Jewish community member and active volunteer Hadas Moshonov-Cohavi is working to make the transition to college, and to college-level math classes, easier for students — and her work is paying off.
Moshonov-Cohavi, an assistant professor of mathematics in the school of computer science and mathematics at Avila University, recently received the Jeanne Lillig Patterson Faculty Innovation Grant.
The nearly $5,000 award will allow Moshonov-Cohavi to study the effectiveness of standardized testing (such as the SAT or ACT) in college admissions, and develop guiding principles for advisors to accurately place incoming college students into math courses without relying on standardized test scores.
Her goal is to use the data she gathers to develop a system for placing students in math courses based on their skill levels and degree goals.
Standardized testing can “sometimes fail as a predictor of college success,” Moshonov-Cohavi said.
Requiring students to take college-level math classes when they don’t relate to the degree they’re pursuing can lead to class incompletions, completion delays or even dropouts. The standard college placement tests also can be discriminatory, as not all students can afford them.
“My research outcomes are closely tied with realizing the worth, dignity and potential of each human being... I hope that this work will make higher education more approachable for prospective students, regardless of their background,” Moshonov-Cohavi says.
Moshonov-Cohavi has designed a study that will look at students’ grades from high school, the highest level of math taken in high school, and their past experience in math, among other things. The money from the grant will go toward buying gift cards as payment for students who participate in her study. It will also allow her to hire a student assistant to help her analyze the data and present it.
Along with the grant, Moshonov-Cohavi also received Avila’s Distinguished Teaching Award, which includes a stipend for the upcoming academic year.
“I’m really excited about it. It gives me more motivation to do more and to explore, learn more, create more things for our students,” she says.
While she uses her analytical side in the classroom, Moshonov-Cohavi finds balance outside of work by nurturing her spiritual side. It helps her feel more balanced, grounded and able to take on life’s challenges.
“My biggest thing is mindfulness,” she says. “Our mind is like a muscle and the more we train it, the more we use it, the better our life.”
Moshonov-Cohavi is a yoga teacher and leads meditations.
She teaches a monthly class at The J, Rosh Chodesh: New Moon Women’s Circle, in which women explore attributes of the Hebrew month and its astrological sign according to the Hebrew Zodiac. She’s also working with a friend to develop a new yoga series for Jewish Experiences (a collaboration of Jewish Federation and The J) that connects the Jewish mind and body.
One of her goals is to encourage others to “discover the beauty of the spiritual side of Judaism.”
“I had a desire to inspire more people in our community to see the spiritual side of Judaism rather than the strict practice of Judaism… Judaism is not just a set of laws,” she says. “There is so much depth in different practices and different teachings.”
Moshonov-Cohavi — who is a member of Kehilath Israel and Congregation Beth Israel Abraham and Voliner and also attends Torah Learning Center — is an active volunteer with the Jewish community. She’s been a member of Jewish Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy board since 2016 and is a member of its Israel & Overseas committee. She delivers meals every Sunday for Torah Learning Center’s Kosher Meals on Wheels.
“That’s how I start my week is by going out and delivering those kosher meals to different people in the community, sharing my energy with them and a smile and some love. It’s the best way for me to start my week,” she says.
Being so active in the community is something that helped Moshonov-Cohavi assimilate to life in the United States. She grew up in Israel and moved to Canada to pursue her doctorate in statistics. She lived in Canada for 13 years before she married her husband, David Cohavi, and moved to Overland Park in 2013. The transition from Canada to the U.S. was “a huge adjustment,” but finding the Jewish community made it easier.
“Just being involved with my Jewish community was really powerful for me,” she says. “I felt like, ‘Oh, I’m not alone. There are other women here. There are other people here that I can connect to.”
For others looking to connect to the Jewish community, Moshonov-Cohavi recommends getting involved with organizations like Jewish Federation and The J, or programs like Jewish Experiences, whether it’s by attending events, volunteering or joining committees.
“We have a beautiful community, we’re connected at a soul level,” she said. “The beauty of Kansas City is that the Jewish community is big but not that big, so that we can actually create bridges and be more of a united community.”
By Lacey Storer,
Assistant Editor