Asking the big questions

The School of Jewish Studies (SJS) year is winding down and we are
finishing with a flurry of activity. I encourage you to check out my blog http://mrshermansblog.wordpress.com/, and our Am Yisrael Conservative Congregation Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/AmYisrael ConservativeCongregation/200034300018572 and/or
Twitter Account https://twitter.com/#!/amyisrael_cc to read all of the details. When you are on our Facebook or Twitter pages, simply
click on my weekly Limmud E-Newsletter links on those pages to read
and see pictures about all the exciting details of what we have been accomplishing on a week-to-week basis. While you are in the process of visiting those pages, please “Like” us on Facebook and ”Follow” us on Twitter. You can also watch highlights of our Purim Festivities and Tikkun Olam Fair from this year produced by Rob and Lois Neustadt on
our YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/aychai18.  If that isn’t enough internet stimulation, you can find and share pictures and short
videos from our school year by checking out our Flickr Account:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/am_yisrae
l_school_of_jewish_studies/sets/.  Some of recent events include our model
seder, Interfaith Dialogue, B’nai Mitzvah projects, continued Tikkun Olam lunch making for A Just Harvest Shelter, tzedakah giving, grocery shopping and delivery to our Ark Client, participation in Maot Chitim for Pesach, conversations with the students about formal and informal education in our school for next year, age-appropriate commemorations of Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut, a celebration of Israel’s 64th year of Independence. I will write about our final activities in my next bulletin article.

At the end of the day, however, what is most important? What are our
assessment tools to make sure we are reaching our goals? Do the students
who walk through our doors leave school with a sense of accomplishment
and meaning? Have they explored concepts and themes important to their
Jewish identities? Can they recite prayers with ruach (spirit)? Are they
learning about Israel, the weekly Torah portion and developing spiritual connections? Have they deepened friendships and relationships with their classmates? Do they have a better sense of their Jewish history, culture and community? Do they have a perspective on how they can repair the world and make it a better place? Do they have an appreciation for Shabbat and the holidays? Are we “reaching our students where they are at?” Are the students
using the best of the past as well as cutting edge aspects of the present curriculum? Are the technological advances we are using enhancing the
learning experience? Are we communicating what is happening in the school
so that parents and other family members know what is going on? Are we
capturing the moments and sharing them properly? Are we using the best
curricula to reach our goals? Are we utilizing the skills of our teachers,
Hebrew tutors and madrichim (teaching assistants) to maximize their
potential? These are the big questions for me as the School Director and
frankly the most important questions about the education and experience of
our students at the Am Yisrael School of Jewish Studies. These are the questions that frame everything we do at our school.

As I constantly attempt to answer these “big questions” with Rabbi Newman Kamin, Cantor Simon, Nancy Holab Nevins and other members of our faculty and staff, we see an evolving school. A big “Todah Rabbah” (thank you) goes to the parents who support our school and our entire team who make it happen dayin and day-out. We are incredibly satisfied with the accomplishments we have made this year and look forward to continuing to progress now and into the future. Thank you for joining us on this Jewish Journey. May we continue to move forward from strength to strength to advance Jewish learning and the overall experience of our students and their families in the Am Yisrael School of Jewish Studies.

Spring Excitement at Am Yisrael!

Am Yisrael has been bustling with activity this past month. If you are interested in being on my email distribution list, please let me know. I include details about the SJS on a weekly basis in my Limmud (Learning) E-Newsletters. You can also find my weekly emails on our Facebook and Twitter pages, by clicking on the appropriate icon on the upper left-hand corner of our website, amyisrael.org.

Our School of Jewish Studies students are reading Torah and Megillah, reading Hebrew fluently, reciting prayers, participating in plays, performing in band concerts, creating art work that lines our school hallways, taking photographs through a “Jewish Lens,” learning about Israeli culture, singing with ruach (spirit) and making positive associations with Judaism within the walls of our synagogue. Families are joining the exciting journey, and we are getting awesome feedback.

