Evelyn Garfiel (1900–1987)

Evelyn Garfiel was born in New York. She received her undergraduate degree from Barnard College and her Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia University. In 1923, she married Rabbi Max Kadushin, with whom she had two sons. During the 1920s and 1930s, while her husband held positions at synagogues in the Midwest, Dr. Garfiel pursued her own career. She taught psychology at the Universities of Chicago and Wisconsin. When the family returned to New York in 1942, Dr. Garfiel turned increasingly to Jewish education and community work. She served on the boards of Hadassah and the United Synagogue’s Women’s League. She wrote a number of educational pamphlets and taught courses in Hebrew language, Bible, liturgy, and Jewish thought. In 1958, she published The Service of the Heart, a detailed exploration of the Jewish prayer book. She also published Handbook of Hebrew Grammar.