Louis E. Yavner Teaching and Citizen Awards
The Board of Regents invites nominations for the . These awards provide recognition of a teacher and a citizen who have made outstanding contributions to New York State education about the Holocaust and other violations of human rights. The awards were established by the Regents and funded by the late Regent Emeritus Louis E. Yavner. State Education Department staff are not eligible for these awards.Ìý
Karen Feldman, a middle school teacher at Wagner Middle School in New York City, was named the recipient of the ¿ìè³É°æÊÓƵ'sÌý2023 Louis E. Yavner Teacher Award and Elliott Saiontz from Chappaqua and Dr. Vladimir Monk from Plattsburgh (missing from picture), were named co-recipients of the ¿ìè³É°æÊÓƵ's Louis E. Yavner Citizen Award.
°Õ³ó±ðÌýLouis E. Yavner Teaching AwardÌýrecognizes an elementary or secondary, public and nonpublic school teacher in New York State who has made an outstanding contribution to education about the Holocaust and other violations of human rights.
Teaching Award Criteria: The nominee’s work related to the Holocaust and other violations of human rights will be judged according to the following criteria:
- Activities in public and/or nonpublic schools, including courses taught, extracurricular activities for students, school-wide programming, etc. within the last 5 years
- Activities outside of school, such as workshops, presentations, exhibits, etc. which have benefited professional associations, higher education institutions, cultural institutions, civic groups, and/or service organizations within the last 5 years
- Total number of students, teachers, and others reached through both in school and out of school Ìýactivities
- Impact of work on students, the local community, professionals and others
Teaching Award Documentation: Documentation must be provided that supports the criteria listed above. Documentation should include:
- Application form submitted by nominator;
- A letter of recommendation from the nominator, summarizing the nominee’s contributions;
- At least 2 other letters of recommendation; and
- Candidate submission:
- A short biography or resume, including a chronological listing of activities (e.g., classes, workshops, presentations, exhibits), awards and/or honors received, and publications;
- Description of in-school activity including number of teacher/students reached;
- Description of activity outside of school including the number of people reached;
- Example of materials developed and/or published;
- Media reports of activities, if any; and
- Letters received from students, parents or colleagues regarding activities.
See deadline and submission information below.
°Õ³ó±ðÌýLouis E. Yavner Citizen AwardÌýwas established to honor Holocaust survivors, scholars of the Holocaust and human rights issues, and self-taught experts who help to educate students about these difficult topics.
Citizen Award Criteria:Ìý
The general criteria for this award are:
- Contributions on a local, regional and/or statewide basis to education about the Holocaust and other violations of human rights;
- Total number of students, teachers, and others reached through the candidate’s work;
- Impact of candidate’s contributions on others.
Documentation for Citizen Award:Ìý
Documentation must be provided that supports the criteria listed above. Documentation should include:
- Application form submitted by nominator;
- A letter of recommendation from the nominator, summarizing the nominee’s contributions;
- At least two other letters of recommendations; and
- Documentation, including a short biography and a resume, that includes a chronological listing or activities, awards and/or honors received. The activities should be described and include the number of people impacted by the activity. Letters received from others regarding the impact of the candidate should be included as well as any media reports of activities. If the candidate has developed materials or published, reference to this work should be included in the documentation.
See deadline and submission information below.
The deadline for submission of nominations for the 2024 award has been extended to November 15, 2024.ÌýThe names of the award winners will remain confidential until the award ceremony at a Board of Regents meeting in January 2025.
All documentation may be submitted electronically toÌýP12StandardsInstruction@nysed.gov. Please use YAVNER AWARD as the subject.
Printed documentation may be mailed to Office of Standards & Instruction, Louis E. Yavner Award, ¿ìè³É°æÊÓƵ, Room 860 EBA, Albany, NY 12234.
Any questions please contact the Office of Standards & Instruction via email:ÌýP12StandardsInstruction@nysed.govÌýor telephone 518-474-5922.