A prime example of Jewish education at its best is the annual Dalet Class Purim Play. Mrs. Moustakis and Mrs. Sender prepared the eleven students in the class who recited their lines in Hebrew and acted with emotion. The students felt a great sense of accomplishment and deserve tremendous praise. How many schools that offer a five-hour a week program, with a once a month Shabbat component can say that their students recite a play entirely in Hebrew? Many congregational schools have given up on Hebrew as a spoken language. At Am Yisrael, we know how to get the most out of our students. Students need to be challenged or else they feel that their time is being wasted. The Purim play is truly one of the highlights of our year. One of our Madrichim (teaching assistants), Ryan Hochman, videotaped the play this year. I could not help but picture him up on this same bimah eight years earlier reciting his lines for Mrs. Moustakis, his family and schoolmates. We are proud to incorporate long standing traditions such as the Purim Play at our school as well as cutting-edge technology opportunities for our students. This approach equals a winning formula.

I asked one of our talented teens, Becky Dolinko, to reflect on her experience at Am Yisrael. She is a senior in high school, a madricha (teaching assistant) in the SJS and our USY President. Becky shared, “Being a part of the Am Yisrael community is very special to me. I love to come to AYSJS every Sunday morning and work as a madricha in the Bet (2nd grade) class. I love seeing my current students and former students learn new things and grow as learners each week. Also, I love being active in USY and helping to set up synagogue-wide events such as the Purim carnival and puppet show. It feels really good to give back to the synagogue, while also giving back to others. This Purim, our USY board raised $352 for Tikkun Olam (repairing the world). It makes me happy that we are making a difference by donating the money to people who are less fortunate than us. It is programs like these and my work in AYSJS that make coming to Am Yisrael fun!”

We received fantastic feedback on our Annual Purim Carnival. Rabbi Newman Kamin, Cantor Simon, Nancy Holab Nevins and I would like to give thanks to the entire team of our teachers, Hebrew tutors, madrichim, congregants/parents, USY Executive Board, teens and pre-teens, who devoted their time and energy to make sure that all of the participants had a blast! I want to extend special thanks to Judy Grossbard for serving as the Chair of the Purim Carnival. Her grace, creativity and vision were inspiring to witness. Starting with her “hat of the day” to brand new banners, to new, fun games, she did an tremendous job! Our entire Am Yisrael Community benefited from Mrs. Grossbard’s dedication. This year’s Purim Carnival was one of the best I have ever been to anywhere, and she truly gets credit where credit is due!

It is exciting for my family and me to be a part of such a vibrant community. The excitement level at our synagogue is reaching wonderful levels, and I am proud to be a part of it. I encourage everyone to continue enjoying our Am Yisrael family and all that we have to offer. The spring months are upon us which means celebrating Pesach and our freedom. But as we are instructed in the haggadah, we must not forget our past. We will work together to continue building positive Jewish moments and memories for our youth and all of our congregants. We will clean our kitchens, break matzah together, attend the Cantor’s Concert on Sunday afternoon, April 29th and so much more.

Reflection on the “performance” aspects at our School of Jewish Studies

Students rise to the occasion during adrenaline filled “performances.” We have seen this time and again this year at AYSJS. During the month of February we honored our 18th Torah reader this year between the ages of four and eleven at our SMFP services. The Library/Resource Room in our school building had one hundred people watching seven children chant from the Torah scroll at our SMFP during Synaplex Shabbat. There was hardly a dry eye in the room as these confident children took the “yad” from my hand and sang the words so flawlessly. I truly believe that B’nai Mitzvah for these children will be very different from those children who have not had these synagogue experiences.

Rabbi Newman Kamin addresses the children and their families each month at these services. One of the joys of our Torah readings is that we get to celebrate with the children’s parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends of the family and the list goes on. Preparing the MP3′s for the participants using my Garageband program and emailing them is so much easier than the days of putting them on cassettes or even CD’s.

