Four Jewish educators surprised with $15,000 awards
3 years
(Photos in order: Chana Zauderer, Yoav Ben-Horin, Cherie Friedman and Natalie Williams. Photos courtesy of the Milken Family Foundation.)
On Oct. 28, four Los Angeles Jewish day school educators were honored for their significant contributions.
Receiving the prestigious Jewish Educator Award (JEA) and $15,000 each, were Dr. Natalie Williams, principal at YULA Girls High School, Chana Zauderer, principal general studies teacher at Yeshiva Rav Isacson / Torath Emeth Academy, Cherie Friedman, associate director, K-8, and elementary school general studies teacher at Kadima Day School, and Yoav Ben-Horin, director of global Jewish education at de Toledo High School.
“It’s not a job, it’s a passion,” Friedman said. “I dedicate this to all my teachers and students who made this possible.”
Yoav Ben-Horin
“My greatest reward for the past 15 years has been the sheer joy and gratification of being part of the lives of those… of infinite potential — teenagers,” said Yoav Ben-Horin. “de Toledo breathes a dynamic sense of purpose and creativity that makes it a privilege to dedicate one’s heart and soul to a Jewish future that our youngsters will lead and shape.”
The Jewish Educator Awards initiative, established by the Milken Family Foundation, in cooperation with BJE: Builders of Jewish Education, honors four teachers, administrators and other education professionals in the Greater Los Angeles area who have made significant contributions to excellence in BJE-affiliated day schools. The awards are presented at school assemblies.
Gil Graff, executive director at BJE said this year’s recipients were educators who “deeply deeply care about students. They really understand the whole child and want to be a guide and help [them] grow. Education is a calling to each of them. And they are beloved by their school community, and one of the lovely things to see at these assemblies is the colleagues and students who are so delighted that the individual is recognized.”
“Excellence in education should be rewarded,” MFF Executive Vice President Richard Sandler said in a statement. “We hope to encourage our next generation to consider careers in teaching — in particular, to strengthen the vital role of Jewish day schools to develop academic potential and cultivate lifelong respect for the values imparted by their Jewish heritage.”