the 2022 emerging scholars awardees
Maharat is thrilled to announce the Fourth Cohort of Emerging Scholars Awardees. This award celebrates young women who are high school seniors and who excel in leadership, spirituality and Torah learning. The award acknowledges these young women for their accomplishments and dedication to the Jewish community, while supporting their continued growth. Dozens of applications were received from across the United States, representing the diversity and dedication of today’s young women.
Awardees will receive a $2,500 stipend towards university or gap year education. They will connect with other prominent Jewish leaders and Torah scholars, including Maharat faculty, alumnae and students. Additionally, they will be announced at Maharat’s Tenth Annual Semikha Ceremony, being held on June 16 at 6:30pm EST, an inspiring celebration of women’s leadership which is open to the public.
Rina Rogers is a senior at Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School in Teaneck, NJ. At school, Rina is editor-in-chief of the weekly Dvar Torah publication, captain of the Varsity B volleyball team, head of the Environmental Committee, and a member of the debate and track teams. Rina has been an NCSY chapter board member, a Ma’ayanot student ambassador, and a J-Serve ambassador. Rina attended Camp Moshava for 7 years before becoming a counselor. She has been a youth leader at her shul for 5 years. Rina is passionate about pursuing new learning opportunities and creating environments where every person feels comfortable. She participated in a year-long fellowship on how to have an effective dialogue on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Rina loves harmonizing limudei kodesh with hard sciences. This drive has led her to win a Chemistry Science Olympiad two years in a row and receive the Bausch + Lomb Honorary Science Award from the University of Rochester. Rina is excited to learn at Nishmat next year, followed by NYU.
Eliana Menashe is a senior at the Northwest Yeshiva High School (NYHS) in Seattle, Washington. At NYHS, Eliana is the Agenda Chair/Student Council President, Co-Captain of the women's varsity baseball team, and is actively involved with both the student run newspaper and yearbook. In the larger community, Eliana tutors at-risk youth and was a counselor in the youth program at her Sephardic synagogue. Eliana is so proud to be both the first woman to carry the Torah at NYHS and one of the organizers and readers of NYHS' first women's Megillah reading. One of Eliana's major life goals is to help women struggling with their body image and food and to be part of a movement to assist women in reclaiming their own narrative about what beauty and health should really look like. Eliana is thrilled to attend Midreshet Torah V'Avodah and then Washington University in St. Louis!
Reyna Perelis is from Teaneck, New Jersey, where she’s grown up supported by her three younger siblings, parents, and grandparents. She’ll be graduating from SAR High School in Riverdale this year, and is a member of Congregation Netivot Shalom. She is a bat mitzvah and Hebrew school tutor, soccer coach and player, women’s tefillah leader, compost enthusiast, Model UN captain, and proud creator of her street’s lending library. She loves hiking, exploring new places, painting, and learning about how things work. Reyna was a 2021 Bronfman fellow, and is excited by meeting, learning with, and gaining an understanding of people who are different from her. Next year, Reyna will be at Midreshet Lindenbaum in Jerusalem, followed by Princeton University.