Learning as a Jewish Value, One Student at a Time

Service Corps Spotlight: Margarita Yevzlin

Since February, Margarita Yevzlin has been showing up every week at Mind Bubble, an Atlanta nonprofit that connects metro-area students with free tutoring, homework help, and enrichment workshops. The organization runs on the belief that a caring adult and a consistent presence can change the trajectory of a young person’s learning, and Margarita has taken that seriously.

For her, the connection between tutoring and Jewish values was immediate. “My Jewish background connects to my Service Corps work through the importance Judaism places on learning, teaching, and community,” she reflects.

“As a tutor, I see education as more than just helping students with schoolwork. It is about being patient, encouraging students, and helping them build confidence in themselves as learners.”

The Jewish value she keeps coming back to is talmud Torah — the imperative to learn and to teach. “Tutoring connects directly to this value because it reminds me that education can be empowering. When I help a student understand something, ask questions, or feel more confident, I see how learning can create opportunity.” That means meeting each student where they are, not where you want them to be. “Tutoring requires meeting students where they are and helping them move forward at their own pace.”

What’s shifted most is how she understands service itself. “I now understand service as something that can happen through education,” she says.

“It has made Jewish service feel more practical and personal — because I am not just thinking about values in theory. I am applying them by working directly with students and supporting their growth.”