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.  



Ariav Schlesinger

Eitan Zinberg

Dov Levine

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.