Daniel Barkan, CCAS BA ’84, and Natalie W. Barkan, CCAS MA ’85
Daniel and Natalie both chose GW in large part because of its location. Daniel came to Foggy Bottom as an undergraduate student after completing military service in Israel and Natalie to pursue a graduate degree in religion.
“We met through Max Tiktin, the Hebrew Language Yiddish professor, who still teaches in the Classics Department,” Natalie recalled.
Natalie was organizing a club for Hebrew speakers. Professor Tiktin, having recently met Daniel, suggested that he be invited to a club meeting.
Less than one year after they were introduced, Daniel and Natalie were engaged. The couple married in June 1983 at Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, D.C.
Both Barkans formed strong bonds with several faculty members in the economics (Daniel) and religion (Natalie) departments. Daniel also enjoyed the 1980s heyday of GW Colonials basketball, including games against the Georgetown Hoyas, led by Patrick Ewing, and the Virginia Cavaliers, featuring Ralph Sampson.
In 1984, the couple moved to Israel. Daniel worked for the Israeli central bank, Wall Street firms and the Soros Fund before founding a global investment firm, Lyntone Capital Advisors. Natalie worked for the Arts & Culture Project for Youth, the Melton Centre for Jewish Education in the Diaspora and the Biblical Nature Reserve, Neot Kedumim. Today she serves on the board of The Abraham Fund Initiatives, a not-for-profit organization promoting equality and shared living for Israel’s Arab and Jewish citizens. The couple has three children.
“For our 25th anniversary, Daniel and I donated an academic scholarship to GW for Jewish studies in honor of Max Tiktin, our ‘matchmaker’,” said Natalie.
The scholarship supports students who wish to study abroad in Israel and GW programs focused on Israeli culture.