Our Vav students and other 6th graders from the congregation had the opportunity to lead services this past month. In the past, the 6th graders leading services in conjunction with the B’nai Mitzvah Workshop was a once a year event. This year, our students help lead services monthly as a part of SMFP. The Shabbat “regulars” often tell me that our students’ comfort level clearly shows. Another special aspect of the morning was getting to see one of our 9th graders chant Haftarah on the second anniversary of his Bar Mitzvah. One of the themes of our school year is that Jewish learning is a life-long proc- ess. It is not something that is meant to end at the age of thirteen.

A new service we featured this past month was the Prozdor and Pardes Kabbalat Shabbat. The students had an opportunity to learn or refresh their learning of prayers that they studied in earlier years. The Rabbi and the parents blessed the 8th and 9th graders, and it was a special moment to cherish.

Finally, I want to highlight the Bet Class Havdalah. I have been sitting in a Tefillah (prayer) circle with the 2nd graders for most of the year. Along with their teacher, madricha and the art teachers, the students created Havdalah sets to use at the program and take home. For the Havdalah service we gathered together at the synagogue and the students recited Tefillot. We used the beautiful new prayer books that were donated by Randy Horton’s parents, Jason and Janis Horton, in honor of Randy’s Presidency at the synagogue. After the Rabbi’s inspiring words, we lit our candles and recited the blessings. The bimah was filled with light and a memory that none of us or our children will soon forget.

“Performers” rise to the challenge, just as students often do their best work when they need to produce something, whether it is a science fair project, a swim meet competition, a homecoming football game, or a ten minute session in a recording studio. Human nature and adrenaline dictate that when we have our “eyes on the prize” and a goal we are trying to reach, oftentimes it makes us better. I want to take this time to thank all of the students and all those who have been educating and inspiring them to “reach for the stars” at Am Yisrael in these specific programs as well as others throughout the year.

Purim Carnival Details

Am Yisrael’s Purim Carnival will be March 4th from 10:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m.  Advanced ticket sales are 5 for $1.00 and go through Wed. Feb. 29th.  Envelopes must be sent to Am Yisrael c/o Mr. Sherman, brought in to the office or handed directly to me.  Advanced ticket purchases will be given to participants in an envelope with their name on them at the ticket booth the day of the Carnival.  Tickets are 4 for $1.00 at the door.  Games are geared for 2-12 year olds and our Teachers, Hebrew Tutors, Madrichim, Adult Volunteers, USY Board, Prozdor, Pardes and Confirmation students and other teens will assist with running the activities.  Full lunch at the “Shushan Cafe, Am Yisrael Style” will cost 16 tickets.  All participants who come dressed in costume will win a prize.  Most activities will be three tickets.  Parents or guardians of 2nd Grade and under participants must accompany them.  Special thanks to Carnival Chair Judy Grossbard for the countless hours she has put into this event.

 

Tefillah (Prayer) at Am Yisrael School of Jewish Studies

I am enjoying every minute of Tefillah (prayer) with all the students at AYSJS, Gan (Kindergarten) through Con- firmation (10th Grade). Last year I led the prayer services once a month on Shabbat mornings and once a week for the 3rd through 5th Graders. This year I am lead- ing prayers for the Gan (Kindergarten) through Heh (5th Graders) every week. I put on my Tallit and Tefillin and join Sun- day morning minyan with our 6th through 10th graders. Having led services for hun- dreds of students per week in my sixteen years as a New York City Jewish educator, it was something that I missed doing. It is awesome for me to see each student follow along with his/her etzba (Hebrew word for finger) in their siddurim (prayer books) and to sing with ruach (spirit).

When you attend services on the remaining dates of our Shabbat Morning Family Programming (SMFP), which are February 4th, March 17th, April 21st and May 19th or any Sunday morning that AYSJS is in session, you will be able to witness our next generation praying.

