By The Roar Editorial Staff
It is with a heavy heart that the Milken Community mourns the loss of Ms. Nehama Meged, Chair of the Hebrew Department. Ms. Meged passed away on Monday afternoon, January 20. She was beloved for her vibrant energy, kindness, and the ever-present smile on her face. In 2017, she told The Roar that the most rewarding thing about teaching is “the relationships I develop with my students.”
The strong bonds Ms. Meged shared with those she taught were visible yesterday at the assembly to honor her memory as hordes of students and faculty filled the gym for a service that paid homage to Ms Meged. In her memory, The Roar asked faculty, students, and alumni to share some anecdotes of their time together.
Amanda Amirieh ‘21: “Ms. Meged was the most amazing advisor that I’ve ever had in my life. Every day, when I walked inside her room she would always smile and ask how my day was. And one memory that I remember is when I walked into the room and we would always laugh together and would say “I love Panda, I love Panda” [Panda is Amanda’s nickname]. I had her last year as a Hebrew teacher and she always told me to try my best and to be myself. And every time I needed help with something she would always come up and help me, and I learned a lot from her.”
Sam Steinsaper ‘21: “Last advisory, she told us she couldn’t wait to see her first Advisory graduate. We called her ‘Mama Meged,’ we were just a really close advisory. We always thought we had the best advisory and we looked forward to attending. And she just made it a really safe environment where we felt like we could talk about anything. We were like a family.”
Shannon Rad ‘21: “Ms. Meged was one of the most amazing teachers at Milken. She was so caring and kind to everyone in our advisory. She genuinely cared about each and every one of us and brought a warm presence into the room. I’m just speechless about what happened. She would always bring us cookies or food for our birthdays and made sure to celebrate all of our birthdays even if there were five in a month. It’s just so shocking to know that she’s gone because there is so much left to learn from her and so many memories to make. It’s so unbelievable to know we are never going to see her again.”
Benjamin Bakhaj ‘21: “She shared stories about her life–her children, her family. She brought real-life experiences into the classroom.”
Gabe Cohen ‘20: “When I struggled to get out of bed in the morning, I would think, ‘Get up, you can’t miss Ms. Meged’s class!’ Ms. Meged was a light of positivity whenever I saw her, always greeting me with a hug. Her teaching methods and attitude towards life is something I will learn from for many years.”
Aiden Javaheri ‘23: “She told us to live our lives to the fullest and enjoy our days and embrace our special moments.”
Eden Hirsch ‘23: “In my first week at Milken high school, I was struggling with my Hebrew. I knew if I stayed in the level where I was, the level I’d been stuck in for three years, I would never improve. I explained my dilemma [to Ms. Meged] and she responded: ‘I’m sure that you’ll be perfect in my class, and wherever you go, I’ll help you out. I really want you to be supported.’ After that meeting, I moved into her class and she made sure to support me in all my endeavors. She was a blessing of a teacher.”
Adam Bleet ‘23: “She was always very encouraging and pushed me; she always believed in me and helped me want to move into a higher Hebrew class.”
Andrew Turquie ‘21: “She was somebody that no matter what, was there for his students and was so caring to everyone. She brought so much positivity and made Hebrew fun. She also tried to have a conversation with her students and learn about what is happening in their lives. She was the most loving person on campus and may her memory be a blessing.”
יהי זכרו ברוך. May her memory be a blessing.