In anticipation of the upcoming school year, I had the pleasure of sitting down with two new leaders of the Barkai Yeshivah PTA, co-presidents Shirley Catton and Rachel Ashkenazi, to discuss their new posts, their support for the Yeshivah and their plans and goals for the upcoming year.
Shirley, the daughter of Barbara and Joseph Beyda A”H and the wife of Sammy Catton, comes from unparalleled roots of hesed and philanthropy and is the mother of two Barkai students.
Rachel, the daughter of Adele (Adelicacies) and Ed Hamway and the wife of Charles Ashkenazi, comes from a home that encourages community involvement and entrepreneurial spirit and is the mother of two Barkai boys.
David: Until your appointment as PTA co-president, what was your involvement in Barkai Yeshivah?
Shirley: I was simply a proud and satisfied mother of a Barkai student. I wasn’t very involved in the school outside of my child’s education. That said, I love the yeshivah and all the unique and special things it does for my child. For instance, because of the size of the school and the classes, I feel that my child is exposed to an incredible learning environment.
In terms of skills: I’m amazed with Eddie’s reading and his love for it. In terms of personal growth: I love the attention that my children get and the confidence fostered by the intimate environment. The staff is so receptive and the parent body is so warm and familial. Barkai always appealed to me as the kind of school I would have liked to attend. It’s the kind of school where the kids love to go to school and love to learn. Ideally a school should bring out your child’s potential and build his confidence, and Barkai does both.
Rachel: Until now, I also had little to do with Barkai activities outside of my children’s educations. Growing up in Deal and attending Hillel, I thought that educating my children in Brooklyn was going to be drastically different, but Barkai proved me wrong. Barkai’s warm and intimate atmosphere has been great for me and my kids. For my kids, it’s a place where they’ve learned to love to learn, where they’ve made great friends and where everyone knows and cares about them. For parents, it’s so easy to get involved and feel valued.
David: What motivated you to volunteer to head the PTA?
Shirley: It was a combination of a few things. From a personal standpoint, I had been pretty uninvolved for a short while in any formal hesed/community programs and I had decided that it was about time to get back in the saddle. Second, the excitement for and dedication to Barkai are infectious. Parents are dedicated to the yeshivah as an institution, far beyond the limited scope of their children. Everyone wants to watch the school succeed and everyone understands that they need to put in the time. Because Barkai feels like a family, everything is a joint effort. Finally, the urging of boardmembers Bobby Dweck and Michael Hidary didn’t hurt.
Rachel: Personally, it’s so important to have my children see me getting involved in their education. It shows them how important education is to me and how important it should be for them too. Also, it transmits the value of being involved in the community’s general welfare. My mother did it for me; she was president of the Hillel PTA. Also, I want to do the most that I can to make sure that my most valuable investment is maximized. Given the chance to be involved, why wouldn’t I be?
David: What are some of the programs and goals that you have set for the upcoming school-year?
Shirley: A lot of the programming will be a continuation of the successful foundation laid by the previous PTA presidents. For instance, this year’s literacy day was a huge success and we hope to repeat and build on that success this year. We would love to add a cultural flavor to the already successful day. Our Hanukah party is a staple with the yeshivah’s families; this year we want to add a Purim party.
Rachel: Until now, the PTA has been remarkable—it has accomplished everything from grass-roots programming and events to fundraising for meaningful projects, like Barkai’s pre-school playground. And we hope to build on its success. Generally, we want to open up events to participation beyond Barkai families, to the community at large. We want to give the community the chance to see what’s so special about Barkai and to become part of the Barkai family. The community support at the first event of my co-presidency, the Annual Barkai Barbecue, at the home of Lawrence and Sherry Lynn Jemal, was a great success. Everyone enjoyed a delicious dinner, great rides and a petting zoo!
David: Tell us about your co-president.
Shirley: Rachel is a very special individual. She’s dynamic, organized and creative. She just wants to get things done right and fast. I think she is a tremendous asset to the PTA and I am glad I made a new friend along the way!
Rachel: Shirley is cool, calm and collected. She never loses her composure; her grace and dignity— traits that she inherited from her parents and embellished—should be envied. I’m so excited to be working with her and together we hope to bring success to the upcoming school year.
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David Tawil is a Barkai boardmember.
