Remember when math teacher Ms. Katia Malikov won the Milken Jewish Educator Award last year?  Well, Shalhevet’s newest Hebrew teacher, Ms. Mickey Rabinov, won it in 2013 while teaching at Beth Hillel Day School in Valley Village.

Ms. Rabinov, who will also serve as Hebrew language coordinator, has been working as an educator for 30 years and will be teaching students in grades nine, 10 and 11.

She was just as surprised as Ms. Malikov was when the award was presented.

“When my name was mentioned I was totally in shock,” Ms. Rabinov said in an interview. “I couldn’t move and I started to cry. I was lucky to be surrounded by my students who I love and without whom I would not get the award.”

“This is a moment that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life,” she added.

Originally from Haifa, Ms. Rabinov moved to Los Angeles when she was 25 and has been living here ever since.

At Shalhsevet she plans to start a group for juniors and seniors called “Moadon Yisrael,” to bring more Israeli culture to the school. Activities will include Israeli dancing, cooking, and overall cultural awareness.

At the time of receiving her award, Rabinov was working as sixth-grade Hebrew teacher and Jewish and Hebrew coordinator in the day school of Temple Beth Hillel.  She had been teaching there for 5 years.

Before that, she worked as the Jewish and Hebrew coordinator and eighth-grade Hebrew teacher at Kadima Day School for 13 years.

With so much experience as an educator, she said, comes an abundance of love for her students.

“I care a lot about my students,” Rabinov said, “They come first. I respect them and I always give them space and I love to hear their voices. I really care what the students think.”

Ms. Rabinov views herself as an easy teacher and only wants to see her students succeed.

Her outside hobbies include skiing, art, concerts, and listening to music, including classical music.

She will be the fourth Hebrew teacher, making the Hebrew department the largest at school, along with math.

“Our goal was to find someone who is going to continue to energize this department,” said Principal Reb Noam Weissman. “To create a culture of Hebrew and an Israeli feel to the school because having access to the language will grant students access to their religion.”

Ms. Rabinov has three children, two boys and one girl. The eldest son, Leeron, is currently working on his PhD. in neuroscience at Tel Aviv University. Her daughter, Lihi, received her masters degree in organizational behavior and is currently working for HSBC Israel.

Ms. Rabinov’s youngest, Daniel, served in an elite unit in the IDF and is planning to continue his studies in the near future.