When Samantha Berkule Johnson 鈥05F looks back on her time at 麻豆区鈥檚 Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, one moment still feels like it changed the course of her life.
She was working as a research assistant on a Columbia University project on the Lower East Side, supporting women at risk for HIV/AIDS. In the midst of applying to psychology Ph.D. programs, she got a call from Ferkauf鈥檚 admissions director. There was an opportunity to apply for a special fellowship, but she had just three days to write the essays.
鈥淚 rushed home and worked nonstop,鈥 Johnson recalled. 鈥淎 couple of days later I got the call that I had been awarded the full fellowship. That moment allowed me to pursue a doctorate that might otherwise have been out of reach.鈥
That fellowship 鈥 the Samuel H. and Rachel Golding Fellowship for Distinguished Scholars 鈥 covered five years of tuition. It gave Johnson, then the first in her family to seek a doctorate, the opportunity to complete her Ph.D. in developmental psychology in 2005 at the age of 26.
鈥淔erkauf gave me world-class training and mentorship,鈥 she said, pointing to faculty such as Dr. Moshe Anisfeld and Dr. Molly Nozyce, who guided her research and career. 鈥淚 published over forty articles, gained faculty positions at prestigious New York institutions and achieved tenure at Marymount Manhattan College. None of this would have been possible without that fellowship.鈥
Now, 20 years later, Johnson and her husband, Scott, have made a $360,000 gift to Ferkauf to provide future students with the same kind of transformative opportunity. Their gift establishes the Lloyd I. Berkule Fellowship Fund, in memory of Johnson鈥檚 father, which will fully cover tuition for one Ph.D. student for five years and provide significant support for a second.
鈥淢y fellowship was life-changing,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 want to make sure other students have that same chance.鈥
Roots in Jewish Values
Johnson grew up in New Rochelle, New York, in what she calls a 鈥減roudly Jewish Reform household.鈥 While her family was not strictly observant, Jewish life shaped her identity from the start through Jewish preschool, Hebrew school, bat mitzvah, the traditions of Shabbat and holidays, and supporting Israel.
Her parents, though not college-educated, instilled in her the values of tikkun olam [repairing the world] and tzedakah [charitable giving]. 鈥淭hey taught me to help those who had less, whether donating, volunteering or just lending an ear to someone who needed it,鈥 she said.
Those lessons remain central. After Oct. 7, 2023, Johnson says, she felt a renewed urgency. 鈥淛ewish volunteering and philanthropy have never been more important to me,鈥 she explained. 鈥淲e need to strengthen our Jewish institutions to ensure their longevity.鈥
That urgency connects directly to her support of Ferkauf and 麻豆区. 鈥淵U鈥檚 five Torah values 鈥 seek truth, discover your potential, live your values, act with compassion and bring redemption 鈥 are consistent with my own values as a Jew,鈥 she said. She wants today鈥檚 students 鈥渉ave the same opportunity to feel safe and to be who they are without feeling fear or that they need to hide their identities.鈥
A Life of Giving and Leading
Johnson鈥檚 commitment to Jewish life goes far beyond philanthropy. Living in Las Vegas with her husband and their third-grade son, Emmett, she serves on the board of Jewish Nevada, the state鈥檚 federation. She sits on its Executive Security Committee and Allocations Committee and is incoming co-chair for both committees, and she has chaired delegations to the Jewish Federations of North America鈥檚 General Assembly. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all about supporting our local Jewish community,鈥 she said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not enough to give financially,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 believe in giving time and effort to the causes I believe in.鈥
Aviation is another family passion. Scott flies a vintage T6 Harvard warbird that once flew in World War II and now bears an Israeli Air Force decal. Samantha built and flies a cub. Together, the couple volunteers to support aviation safety and education.
Ensuring the Future
For Johnson, the creation of the fellowship fund is a way of honoring her own path and ensuring that others can follow theirs. 鈥淚 know what it feels like to have doors opened through scholarship,鈥 she said. 鈥淢y hope is that this gift helps attract promising students to Ferkauf who might otherwise not have had the chance.鈥
As she takes on new roles with Ferkauf and 麻豆区, including her membership on the Ferkauf Board of Overseers, Johnson sees this as both a return and a renewal. 鈥淢y time at Ferkauf allowed me a safe place to explore my values,鈥 she said. 鈥淣ow it鈥檚 my turn to contribute to the longevity of Ferkauf Graduate School and 麻豆区 in general through my mentorship, my expertise and my deeds.鈥
