Rena Markus

“My parents’ involvement at Netivot, particularly with my father serving as Chair of the Board in 1992 taught me the value of community work. My love of Israel was solidified through my elementary experience.” Rena (Kesten) Markus’s graduating class of ‘92 was Netivot’s first cohort of students that went from Gr 1 – Gr 8 (though she joined in Gr 2, the second year of Netivot’s existence.) “As a startup school it was ad-hoc in many ways. We made great friends, we were all a part of this endeavor that we wanted to be successful.” 

While Rena was in UofT working towards her degree in psychology and art history, she worked part time as a teaching assistant  at Paul Penna DJDS. She had loved working with children prior to that –  as a counselor and through informal education, but it wasn’t until she was in a formal school setting where she realized the impact she could have; that education should be her professional path. “I could see the growth of the students from one point to another. Now, (20 years into her career), it brings tears to my eyes to talk about the growth of kids.”

“Working in a diverse Jewish School in TO has made me a more empathetic, open person and Jew. It feels like a gift to be able to serve this community and to be a model for what an orthodox person looks like. It’s a privilege to work there and it opened my eyes to the beauty of the Jewish community in TO.” 

As Netivot’s incoming interim Head of School, Rena is looking forward to a new perspective, “I have been able to appreciate Netivot as a parent for 15 yrs. I’ve also been fortunate to collaborate with some of the professionals through my Paul Penna work, as well as through my volunteer position on Netivot’s Board; I am so impressed by much of what happens at the school so being on the inside in a different capacity is really exciting!” 

Rena and her husband Ira have 3 children, 2 Netivot alumni and 1 current student.