One of the newest student-centered initiatives at Central is also a means by which to honor the memory of an incredible YUHSG alumna. This month, Central is officially launching the Adira Rose Koffsky a”h Humanities Scholars Program, an exciting new immersive experience that will support and nurture Central upperclassmen who demonstrate talents in literature, creative arts, and the performing arts.
“Adira was such a superstar in the humanities,” said the new program’s director, Central’s Director of Guidance and English Department faculty Mrs. Rena Boord. “We were looking for a way to both honor her memory and foster like-minded students at Central by focusing on new and unique opportunities in the humanities.”
The program is the brainchild of Mrs. Boord and Adira’s mother, writer and illustrator Mrs. Ann Koffsky. It’s a partnership that honors the special relationship that Mrs. Boord and Adira shared while Adira was a student. “Mrs. Boord and Adira spent all four years of high school together, as Mrs. Boord was also her teacher at the Midreshet Shalhevet High School for Girls,” Mrs. Koffsky said. “Together, we were looking to do something meaningful that would connect to the person Adira was, and to resonate with what was important to her. So, naturally, we had the idea to focus on literary education.”
Students will concentrate on one literary work each semester, beginning with Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, and will explore the history and context of that work – in this case, diving into the French Revolution and comparing that event with the American Revolution. Cultural trips into the city, live performances, and guest speakers from a variety of industries will also be a part of the program.
But the initiative doesn’t stop there. To foster both their education and their creativity, students will also have the opportunity to write, which will give them a platform to collaborate with others. Adira herself was more of a quiet writer, Mrs. Koffsky said. “It’s interesting. She did not like sharing work as herself. She enjoyed having a pseudonym. She liked being out there – but quietly.” In this program, students will have a chance to work toward becoming published authors.
The Humanities Scholars Program is an additional way in which Central is preparing its students for a rich life of work and service after high school, joining the ranks of the new Leadership Track, administered in conjunction with Yeshiva University, and the ACE program, which readies young women for STEAM careers.