The students at each level have such different needs and desires when it comes to prayer services. Some days they pray with more kavanah (intention) than others. They are no different than adults. Sometimes we are thinking about God when we pray and other times we are thinking about our task lists.

There is something profound about reciting words that have been in prayer books for centuries. One of the most precious sounds in the world is the voices of young children praying. One of the most precious sights is seeing teens wearing their tallitot (plural for tallit) post-B’nai Mitzvah.

I emphasize to our students that with each Hebrew word that we read in our lives, we become better Hebrew readers. After just thirteen weeks of reading Hebrew, even our Aleph (1st Grade) students are able to follow along with the Hebrew words in our new prayer books. These books were donated by Am Yis- rael Board President Randy Horton’s parents in honor of his Presidency at our synagogue. These prayer books are extremely user friendly and ideal for Gan (Kindergarten) through Heh (5th Grade) students.

The students in our Vav (6th Grade) Class are becoming comfortable leading parts of the prayer services and are getting a lot of practice in front of large groups. They do so every Sunday morning, once a month at SMFP and in their classrooms. In fact, this year our 6th through 10th graders have each been up on the bimah in the Sanctuary on a nearly weekly basis. Their participation has been inspiring.

Facilitating a fluency with, and connection to prayer in our students is one of my key roles in our community. I look forward to watching our students continue to shine in this area.

My article this month is going to focus on our latest accomplishment at the Am Yisrael School of Jewish Studies (AYSJS)–our first Chugim (special electives) Presentation. You can watch a seven minute summary of the pro- gram with video interviews of the students who participated in each of the six elective activities, one of our Madrichim (teaching assistants) and myself on our synagogue’s You-Tube channel (found on the home- page of our website).

When I was hired to become the School Director at Am Yisrael Congregation it was with the under- standing that I would reformat the school day, the amount of time dur- ing which students learn and the focus of the curriculum. I took this responsibility very seriously and in the process have added completely new components to the learning process. The addition of the Chu- gim to our repertoire, along with our once-a-month mandatory Shabbat Morning Family Programming (SMFP) and the technological inno- vations are now the three changes that I am most excited about at AYSJS.

On the Sunday before Winter Break, we gathered the Gimel (3rd Grade) through Zayin (7th Grade) classes and their family members in the Sanctuary for a performance showcasing the learn- ing that took place the first twelve weeks of the year during these Chugim sessions. Huge kudos go to the teachers who prepared their students and gave the audience a great sense of just how well- rounded their Jewish education is at Am Yisrael. How many congre- gational schools offer a substantial Band, Choir, Israeli Culture, Newspaper, Photography and Specialized Art program? Our teach- ing team is attempting to make Jewish learning come to life for our students. This is our goal and I believe we are reaching it. A pic- ture says a thousand words and a video probably says more. In addition to our YouTube videos, I encourage you to check out the hundreds of pictures on our web- site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ am_yisrael_school_of_jewish_stud ies/sets/.

With the positive feedback we have received on the first Chugim Presentation, we plan on making this a new tradition at AYSJS. We learned that twelve weeks was a sufficient amount of time to produce some- thing of real substance. We will continue to learn as we make our new traditions at AYSJS.

Harvard University Professor Howard Gardner has discussed at length the fact that students learn using multiple intelligences. We are proving his theory correct and plan on continuing to give our students the opportunity to enjoy the learning process and take away something incredibly substantive.

Tikkun Olam Fair, SMFP and Communication Update!

The Am Yisrael School of Jewish Studies (AYSJS) is now in full force. Earlier this month we had the most amazing day at the Tikkun Olam Fair! In addition to reflecting on how we have the opportunity to “repair the world” in so many different ways, every student in the school from Gan (Kindergarten) through Confirmation (10th Grade) participated in preparing lunches and snacks for a shelter called A Just Harvest. Four families from AYSJS drove these 1,000+ brown paper bags into the city and people who live on the streets were fed meals prepared with love and care. The older students in our school, along with several congregants, heard from two students, one Arab and one Israeli, who attend Hand in Hand School in Jerusalem. They are trying to fix the world by connecting the youth of the Arab/Israeli world. At the end of the day, our entire school gathered with Rabbi Newman Kamin to recap the day of activities and listen to our new AYSJS Band and Choir–Kochavim Chadashim (New Stars). They performed the song “Ose Shalom” under the guidance of Mr. Marc Nevins and Mrs. Natasha Bodansky. It was truly inspiring.

