Purim is a time of year that shows the best of women in our community. Without the perseverance and leadership of Esther HaMalka the fate of the Jewish people would have been sealed. 

We see the value of women’s leadership everywhere in society - and YOF alumni are shining examples of women who have taken a different path to leadership and showcase their passions, skills and commitment in the best ways possible. Each woman in her own way stands on the shoulders of those who came before her and is paving the way for the female leaders of the future.

Caroll Dweck-Sutton (ES ‘08, HS ‘12) found her voice as a leader early on as Secretary of the first all-female Student Government (SGO) team at YOF. Before the 2012 SGO team came into office, Color War, now a beloved annual event, wasn’t held every year. The SGO team lobbied for and won the opportunity to have Color War every year. 

Now, Caroll spends her days as a valued member of the Flatbush faculty. She recently stepped into the role of Director of the Shifra Hanon Pathfinders Department. The department curates unique opportunities for YOF students to learn about their interests and skills outside of the classroom. Caroll and her team provide our students with internships and other opportunities to hear from industry leaders and learn professional skills like resume writing, email communication, interviewing skills, and public speaking.

As a department manager and student advocate she is all about supporting her team and 664 JBHS students. “I take a collaborative approach in order for us to accomplish all our goals. Ms. Hanon built a program centered around student success and we are working to uphold that legacy.” 

Sara (Sultan) Rosenfeld (HS ‘87) currently serves as Head of School at Barkai Yeshivah, a 400 student nursery-8th grade school in Brooklyn, NY. Although education is a field overwhelmingly staffed by women, Sara is still unique as a Head of School, a member of a small (but growing) club. She started at Barkai from its inception in 1999.

As a leader, Sara has helped to build the school up from the grassroots. “I view my job as enabling our administration and staff to do their best and be their best selves. I want to remove the obstacles from their paths, provide needed resources, and build a positive culture within our walls. I was blessed to have amazing mentors who I learned from along the way. From each I learned different aspects of leadership which have helped me grow into who I am today.”

Sara also has a special and continuing relationship to YOF. She is not just an alum, or someone who has hired many of her fellow alumni, but she is a JBHS parent as well. Two of her kids are in our high school right now. “I get to share this experience with them again and to see how much the school has evolved while holding on to the core of what makes Flatbush students who they are. It’s wonderful to see my children connect with teachers from my day like Dr. Wolowelsky, Rabbi Besser and Rabbi Prag.”

Dahlia (Trainin) Topolosky, Psy.D (HS ‘94) is a leader who wears many hats. Professionally, she is a clinical psychologist in private practice working with teens and adults as they navigate issues including anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and life transitions. Personally, she is also a leader in her community, as the Rebbetzin at Kehilat Pardes in Rockville, Maryland. She and her husband Rabbi Uri lived in New Orleans where they helped rebuild the Jewish community in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Dahlia loves to sing and is passionate about creating Torah learning and spiritual opportunities for women. 

Flatbush has long served as a guiding force in her spiritual development. “Going to Flatbush was life-changing. I was able to be a part of a community of different backgrounds where we learned to balance and integrate both the intellectual and the spiritual.”

When we asked about her leadership style, she spoke about leading by example, “As a rebbetzin and a psychologist, I try to see the holiness in others and hope to build a community that is warm, nonjudgmental, and accessible.  Similar to Flatbush, my husband and I work to create a space where everyone could find meaning and feel comfortable.”

Ali (Rishty) Cohen (ES ‘07, HS ‘11) is a senior software engineer working as a data scientist at Anheuser-Busch. This role uniquely blends her twin passions of coding and data analysis. “In my work for Anheuser-Busch I develop applications for intelligent sales, product targeting based on demographics in the community.” In her position, she has the opportunity to teach her colleagues and work on projects that allow the company to better serve the consumer. 

When we asked about her leadership style, Ali talked about inclusivity and  playing off other people’s strengths. “I work to recognize the strengths in others and leverage those strengths to put out the best result.” She tries to bring together diverse groups with different talents to meet the needs of the project at hand. 

One person at YOF who impacted Ali was Mr. Paul Schwartz, the Middle School science teacher. “He taught me how to think scientifically, and inspired my love for science. He was always encouraging and celebrated my improvement and success in his classes. The love and interest I grew for science in his classes ended up translating to my passion for neuroscience when I was in college.”

Dr. Barbara (Cammer) Paris (HS ‘69) is a leader in the field of geriatric medicine. For the past 20 years she has served as the Vice Chair of Medicine & the Director of the Division of Geriatrics at Maimonides Health. Her passion for caring for the elderly began with her close relationship with her grandmother and as a high school student volunteer at Maimonides. 

When we asked about leadership, Barbara harkened back to the early influence of her father who was extremely supportive of her passions. She mentioned this was an unusual position in the 1970s, “we (girls) were supposed to marry a doctor, not become one.” She takes her leadership cues from his positive attitude. “My leadership style is supportive and focused on encouraging people to work to their highest potential.”

Through her position, she has the opportunity to be a leader and to see others lead. “As the Division Chief of Geriatrics at Maimonides, I lead clinical programs, oversee education of residents in geriatrics and mentor my team of doctors, nurses, social workers and administrative staff.” 

Barbara spoke of friendships and the road map to success that she received at YOF that has stayed with her throughout her life. “I worked hard and learned so much. The experience gave me the tools and foundation I have always used to be a critical thinker and not be afraid to take on many tasks simultaneously. I learned to live in two worlds - the Jewish world and the secular world.”