Bat-Avi (née Feigina, Becis) Maya (Matilda) Bat-Avi (07.05.1935, Moscow – 24.11.1999, Tel Aviv) – philologist, educator.
Early Life and Education
After World War II, Maya Bat-Avi’s family settled in Riga.
She graduated from Riga Secondary School No. 22 and, in 1959, completed a degree in Russian language and literature at the Faculty of Philology, Latvian State University.
Career in Latvia
• Taught in Riga schools
• Worked at NOTsNab (Scientific and Technical Supply)
• Certified by the Latvian State Philharmonic, she performed in concert groups, showcasing her artistic talent and strong voice.
Emigration and Work in Israel
In 1973, Maya Bat-Avi’s family repatriated to Israel at the initiative of her religious father, who sadly passed away just before their departure.
In Israel, Maya Bat-Avi revealed her true talent - she not only mastered Hebrew brilliantly but also developed a unique teaching method. She taught Hebrew in Tel Aviv primary schools, blending a poetic vision of the language with a deep philosophical understanding of its letters and roots. She shared her method with Hebrew teachers in elementary schools through professional development courses in Be’er Sheva.
Her emotional Hebrew lessons on the Russian-language radio station “REKA” became unforgettable for immigrants in the early 1990s.
Final Years and Legacy
Despite undergoing a major operation in 1996, Maya Bat-Avi continued her teaching and writing.
She authored a Hebrew textbook, exploring the meaning of letters and words “Enter This Door Without Knocking” (Tel Aviv, IvRus, 1998)
Maya Bat-Avi passed away in Tel Aviv in 1999.