It's a long way from Afula, Israel to Yale Law School
May 11, 2006 by Howard Blas
NEW HAVEN — For Karin Carmit Yefet, it has been a long, exciting journey from Afula, Israel, to Yale Law School.
And the enthusiastic, charismatic 26-year-old female may just have what it takes to become a future justice of the Israeli Supreme Court.
Prior to arriving in New Haven in 2004 to begin her Master of Laws degree (LL.M) and her Doctor of the Science of Law degree (J.S.D.), Yefet had never left Israel.
But Yefet feels the years away from Israel will pay off. She has big plans upon her return to Israel.
“There is no better way to spend my life than in training the next generation of Israeli jurists,” Yefet said.
Yefet’s legal credentials are impeccable - she received a joint LL.B and LL.M in the law honors program from Bar Ilan University, where she graduated summa cum laude. She received the Rectors Prize, was valedictorian of her graduating class, received numerous academic and community service awards, published several articles, edited various law journals, served as teaching assistant for several law school courses and served as law clerk to Justice Jacobe Turkel of Israel’s Supreme Court.
Yefet’s devotion to her family, community and justice are equally impressive.
“The greatest love of my life is my family,” Yefet said. “I pray to God each day that I have my soul back,” a reference to the traditional Modeh Ani prayer said each morning upon awakening, “my parents, and my health - in that order.” Yefet’s Yemenite father, Yaakov, is a principal at a Beit Shean school, and her Moroccan mother, Shulamit, is a teacher in the same school.
Yefet’s sister Einav, 25, is a student in the joint M.D./Ph.D student at Tel Aviv University.
Her 18-year-old sister Moriyah is currently serving in the National Service, and brother Noam is a high school student.
Yefet’s contributions to the community and social justice include founding a legal aid center in Afula; serving as project coordinator of “teaching basic rights to the elderly and handicapped”; and working for ELEM, a
non-profit organization offering legal aid, national service, and the Perache Guidance Project, where she assisted sixth graders with learning difficulties.
“I was born in a small town, to a warm, economically disadvantaged family. In our town, there were few role models - despite and because of these limitations, I promised to bring pride to my family and to succeed.”
Yefet is most appreciative to the International Sephardic Education Federation (ISEF) for their support.
“I have two degrees from Bar Ilan, but my economic situation stood in the way of going further. I didn’t even have money for a ticket - then ISEF came along. They give money for gifted, disadvantaged youth to make dreams come true - I am forever grateful. It is not a cold check - it is a scholarship with a conscience - a home away from home that gives courage, warmth and support.”
Yefet is recipient of the HSBC International Scholarship and a
two-year joint
ISEF-Fulbright Scholarship.
ISEF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to closing Israel’s social gaps through education. Founded in 1977 by Edmond and Lily Safra, and Nina Weiner, ISEF has invested more than $30 million in college scholarships for gifted students from disadvantaged backgrounds in Israel. While the majority of scholarship recipients study in Israel, a small group of talented young scholars pursue graduate work in top American and European universities.
“My dissertation is on divorce as a fundamental right, deserving of constitutional protection. It is undisputed that inequality in the divorce domain is the most severe discrimination faced by Israeli women today. No one has ever written about constitutional aspects of divorce law,” Yefet said.
Yefet plans to teach law when she returns to Israel and dreams of one day becoming a Supreme Court justice.
Weiner, current president of ISEF, is proud of Yefet: “Karin is one of thousands of disadvantaged students we’ve helped in our 29 years - brilliant people - jewels in the sand - who needed a push and a small amount of money.”
ISEF has historically funded students of North African and Asian descent and has recently helped Russian, Ethiopian and Druze students as well.
Yefet is excited about her studies, her fellow students and her community service component. She currently serves as a cultural ambassador to the Davis Street Magnet School, an elementary school in New Haven that emphasizes global themes. In addition, she provides after school tutoring in Hebrew to two local Jewish students, and she teaches Jewish studies classes at Yale’s Slifka Center.
“Without Slifka, I couldn’t be here - it is like my family - I pray there, eat there and have my friends there.”
While Yefet is settled in New Haven, the transition was not so easy. She had two unexpected major surgeries soon after her arrival and missed nearly the entire first semester. Yefet attributes her recovery to her strong belief in God.
“I made a pact - you help lift me up, and I will praise you worldwide and give you credit,” Yefet said. “Nothing in life comes easy - I had to work hard. My message is that if I did it, anybody can do it, with hard work and prayers!”