On June 20, Herzog College’s English Education Department hosted an evening of tributes to Rabbanit Lucy Dee z”l, who died in a terror attack in April 2023. She was a graduate of the Herzog College English Education course and a beloved English teacher in Efrat.
Lucy Dee was a student at Herzog Academic College in Migdal Oz, where she qualified to teach English in Israel. She made a big impact on her teachers and students, who shared their memories of her at the tribute event. Lucy’s husband, Rabbi Leo Dee, also spoke about his wife’s commitment to teaching.
Dr. Shulamit Kopeliovich, Director of the English Education Department at Herzog College, talked about Lucy as a paradigm for English teachers in Israel. “We all saw Lucy as a model teacher, and we were impressed by how she helped the Israeli students on her course who were less confident in English. Much has been said about Lucy’s kindness, but we can also bear witness to her passion for education. She went out of her way to help her teenage students, many of whom were recent immigrants struggling to adjust to life in Israel. She helped them to feel less overwhelmed, particularly in the year following the COVID pandemic, and she helped them to develop resilience. Ironically, her own students were among the thousands of Efrat teens who have had to come to terms with the tragic loss of Lucy, Maia and Rina Dee. Their memory inspires us all to become better people.”
The tribute event took place on the Herzog College campus in Migdal Oz and many people also watched it online. There were short presentations by Lucy’s colleagues and classmates, including readings of poems and blogs that Lucy had written, and pedagogical workshops by faculty members. There was a presentation by Dr. Avraham Roos about the Pirkei Avot learning project that has been launched in memory of Lucy, Maia and Rina. Dr. Amy Gelbart led a workshop on strengthening emotional connections between students and teachers.
You can watch the video of this tribute event here:
Tribute Event Part 1
Tribute Event Part 2
Click here to hear a recording of a short interview with Dr. Amy Gelbart on KAN English Radio before the event.
Dr. Kopeliovich spoke about teaching English in Israel: Lucy’s call for educational leadership.
In an effort to encourage more English-speakers in Israel to become English teachers, Herzog College is launching a new English Education B.Ed degree in October. Previously, the college required all students to study English together with another subject, but this new degree will focus entirely on acquiring the skills required to teach English as a foreign language, including the passion and enthusiasm that Lucy Dee modelled as a teacher.