Greetings!

Little introduction is necessary for this week’s guest authors of the D'var Kesher. Below you will find Eran Rosenberg (Jewish Studies Coordinator and 4th Grade Jewish Studies teacher) and Annelyn Baron’s (Jewish Studies Kindergarten teacher) vivid accounts of their recent educational exchange trip to Israel, over winter break. Along with the rich and playful presentation they made at today’s All School Kabbalat Shabbat, their script below demonstrates so clearly what made their trip so powerful, memorable, and meaningful for them both, personally and professionally.

Hope to see you all again on February 10th, for the 4th grade environmental themed Kabbalat Shabbat  in honor of Tu B’Shevat!

Wishing you all a Shabbat shalom surrounded by friends and family,

Eran: Ever since I came to Columbus, I have always traveled back to Israel at least once a year to visit my family and friends. This trip was different. This time, I had a chance to spend time with Annelyn, showing her my country, our country, and introduce her to my close family and long-time friends. And the Eran-Annelyn buddy time was also on the various flights from Columbus to Tel Aviv and back…but those stories are for another time… 

Annelyn: A highlight of my trip was being at Isle and Pierce Grossman’s Bnai Mitzvah on top of Masada.  I was proud to present Isle with her gift of a Hallah cover from CJDS. My words conveyed the fact that I would never have dreamt that this moment would happen to me! I was a very proud kindergarten teacher, with my happy tears, watching Isle, Pierce, and Drake lead the service. 

Eran: For the last 25 years, I have been teaching B’nai Mitzvah students in Israel and USA. However, this was a first! Helping to lead the Grossman’s Bnai Mitzvah ceremony was very moving for me. Seeing my three students leading the service with such comfort and confidence brought me a lot of nachas! As I presented Pierce with a Yad, a gift from CJDS, I thought about the special seven years in which we help students to grow in our green-house, and here they are: transferring from children to young adults, flying to their next destination.

Eran: I really squeezed a lot to these two and half weeks in Israel. I was able to visit my brother Noam’s Sculpture Exhibition in Tel Aviv Performing Art Center, accompanied my niece Adi to a concert of the Symphonette Ra’anana, and spent quality time with my nephew Ohad who asked for a special short vacation from his IDF artillery unit just to be with his Uncle from America…    

Annelyn: The most important and satisfying part of my trip came at the end, when we traveled to Kfar Saba to meet our educational partners, and the reason for the name “P2G,” “Partnership Together: Educational Bridge Project.” I bonded immediately with my Kindergarten teacher counterpart, Hila Belinky and her family. She was a computer programmer for 15 years and decided that her true passion is with young children.  She is now an amazing teacher of 31 loving children in Gan Yedidut (Friendship Kindergarten).  I was greeted with warm hugs from parents, and staff.  Moreover, the children greeted me proudly with words and songs that they learned in English! I was delighted to present their students with gifts from our CJDS Kindergarten students. Through a book we made them, our buddies in Kfar Saba learned about our Hebrew names, our favorite foods, color, and activities. They also learned about our classroom and activities through a video I presented. I felt right at home at Gan Y'didut.  Remarkably, there are not many differences between our two classrooms.  Both Hila and I focused on the similarities which are many: blocks, writing center, home living, snacks, books, moon sand, Shabbat, and more. Hila and I will continue to plan curriculum together via skype and email. For example, on Tu B’Shevat we will be tasting and graphing the same fruits and sending pictures of this activity for each of our bulletin boards.  Our buddies in Kfar Saba will even participate virtually in part of the Kindergarten-led Kabbalat Shabbat next month!

At a recent CJDS lay leadership retreat, alumni parent, Robin Judd, shared these powerful convictions and moving experiences about the school: 

“When the Ohio State University offered me a position in Columbus, one of our most serious considerations concerned that of day school education.  A product of both Jewish day schools and Jewish overnight camps, I took Jewish day school seriously, and I wanted my children to have the opportunity to grow up in an inclusive Jewish day school environment. 

Our sons, Jesse and Gavi, each spent seven special years at CJDS. And while my children’s days at CJDS may be behind us, Kenny and I remain ever-committed to this incredible school.  As both an educator and parent, I firmly believe that CJDS offers an innovative, nurturing, and academically rigorous education that encourages children to become their most authentic selves.  Its integrated education is a moral, ethical education.  CJDS teachers teach and model good citizenry across the landscape of the school throughout the entire day.  Whether it is in gym class, outside in the garden, during morning services, on the playground, studying the Jewish texts of our ancestors, or unpacking difficult math problems, CJDS’ children learn to care about people, the environment, and the process of learning.  At CJDS, children learn to think about others. To take the needs of our community and those outside of our community seriously. To ask big questions.  To read critically. To make linkages. To try new things. To risk failure. To achieve success.” 

Robin Judd, Alumni Parent

Out of the Fall Wine and Cheese evenings emerged the following wonderful group of Parent Liaisons for each grade. Please know that you can reach out to them with ideas, concerns, or questions.

And thank them when you see them for stepping forward to strengthen our school and its community! 

CJDS 2016-2017 Parent Liaisons by Grade: 

Kindergarten: Stefanie Zelkind 

Grade 1-2:    Rayna Weiner and Adam Davis            

Grade 3:       Merav Dill and Bat-Ami Moses         

Grade 4:       Maggie Saracheck and Sara Zeigler 

Grade 5:       Alan Bassik

Grade 6:       Ruth Rubin and Jennifer Wasserstrom