Full disclosure: I am a comic book fan boy. Always have been. I once had a subscription to the Legion of Super-Heroes. The new issue arrived by mail! (I am also one of those fan boys whose mother gave away the collection while he was in college. Sigh.) I still enjoy comics now and then, and I love all the superhero movies.
I have not given up my love of superheroes. As I have matured, I have learned that there are REAL superheroes. They rarely wear a cape, although occasionally they wear tights – even if they are not going to a yoga class. And while they cannot fly or stop bullets with their bracelets, they can make imaginations soar and help us feel stronger than ever.
I am talking about teachers of course. And because of who I am and where you are reading this, I am particularly talking about Jewish teachers. Our teachers do amazing things. If you have a child in our religious school, I don’t need to tell you about them. You know. If your kids are out of the house, or not yet old enough to join us on Sundays or Wednesdays, you have not had the pleasure of hearing kids running up to their parents in the lobby to tell them about what happened in their classroom or somewhere else in the building.
I have only been here since August, but I would be happy to sit down over a cup of coffee and tell you some great stories about Miriam Heyman (K), Karen Rabinovici (1st), Jack Brown and Lia Solomon (2nd), Lizzie Sharp (3rd ), Eli Buchdahl (4th ), Noah Tirschwell (5 th ), Danya DubrowCompaine (6th), Shelley Capozzi (7th) or Rabbi Moss (10th - 12th ) and the amazing experiences they have created for their learners. (I teach 8th and 9th , but I don’t like to blow my own horn.)
One of the things that helps make some of these heroes most effective is that they are members of the congregation. I have yet to hear something like “Hey Lauren! It is so cool that your mom is our teacher!” at TBT, but I have heard it often throughout my career, as I love to hire our members to teach.
Why am I telling you all of this? First of all, join me in shepping naches (being really proud) from all of the amazing things our fellow congregants are doing. Next, and just as importantly, please think about becoming a member of our team. Start by reaching out to me and we can talk about what being a teacher means, and what it can do for you. (All of our teachers do it because they love it – even though we do pay them!) We can dream a little bit together and I can help you develop some skills.
We do not look specifically for professionally trained teachers – although some of our teachers also teach in general education. We are looking for people who love kids and being Jewish, who are not overly shy and who are really good at listening. We are creating experiences where our learners can decide what being Jewish will mean to them, not just filling them with information.
Call me at 203-245-7028. Email me at rsdirector@tbtshoreline.org. Or just drop in. Teaching will be great for you and awesome for our learners. Capes and tights are optional. If you want a mask, we can talk.
L’shalom,
Ira Wise