(Courtesy of Ma’ayanot) Ma’ayanot’s annual scholarship dinner, Saturday evening, March 7, will celebrate outgoing principal Rivka Kahan, and express hakarat hatov for her transformative impact on the school. Ma’ayanot alumnae are invited to attend the dinner at a reduced rate, or to attend the dessert reception, to pay tribute to Kahan. The dinner will also honor Ma’ayanot parents Rabbi Alan and Alexis Berkowitz, Shalom and Susan Fisch, and David and Zahava Shepetofsky for their contributions to Ma’ayanot and the community.
Kahan, who is making aliyah this summer, is a beloved teacher of Torah with a passion for education. She has been active in shaping academic and religious life at Ma’ayanot since she joined the faculty in 2002. Before becoming principal, Kahan served as Tanach chair, director of Israel guidance, director of professional development and assistant principal. She also wrote Ma’ayanot’s Halacha curriculum and taught Tanach, talmud, Halacha and Jewish philosophy. She is beloved and respected by students and faculty alike for her vast Torah knowledge, wisdom and dignified leadership.
Talmud teacher and Director of Admissions Dena Block explained, “Mrs. Kahan conveys passion in her teaching and is a person of tremendous integrity and vision.”
Senior Ilana Epstein, who as a junior was a student in Kahan’s Judaism’s Big Questions elective, said, “Mrs. Kahan was so excited about everything she taught us. One of the most meaningful lessons was when she used pesukim from the end of Parashat Beshalach to show how we can find God in every aspect of our lives, and that it’s up to us to seek Him out.”
Junior Gabriella Bak also found Kahan “inspiring as a teacher,” and juniors Michal Benloulou, Zahava Kalb and Adina Pearlman appreciated her kindness, how she created a warm environment in the school, and that she always greeted students by name, with a smile.
Ma’ayanot has reached unprecedented heights of enrollment and opportunity under Kahan’s leadership. Student activities, Torah programming, student-support services and the Learning Center have grown in size and quality with her support. Ma’ayanot’s pioneering STEAM studies and co-curricular learning options, including Torah enrichment, humanities enrichment and interdisciplinary days, have added breadth and depth to the students’ learning experiences.
With a deep commitment to teaching even as an administrator, Kahan continued to motivate students at Ma’ayanot toward a love of Torah and an appreciation of how it speaks to them. Additionally, she has written and lectured widely beyond the walls of Ma’ayanot and is a leading voice in the field of Jewish education. Kahan embodies a devotion to Ma’ayanot’s unique educational vision of facilitating students’ personal growth, so that they may be joyful and inspired members of Klal Yisrael.
Rabbi Alan and Alexis Berkowitz are parents of two Ma’ayanot alumnae and a current student, and have gone above and beyond to strengthen and contribute to the Ma’ayanot community. Mrs. Berkowitz has been the parent council treasurer for the past seven years, and has served on the education committee and the dinner committee. Rabbi Berkowitz said, “The greatest part of Ma’ayanot is that the girls gained yirat shamayim. They have acquired a love of Torah and it has defined who they are.” Mrs. Berkowitz added, “The school cares about each student and prides itself on meeting individual needs, fostering a positive school experience and overall success.”
Shalom and Susan Fisch, Ma’ayanot parents since 2012, have deep roots in the Ma’ayanot family and have contributed their talents and energies to the Ma’ayanot community in many ways. Mrs. Fisch was a member of the Ma’ayanot board of directors from 2015 to 2019. The Fisches believe in Ma’ayanot’s mission of fostering each student’s personal growth and observe that “Ma’ayanot has given our girls the opportunities and role models they need to grow into the best people they can be.”
For David and Zahava Shepetofsky and their daughter Gila (‘20), the choice for Gila to commute to Ma’ayanot from Staten Island was an easy one. Looking around their own neighborhood at Ma’ayanot graduates solidified this decision. “Ma’ayanot provides a warm, inviting atmosphere. It has afforded a lot of growth for our daughter and has been like a new family and community for all of us.” The Shepetofskys have coordinated the Staten Island bus route for four years, which is a tremendous service to their community and to the school.
Ma’ayanot’s dinner is an opportunity to celebrate Kahan’s contributions to every facet of school life. Ma’ayanot also thanks the parent honorees and appreciates that it is the teamwork of administration, faculty, staff, parents and students themselves that creates the love of Torah, belief in oneself and expanded horizons that is the Ma’ayanot experience.
