BJE and Milken Family Foundation to Honor Outstanding Jewish Educators

On December 17, BJE and school leadership and the Milken Family Foundation will gather to honor the 2019 recipients of the Milken Family Foundation Jewish Educator Awards. Since 1990, these awards have been presented to educators who have made significant contributions to excellence in BJE-affiliated Jewish day schools. 

This year’s award recipients are: 

Michelle Andron, General Studies Principal & Math teacher at Emek Hebrew Academy

Eric Hartung, Science teacher at Pressman Academy

Rabbi Abraham Lieberman, Jewish Studies teacher at Shalhevet High School

Nelly Wisner, Kindergarten teacher at Beth Hillel Day School

 

Recipients are surprised with news of their awards during gatherings of their entire school communities, and each receives a $15,000 financial prize. Each of this year’s recipients reflected on the importance of being an educator:

“Being an educator means having the privilege to be able to impact a child's life and inspire them to reach their highest potential.”

- Michelle Andron

"Being an educator means continually reinventing oneself in order to devise motivating, challenging, and meaningful ways to guide students in developing confidence, resilience, and skills needed to meet tomorrow’s challenges."

- Eric Hartung

“To be an educator in our Jewish tradition is to be entrusted with the sacred task of passing on the collective knowledge of our people to a new generation.”

- Rabbi Lieberman

“Being an educator means having a growth based mindset. I must be able to look at every student with an open heart and mind, willing to learn all that I can from them and about them in order to bring out the best in them. It also means being flexible and willing to look for ways to refine my craft for the greater good of my classroom community." 

- Nelly Wisner

For more information please contact Rabbi Jim Rogozen, 323.761.8622.