With a tighter scoped and sequenced curriculum and the addition of Chugim (Specialized, Choice Activities), including Art, Band, Choir, Israeli Culture, Jewish Lens (Photography) and Newspaper, that make the school feel more like “Jewish Summer Camp,” the last forty-five minutes of the day, we are fitting the needs of our Gimel (3rd Grade) through Zayin (7th Grade) two-day a week students. We have our regular Jewish Studies teaching, which now includes Hebrew, Library, Tefillah, Art and Music classes and technology and Tikkun Olam activities capture the imaginations of our Gan (Kindergarten) through Bet (2nd Grade) students. In our post-B’nai Mitzvah, Prozdor (8th Grade) and Pardes (9th Grade) classes we have developed a grid schedule which includes: Current Events from a Jewish perspective, Online partnership with a school in Israel, Jewish Lens Photography, Torah and prayer reflections. Our Confirmation Class watches cutting edge videos and analyzes them in an incredibly sophisticated manner with Cantor Simon. We are also giving the teens more social time to give them the opportunity to interact with one another and either strengthen friendships or build new ones. The complete package of an AYSJS education includes: a) getting a solid Jewish education imbued with Jewish values at the core; b) engaging with peers in a meaningful way to solidify friendships; c) being inspired, taught and making a solid connection with our teachers and madrichim (teaching assistants), who serve as role models.

We are very excited about the Shabbat Morning Family Programming (SMFP), which debuted after the holiday season on Saturday, October 22nd. We had 37 students from our Gan (Kindergarten) through Vav (6th Grade) classes attend the program. With all of the parents who accompanied the children, which we were thrilled also included students who attend our local Jewish Day Schools, we had well over 100 people in the building. As mentioned, we strongly encourage our Day School families to send their children to SMFP, as in addition to the educational component, the children have an opportunity to interact with seasoned teachers and most importantly become friends with other children in our Am Yisrael community. SMFP is a fun, educational and mandatory component of the Am Yisrael youth experience for our AYSJS.

Finally, partnership between home and school is crucial to our success. In addition to my articles for the Bulletin, our http://www.amyisrael.org website (everything under the “Education” tab), along with my Am Yisrael Limmud (Learning) emails sent to AYSJS and Day School families are the hubs of my communication to our families. I also want to thank the class parents, who are taking it upon themselves to communicate with the classes and help organize major functions. Our teaching team is posting messages of what they accomplish on their Class Home Pages on our website. Online Hebrew assignments and songs for performances can be found on these Class Home Pages and should be checked by our AYSJS parents weekly. We have even started posting the assignments for our Adult Hebrew Class, which has its own Class Home Page.

By having a weekly Parent Prompt, e.g. “Ask your child about their opinion of the freeing of Gilad Shalit” to an 8th Grader or “Ask your child how s/he can participate in Tikkun Olam (“Repairing the World”) at home” to a 2nd Grader, will in theory spare us the famous answer to the question, “What do you do at Jewish Studies today?” with the response being “nothing.” We are also 95% complete on receiving back our Media Release forms, which are designed to allow us to put pictures and videos on our website without the students names being included. Taking a model from Head of School Jon Mitzmacher at the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School in Jacksonville, Florida, we are trying to stay at the “top of the pack” in terms of our ability to communicate what is happening in our school with our families.

As always, please either send me an email csherman@amyisrael.org call me in the office (847-446-7215 ext. 12) or on my cell phone (847-708-1805) with any comments or questions.