By Meira Berkowitz, Staff Writer
On January 28, Yeshiva University’s Beren campus hosted its annual women’s Mechina Pathways Program student panel, drawing a large crowd of students eager to hear from Mechina students about their personal journeys and experiences at Stern College for Women. The program, led by Dean Shoshana Schechter, is designed to introduce students to formal Jewish textual study and Hebrew language in a supportive and community-oriented setting. The panel has become a highlight of the year, giving these students a chance to share their progress, struggles and moments of growth while shining a light on the diverse experiences and backgrounds that shape the Mechina community.
With panelists hailing from France, Morocco, South Africa, Michigan, California, Great Neck, Woodmere and New York City, these students brought unique stories and insights to the event. More than a chance for them to share their experiences, the panel also provided an open forum for discussion about the challenges and meaningful opportunities of joining a rigorous Jewish learning environment and finding one’s place in the YU community.
Panelist Mikaela Imani (SCW ‘28) reflected on how Mechina has shaped the person she is today and who she is becoming. She emphasized the importance of living a life centered around faith and cultivating a constructive mindset even in the face of challenges. “Looking at things with positivity and gratitude helps us go through life not easier, but happier,” she told the YU Observer. Mikaela described how Stern pushes her to grow into the best version of herself and provides an environment completely immersed in Jewish pride and practice, something she craved growing up. Her words resonated with many in attendance, reflecting the way Stern helps students become their best selves inside and out.
Torah Activities Council (TAC) President Rebecca Henner (SCW ‘26) reflected on the broader impact of the event. She described the panel as one of her favorite Torah programming events, highlighting its role in uplifting students and fostering peer-to-peer learning. “The Mechina panel gives us the opportunity to learn from and connect to our fellow students who dedicated so much into being at Stern College,” she told the YU Observer. Henner noted how the panel embodied TAC’s theme of the year: “Eizehu chacham halomed mikol adam” (“Who is wise? One who learns from everyone”). Sharing personal stories and taking interest in what diverse members of the Stern community have to offer strengthens the school as a whole.
Beren Campus Student Government (BCSG) President Betty Khirman (SCW ‘26) stressed the responsibility Stern students have as members of a close-knit Jewish community. She reflected on the idea that Stern is a small community within a much larger Jewish world and that meaningful unity cannot exist on a wider scale if it is absent on campus. “We can’t expect the entirety of the Jewish community to be unified if a community like Stern College is not unified themselves,” she told the YU Observer. Khirman noted that embracing differences in background, education and personal expression strengthens the community rather than divides it.
Beyond the individual stories, the Mechina panel highlighted the power of unity within diversity. Hearing students from a variety of backgrounds share their journeys underscores how different perspectives enrich the Stern community. Amongst all the students who spoke, there was a shared sense of purpose for growth together in Torah study, avodat Hashem (service of G-d) and in fostering meaningful relationships with one another. Personal growth is not only about academic achievement, but also about learning how to engage with others thoughtfully and empathetically. That is an aspect of the Mechina program that all students at Stern can appreciate.
Ultimately, events like the Mechina panel show that Stern is more than a place of study. It is a living, breathing community where diversity of experience fuels growth, unity and inspiration. By coming together to share, listen and learn from one another, students strengthen both their own development and the collective spirit of the community. In learning from others, we also learn about ourselves.
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