Parents of The Year
Dr. Barbara Coven
Barbara Coven credits her desire to become a physician and work with those most vulnerable, infants and children, to her parents Estelle and Harold Coven, of blessed memory. She attended Wesleyan University in Connecticut and Boston University School of Medicine. She initially worked overseas in American Samoa at the LBJ Tropical Medical Center and in Hawaii at the Kaiser Kona Clinic. In 1992 she became chief of pediatrics at Kaiser Permanente in Westchester and transitioned into the current West Med Medical Group with practices in White Plains and Rye, NY. Dr. Coven is an attending physician at Greenwich and White Plains Hospitals and listed in the Castle Connolly Guide “The Best Doctors New York Metropolitan Area.” Barbara and her family have been actively involved with Chabad of Greenwich since its inception in 1996. Dr. Coven thanks her Greenwich community, led by Rabbi Yossi and Maryashie Deren and Rabbi Menachen and Chani Feldman of Chabad for fostering her and her family’s Jewish and spiritual development. Barbara has served as Medical Director of Camp Gan and has donated her time, professional services and Hawaii home to Chabad and Carmel Academy.
WHHS has played a pivotal role in her daughters’ education. Barbara’s older daughter, Lorraine ’03 had briefly attended Bicultural Day School in Stamford, but completed middle school in Greenwich. She was eager to return to a Jewish day school environment. Not only did WHHS accept Lorraine, they provided the necessary support for her to strengthen her Hebrew and Judaic learning. She graduated with multiple honors, became a leader in many of the clubs including captain of Federal Reserve challenge, and Model UN, and editor of the French and school newspapers. Lorraine completed a year of study in Israel at Midreshat Lindenbaum. She attended Yale College, graduating in 2008, Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude, with distinction in Philosophy. Dr. Coven remembers her words after completing Yale’s extremely vigorous freshman Directed Studies (DS) program and receiving their Riggs Prize for Excellence in Humanities, “after surviving the dual curriculum at WHHS and Mrs. Mahler’s AP class, DS was EASY.” Lorraine currently attends Yale Law School. After graduating, she plans to clerk for the federal district court in California. She has an offer to join O’Melveny and Myers, LLP. Lorraine is passionate about practicing law to promote social justice.
Dr. Coven’s younger daughter, graduating senior Hannah Brody needs no introduction. She is a founding student and graduate of Carmel Academy (formerly WFHA). Both Carmel Academy and WHHS afforded Hannah strong secular and Judaic studies programs, on beautiful campuses with caring and attentive teachers and administrators. At WHHS, Hannah takes advantage of many of the honors and AP courses offered while participating in a near limitless number of after school activities. Where else could one be the female lead in the student written play, captain of Mock Trial and Model UN, be a lead journalist on the Hebrew and English newspapers, and STILL play girls’ hockey! Outside of school Hannah is extremely active in her Greenwich Chabad, teaching at the Hebrew school, counselor extraordinaire at Camp Gan, and volunteering with Friendship Circle. She has spent two summers in Israel working at Camp Koby with Ethiopian immigrants and children who have experienced losses. Hannah also participates in the intensive Write on Israel Program which prepares high school students for Israel advocacy roles at college. This year, thanks to the new and exciting WHHS EDGE program, she is working in the Mamaroneck head start program and using her Spanish, many thanks to Senor Rimer! The guidance, education and individual attention she has received has helped mold her into a passionate, caring young woman and strong community member. Hannah hopes to spend next year studying in Israel and return to the US for college.
WHHS has provided a wonderful education and nurturing environment to Barbara’s two daughters. She thanks the staff under the watchful eyes of Rabbis Beer and Majerowicz, and Dean of Students, Dr. Nancy Block, for so carefully considering the whole person and fostering their individual strengths, love of Judaism and commitment to torah values. Barbara hopes others in our Westchester/Fairfield community can take advantage of this hidden gem of a school and discover the amazing and nurturing faculty and staff and students that Westchester Hebrew High School offers.