Three Students are Recipient of the Edythe Sommer Memorial Torah U’Maada Scholarship Award
June 2010
Yeshivot Bnei Akiva in Israel has selected Eitan Zinberg from Woodmere, Ariav Schlesingerfrom Memphis and Dov Levine from West Hempstead as the winners of the annual Edythe Sommer Memorial Torah U’Maada Scholarship Award.
Established through the generosity of the Sommer Family of Chicago, Illinois, the award recognizes post-High School American students studying at a YBA school in Israel for their academic excellence in both Jewish and general studies. In particular, the scholarship emphasizes the areas of science and math, along with excellent midot and involvement in chesed, extra-curricular and communal activities, as well as personal identification with the goals of Yeshivot Bnei Akiva and Religious Zionism.
Edythe Sommer began her teaching career at the
Hebrew Academy of Miami Beach in 1956 teaching math at the elementary
and junior high school levels. It was highly unusual at that time
to find observant teachers who taught secular subjects. In fact
she was the only secular teacher who was shomeret mitzvot and was
one of only a handful of secular teachers at the day school who
were even Jewish. Mrs. Sommer was appointed principal of the English
Department of the K-9 grades a short time after that and remained
in that position until 1967. She was instrumental in hiring additional
observant teachers and encouraged many observant students to enter
the profession.
She was hired to become the English Studies principal at the Hebrew
Academy of Greater Washington in 1967. She concluded her career
as the English Studies principal at the Hillel Academy in Pittsburgh.
Throughout her career she exemplified the integration of secular
and Judaic Studies. She constantly brought programs and speakers
to the schools that would enlighten the students, informing them
how a person could use both their knowledge of secular and Judaic
studies to develop a greater depth and understanding of each subject.
She would often tell students “you can not learn g’mara
if you don’t know math.”
Mrs. Sommer was an ardent supporter of the State of Israel working
tirelessly for many organizations that supported the State. In her
honor, the Sommer Family of Chicago has endowed The Edythe Sommer
Memorial Scholarship Fund for students spending a year after high
school in Israel. The scholarships are awarded to students who have
excelled in both general studies with an emphasis on math and science,
and limudei kodesh. Additional criteria include excellence in middot,
involvement in extra curricular activities and personal identification
with the goals of Religious Zionism and Yeshivot Bnei Akiva.
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