Katya Malikov was sitting in what appeared to be a typical mid-day assembly for Shalhevet High School in an auditorium at the Westside Jewish Community Center, the school’s temporary home, while the main campus is under construction.

Katya Malikov, an instructor with Shalhevet High School, was hugged by students after it was announced she was awarded a $15,000 gift.(photo by Jonathan Van Dyke)

“On the one hand, I was listening, and on the other hand, I was hearing thoughts about work and what was to come for the week,” she said, noting she wanted to make sure her students were prepared.

But those thoughts quickly vanished when Milken Family Foundation members announced that Malikov was one of four educators this year to win a Jewish Educator Award (JEA), an honor that comes with an unrestricted $15,000 check.

“I had just complete bewilderment and excitement,” Malikov said. “I’m almost uncomfortable with it because so many others deserve this too.”

The Jewish Educator Awards originated in 1990 and they are awarded to educators in schools affiliated with the Builders of Jewish Education. There are 37 Los Angeles Jewish day schools, with a pool of more than 1,200 potential winners of the awards.

“[The Milken Family Foundation] sees the teaching profession basically decreasing in respect from the time they went to school to the time they started the award program,” Milken executive vice president Richard Sandler said. “They wanted to elevate excellence in education.”

Past winners have used the money for everything from paying off home loans, paying for their own childrens’ education to funneling money back into the schools, at which they teach.

“The idea is for the teacher to do whatever they want with it,” Sandler said. “They’re qualified to make that decision.”

After she won, she spoke to the auditorium full of people and before she could sit again, Malikov was mobbed by her students — one after another coming up with hugs and kind words.

“I think the best thing about Ms. Malikov is that she is this rigorous, hard math teacher, but at the same time, she is so nurturing and loving and she wants every kid to succeed and she makes you work that much harder,” said Nicole Feder.

Malikov teaches four classes at Shalhevet and she also heads the math department and helps with the science department.

“I believe that knowing mathematics opens so many doors for people, and however they want to apply themselves in the future,” she said. “There is a beauty in mathematics and logical thinking.”

Sandler said it was easy to honor Malikov, especially with the national move toward emphasizing STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

“She is the perfect educator to give this to,” he said. “She not only helps her students, but she also has an effect on the entire school.”

Students said Malikov had really high standards for them, but that she made sure they could achieve those standards.

“We all looked around the room wondering who it would be, but at the same time, we knew it had to be Ms. Malikov,” student Shana Chriki said. “She pushes us and she is always there for us.”

Earlier that day, another JEA went to Chedar Menachem’s head of school, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Greenbaum, who officials said has nearly doubled the school’s enrollment while expanding development efforts and raising scholarship money.

“I think society benefits more than it realizes from good teachers, and we should be much more focused to make sure they know they are appreciated, and we need to do what we can to make sure the best and brightest go into teaching,” Sandler said.