduce the Gogya teaching method to the school and helped it achieve greater educational success—including its current 95% bagrut pass rate. Cohen’s colleagues describe her as modest and dedicated, setting a wonderful example for her students.
Weiss, who is also recognized for his dedication to his school and students, spearheaded a six-year program (from seventh to 12th grades) at the yeshiva that provides a holistic approach to education, including social and emotional aspects in addition to more group and collaborative learning methods.
Lev, whose three daughters attend AMIT Wasserman, is a valuable staff member, both for the students and fellow teachers, according to Ruchama Vogel, the school’s principal. Lev, who heads English studies, sets a personal example of patience, tolerance and caring for others.
Israeli, who teaches civics and history at AMIT Gwen Straus, is known for the personal connection she develops with each of her students. Yaron Carmi, who heads the society and law track, said she succeeds in identifying and strengthening what is unique in each student, helping them succeed personally and academically.
Jarufi is also one of the veteran faculty members at her school, AMIT Ashdod’s yeshiva, where she is known for her creativity, devotion and compassion—skills that are especially valuable in helping the more than 50 new immigrant students acclimate to the school. She guides them as they learn Hebrew and adapt to their new life, helping them until they compete their bagrut exams.
Mordechai is also a longtime educator, having worked at his Jerusalem school for two decades. His students value his dedication and the values he imparts to them on a daily basis. He teaches them to live chesed and Torah values and cares for their emotional well-being at school and at home.
AMIT, named the #1 educational network in Israel by Israel’s education ministry for the third consecutive year, providing innovative, Jewish values-based education, is having a life-changing impact on more than 37,000 children, 70% of whom live in the socioeconomic or geographic periphery. Visit www.amitchildren.org.
