Rivy Poupko Kletenik

Rivy Poupko Kletenik was born in Pittsburgh, PA, to a family with deep rabbinic roots. Although Berdichev, Radun, and Chernobyl are geographically remote from Squirrel Hill, their presence loomed large. The tone of the household was set by her mother of blessed memory, Gilda Novoseller Poupko, whose joie de vivre filled the home. Shabbat and holiday preparations were imbued with spirit, animation, and love. The table was set for the feasts with lively Torah discussions and vigorous political debates led by her father, Rabbi Baruch Poupko, a revered spiritual leader of the Jewish community of Pittsburgh.

Fourteen years of study in the Hillel Academy day school provided Rivy with a solid core of Torah learning. Love of Judaism and Zionism were woven together in rich academic experiences as well as extracurricular activities. All this Rivy funneled into her involvement in the Religious Zionist Youth Group, Bnei Akiva, where she moved from member to madricha to Mazkirat Galil— a fertile training ground for her future work.

Rivy’s love for teaching truly blossomed when, as a high school senior, she entered her first classroom as a teacher in the Sunday School of Pittsburgh’s Shaare Torah Congregation. She learned that a lesson painstakingly planned may or may not unfold as anticipated, but standing there holding the chalk in hand, listening to questions, and helping students find value in their Judaism left her energized and committed for life to the classroom.

Her pedagogical training began at Michlalah, Jerusalem College for Women, followed by years of study in Judaic studies at Touro College in New York, NY. There, mentors Rabbi Samuel Hoenig and Dr. Bryna Levy taught her the skills of text study and encouraged her to pursue graduate studies and a future in teaching. Rivy continued her studies at Yeshiva University Graduate School of Judaic Studies, at the University of Pittsburgh’s Religious Studies department, and as a Melton Senior Educator at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Rivy’s teaching has taken her across the country from classrooms to banquet halls and from synagogues to JCCs. In Seattle, Rivy serves as the Director of Jewish Education Services for the Jewish Education Council (JEC) of the Jewish Federation of Seattle. There, she teaches a broad spectrum of the Jewish community and plans professional development programs for Seattle’s Jewish teachers.

Recently, Rivy received a Simon Rockower Award from the American Jewish Press Association. Yet, her most prized classroom remains her home where she and her husband, Rabbi Moshe Kletenik, are raising their four children, Pesha, Shya, Gilah, and Eliezer, to be lifelong students of Torah.