On Monday, October 12, the Yeshiva University High School for Girls’ very own Rosh Beis Midrash, Rabbi Zvi Lew, was honored with the 2026 Global Jewish Teachers Award at the Global Jewish Educators Summit in Israel. The award, which honors educators making outstanding contributions to the field by fostering the next generation of Jewish thinkers and scholars, includes a week of professional development experiences in Israel and a $2,500 grant for each recipient. Rabbi Lew was one of only eight teachers in the world honored with the award at Monday’s ceremony, which was attended by Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Combating Anti-Semitism Minister Amichai Chikli. The Global Jewish Teacher Award is a joint initiative of Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Anti-Semitism, UnitEd, The Jerusalem Post, the World Zionist Organization, Herzog College, and the Mayberg Foundation.
Rabbi Lew has been an integral part of YUHSG’s faculty for over two decades, spearheading pioneering Torah learning programs like Rambam Bekiut and YUHSG’s Ethics Program. Students often mention his classes as a highlight of their YUHSG experience. His influence is deeply felt among current YUHSG students and across the school’s alumnae network – many of whom attended Monday’s awards ceremony to celebrate him – with graduates following his lectures as they are posted weekly on YU Torah. His warmth, guidance, and generous mentorship reinforce the values and perspectives YUHSG graduates treasure as they make their way into the world. “This recognition is so well deserved and reflects what we are fortunate to see every day at Central. Rabbi Lew brings extraordinary Torah scholarship, a deep and authentic love of learning, and an unwavering commitment to helping our students become independent, thoughtful learners of Torah,” said YUHSG’s principal, Mrs. Aliza Gewirtz, and assistant principal, Mrs. Karen Lavner. “Through his teaching, his dedication to the Rambam Bekiut Program, and the meaningful relationships he continues to build with students and alumnae long after graduation, Rabbi Lew inspires our girls to develop a lifelong connection to Torah and to see themselves as capable of engaging deeply with its wisdom. His passion for Torah, his dedication to our students, and the lasting impact he has on their lives are a tremendous source of nachas for our entire community.”
YUHSG is proud to recognize and celebrate Rabbi Lew’s contributions to the YUHSG community. “My hope is that my students will develop the tools to learn independently, think deeply, and apply what they have learned to their everyday lives,” Rabbi Lew said. “If you show commitment, dedication, and care to your students, they can reach incredible heights.”
