It continues to be my delight and honor to teach for Congregation Etz Chaim as we continue our religious school year via Zoom classes. This may be the most unique situation I have encountered, including time spent teaching at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota! It is, indeed, like a one-room schoolhouse.

 

In addition, I am the Education Director, which is a “first” for me. Administration has never been a goal of mine. However, I do enjoy participating in meetings and planning sessions with other Rochester Jewish Education Directors.

 

Every one of our Etz Chaim students is kind, respectful and pleasant. While I do mostly Hebrew prayer instruction, my curriculum also includes the Jewish holidays and Jewish-related secular topics on Israel, history, and the arts.

 

With Morah (teacher) Rachel Kobernick's help and guidance, the class also creates, directs, and performs shows relevant to our topics. The students are always engaged and ready to be creative.

 

We are working to implement the Shalom Learning Hebrew program. As described: “Thanks to our partnerships with Torah Aura Publishing and JLearn Hub, Shalom Learning allows each synagogue to select the Hebrew curriculum that works well for that community. Both options provide teachers with Hebrew lessons and students with online activities to practice reading Hebrew and tefillot outside the classroom.

 

May we all go together from strength to strength.

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-Morah Alice Nussbaum