1934-2015
The HCHS Alumnae/i Association recently received a generous bequest from the estate of Deborah Dorfman, a longtime resident of Bennington, Vermont, who passed away in 2015. Representing our largest gift to date, we are grateful to Deborah for her foresight in including the HCHS Alumnae/i Association in her estate plan. Her close friend, Paul Stitelman, told us that Deborah frequently talked with great affection about her experiences at Hunter College High School.
An only child, she was born in the Bronx to a family of very modest means. Her father was a laundryman and her mother was a homemaker who was interested in culture, and ambitious for Deborah. She pushed Deborah to take the Hunter test and, once enrolled at the school, Hunter completely changed Deborah’s life. Things she never knew about or thought about were now open to her, especially in literature and the arts. Paul notes that she left us the gift in her will because she wanted to ensure that kids today would have the same access to a Hunter education that she had.
Longtime friend, Phyllis Losikoff, says that Deborah would often speak of her time at Hunter College High School and the education she received. It provided her with the foundation for a fully aware life of teaching and caring. She developed her most intimate and long-lasting friendships at Hunter in a group of strong-willed, successful women who loved and supported each other throughout their lives. To Phyllis, Deborah’s gift represents her trust that the learning that goes on at Hunter will cascade, as hers did, to enrich many lives and minds. You can read more about her in the upcoming issue of AlumNotes.
It’s easy to leave a legacy to the HCHSAA for the benefit of Hunter College High School. The assets you leave will continue to grow, supporting the Hunter community for years to come.
If you are interested in making a gift or if you have already made such a gift and wish to inform the Alumnae/i Association, please contact Eniko Horvath at 212-396-6718 or ehorvath@hchsaa.org. We’d love to thank you. Together, we can continue building this community that we call home.
