Mrs. Natalie Honig, who helped students overcome distance during Covid, leaves to direct Admissions at Maimonides
Mrs. Honig says she will use skills learned at Shalhevet in future opportunities
BONDS: Shalhevet students said they felt comfortable talking to Mrs. Honig and often approached her for advice.
August 28, 2022
Mrs. Natalie Honig, a friend and listener to her students and someone who was tasked with connecting students throughout the distanced times of Covid, has left Shalhevet after serving three years as Judaic Studies faculty member and mashgicha ruchani.
She is now working as Director of Admissions at Gindi Maimonides Academy, a K-8 school in West Hollywood that has sent many students to Shalhevet, and made the move because her own children are starting school there.
“That’s basically it, I just wanted to be close to them,” said Mrs. Honig, who was known to students as Natalie.
In her three years at Shalhevet, Mrs. Honig taught 9th- and 10th-grade Tanach as well as advisory. She was also a Mashgicha Ruchani, or a spiritual guide, and through the role, she was able to connect with many Shalhevet students and help them connect with one another.
Covid made many methods of student bonding difficult, and Mrs. Honig said she had to get creative.
“So we [thought]… what can we do on the Zoom front, how can we connect them, what can we do online?” she said. “We did cooking classes, we did challah bakes, we did games.”
Mrs. Honig said that she would remember school trips most fondly because of the opportunities it gave students to form relationships with one another.
“You create memories, you create bonds[…]” she said. “You give them that ability with a different setting.”
Junior Keira Deutsch said that Mrs. Honig had immense care for the well-being of all of her students and she said she taught her the importance of being kind to others.
“She taught me to always be open minded, and to not shut people out because of what they think, and to be aware of other people’s feelings and everything,” said Keira, who had Mrs. Honig as her Tanach teacher in 9th and 10th grade.“She just had such a kind heart.”
Mrs. Honig’s kindness was also felt by junior Arielle Grossman.
“She was somebody you felt so comfortable with, knowing that they’re there, in school with you[…]” said Arielle. “She is a very relatable and understanding person and will never judge you.”
Mrs. Honig said she hopes to continue her close relationships with Shalhevet students.
“The relationships I have with students, I think, will carry on forever,” Mrs. Honig said.
She also said that she would continue to use the skills she learned while working at Shalhevet.
“Even with Covid, it was the most impactful three years of my life,” she said. “I am very grateful for Shalhevet and the opportunity.”