All award winners are from New York State.Ìý Citizen awards were first initiated in 1986.
Ìý | Yavner Teaching Award Recipient(s) | Yavner Citizen Award Recipient(s) |
2023 | Karen Feldman,ÌýRobert F. Wagner Middle School in Manhattan, NY |
Dr. Vladimir Munk, Plattsburgh, NY Elliott Saiontz, Chappaqua, NY |
2022 |
Brooke Canale and Brandy Kinney, Salamanca Central School District |
Julie Golding, Suffern, NY |
2021 | No Awardee | No Awardee |
2020 | No Awardee | No Awardee |
2019 | Meghan Wright, Alexander Central School District | No Awardee |
2018 |
William Zimpfer, Southern Cayuga Central School District | No Awardee |
2017 |
Mitchell Polay, Yonkers Public Schools | No Awardee |
2016 |
Matthew Rozell, Hudson Fall HS |
Eliazar "Ed" Lessing, Hastings-on-Hudson |
2015 |
Kathy Kimball-Wurster, Washingtonville HS |
Hannelore Marx, New York |
2014 |
Andrew Beiter, Springville-Griffith Institute MS |
Dennis Banks, Oneonta |
2009-2013 |
No Awardee |
No Awardee |
2008 |
Helene Alalouf, Yonkers |
Marion Blumenthal Lazan, Hewlett |
2007 |
Barbara Bernard, Commack |
Fred Bachner*, Somers |
2006 |
Beth Quinn, Yonkers |
Ira Bilus, Brooklyn |
2005 |
Patrick E. Connelly, Webster |
Sally Frishberg, Brooklyn |
2004 |
Lori Megivern, Dryden |
Jack Ratz, Brooklyn |
2003 |
Abbie Laskey, East Hills |
Walter Wolff*, Long Beach |
2002 |
Neal Shultz, New York |
Helen Sperling, New Hartford |
2001 |
Julia Scallero, Tarrytown |
Norbert Friedman, West Hempstead |
2000 |
Susan J. Goldberg*, Hastings-on-Hudson |
Irving Roth, Willison Park |
1999 |
Marc Schimsky, Commack |
Inge Liese Auerbacher, Jamaica |
1998 |
Douglas W. Pelton, Dryden |
Fanya Gottesfeld Heller, New York |
1997 |
Dr. Sharon L. Dobkin, Akron |
Jack Polak, Eastchester |
1996 |
Dr. Milton Teichman, Poughkeepsie |
Anton Segore, Albany |
1995 |
Mark Willner, Midwood |
Renee Fersen-Osten, New Rochelle |
1994 |
Shelly Zima Shapiro, Latham |
Dr. Stephanie Isser*, Albany |
1993 |
Donna Aufiero-Rosenblum, Merrick |
Bozenna Urbanowicz-Gilbride, Garden City |
1992 |
Steven Paskuly, Buffalo |
Siegmund Spiegel, East Meadow |
1991 |
Grace M. Caporino, Yorktown Heights |
Alfred Lipson, Bayside |
1990 |
Dr. Diane Isaacs, Dobbs Ferry |
Joseph Kalina, Dewitt |
1989 |
Neil B. Yetwin, Schenectady |
Georgine J. Hyde, Suffern |
1988 |
Dr. Reuben Stern, Glendale |
Clara Feldman, Whitestone |
1987 |
Professor Yaffa Eliach, Brooklyn |
Dr. Dennis B. Klein, New York |
1986 |
Vincent Marmorale, Uniondale |
Dr. Luba Gurdus, New York |
1985 |
Clayton Adams, Kenmore |
Ìý |
1984 |
Stuart Elenko, Bronx |
Ìý |
1983 |
Matthew McCarthy, East Meadow |
Ìý |
1982 |
Evelyn Becker* |
Ìý |
* = deceased