Pam Chassen
Head Teacher Hey Hebrew and Judaic

Rabbi Adler
Hey Hebrew and Judaic

Adeena Hudes
Aleph/Gimmel

Juliette Klug
Administration

Amy Olsen
Aleph/Gimmel
Judaic Studies

Hana Frankl
Resource

Emily  Mico
Shadow

Irving T. Wolfson Religious School

Pam Chassen, Head Teacher
 

Here we are midyear through religious school – how fast time goes. In the first semester, our young students have been reviewing the alef-bet, while older students have been practicing and improving their reading skills. In addition, all students have been learning how to chant the blessings and prayers. Students are enjoying learning Hebrew through educational games. We have found that the students who do best with Hebrew are the ones who spend a little time practicing and reviewing at home.

"Jew - not a Jew?" It’s a game many of us play. We meet someone at a party or on an airplane. We look, we toss out a Yiddish or Hebrew word or two and wonder: "Jew - not a Jew?" It used to be easier to play, but somehow in the search of the American dream, with shortened noses and shortened names, secularism, humanism, and other "isms", the game has gotten tougher. Just ask yourself a few questions: If a stranger walked into your home, would she know it’s a Jewish home? If the answer is no, you’ve concealed your identity where it matters most. Do you know your child’s soccer or football coach better than his religious schoolteacher? Have you been to Europe, the Caribbean, Australia, but not to Israel?

We’ve shed a lot of our Jewish skin trying to blend into the American background. But some of us have blended in so well we’ve disappeared. Of course we want to belong - to fit in. We don’t want to dress in black coats and hats, wigs and skirts to the knee. But modern, progressive Jews can find middle ground between Chasidism and secularism. It begins by accepting the challenge to lift up our heads and be counted - to make a difference in our people’s story - so that "Jew - not a Jew?" is a question never asked about us.

Please join the Hey class at their Shabbaton beginning on February 3 followed by Shabbat dinner and continuing on Saturday, February 4 with Shabbat morning services followed by a Kiddush.

Shalom,

Pam
Head Teacher

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January 2012 Message

Throughout my 16 years teaching here, I’ve spoken to many parents who’ve shared concerns as they strive to balance their children’s school, extracurricular activities, and religious school. How do we achieve equality between obligation, rest and play? How much Jewish education and Hebrew is "enough?" Child psychologist Bruno Bettelheim advocates "Good Enough Parenting" rather than perfect parenting. "Good Enough" is teaching our kids the skills and tools that inspire them to enjoy and connect to our religion, making it their own. It establishes a strong Jewish foundation which they can build upon for a lifetime. Through our participation in their Jewish education, "Good Enough" demonstrates to our children that our tradition is important to us.

If you want the Jewish value of learning, but you want to study from home, browse the following websites to expand your knowledge:

jewishvirtuallibrary.org: This accessible and significant collection has information on all facets of Jewish history, culture, literature and texts.

israel21c.com: Browse this innovative news service that gathers new and out-of-the-box Israel experiences.

Please join our Gimmel students and their parents on January 6 – 7 for the class Shabbaton. Last month many people attended services Friday evening and stayed for the delicious dinner afterward.

Regards,
Pam
Head Teacher

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December 2011

What is the legacy we look to impart to our children? Jewish tradition tells us to "teach our children diligently" from generation to generation. Our religious school curriculum is firmly based upon this Jewish tradition. In each grade level our students learn balance for leading a Jewish life that creates a deepening of their relationships and perspective. They learn their place within our community and also assume responsibilities that reach beyond, to change our world.

It is our responsibility to take an active part in our children’s education by ensuring that they see us, their teachers, but especially their parents, as role models.

Our students learn about the values that are reflected in Biblical and historical heroes. But they also learn that heroes are real people. Our desire is to instill within them a sense of Jewish awareness that will enable each of them to become a mensch and a transmitter of mitzvot to the next generation. We truly appreciate your partnership in this endeavor!

Chanukah emphasizes the right to be different; the right not to assimilate into the majority culture. Today we may not have the occasion to overthrow tyrants or purify temples, but we have the right and responsibility to act upon and advocate for our beliefs. Whether in politics, business or family, we work to resolve injustice, to right the wrong. This message of activism is integral to Chanukah even if and especially if it means standing strong against the majority.

Kol tuv (all the best),
Pam Chassen 

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November 2011

Religious School is getting into full swing! Thank you to all who made the start of our school a great success!

During these first two months, our students have been busy with the first holidays of 5772 - Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. The younger students discussed vocabulary and rituals and created an acrostic poem using the word Teshuvah. The middle grades reviewed the holidays and wrote letters to G-d, while the older students thought about their lives last year and how they could embrace their lives more in the upcoming year. As many of you have seen first-hand, original, colorful hanging creations have decorated our synagogue’s sukkah. As always, our Pizza in the Hut was enjoyed by all!

The younger students began learning about Israel and its bordering countries, and started their journey through the Bible stories. They also began their Life Cycle studies with Brit Milah and Brit Bat, baby naming, Consecration, The middle grades read an article on Omri Casspi, who is from Israel and plays professional basketball in the NBA for the Sacramento Kings. The older students were introduced to the Coming of Age Curriculum from the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. It includes stories of teens who were Holocaust survivors. The curriculum was developed specifically for young people prompting reflection on responsibility, identity, and community.

Mazel tov to last year’s hey students who had their bar and bat mitzvahs in August and September: Jesse Kellar, Seth Bilkis, Rebecca Engel, Rachel Cohen, Jordan Cohen, Elizabeth Clayton and Julia Clayton!

B’shalom,
Pam

About Our Wonderful Staff:

Adeena Hudes – Teaches Hebrew with the Aleph and Dalet classes. She is a mom of 3 children: 12, 8, and 4 months. She moved to Randolph from Israel 4 years ago. Adeena served in the Israeli army for 2 years. The last 4 years she taught Gan and Pre-aleph students and loved it.

Amy Olsen – teaches Judaic with the Aleph and Gimmel classes. Amy‘s been teaching Judaic Studies here for the past 7 years as well as being the Director of the Nursery School for the past 8 years. She is married and has one son who is a sophomore at Morris Knolls and graduated from our religious school, and another son who is in 6th grade and will graduate from our religious school this year. Amy is looking forward to another fun year of learning.

Hana Frankl – works in resource. Hana has been teaching Hebrew at White Meadow Temple for the past 4 years and this year is the Tuesday resource teacher where she works individually with students to enhance their Hebrew reading skills. Hana also runs White Meadow Temple's Junior Congregation during the High Holidays and throughout the school year.

Rebekah Kirsch – works in resource.Rebekah graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Psychology. This is her 2nd year working in our resource area. She enjoyed working with the students very much last year and is looking forward to continuing this year. Rebekah works Sunday mornings.

Emily Mico – works as a shadow. Emily is a graduate of our religious school and is a sophomore at Morris Hills. This is her 2nd year working as a shadow. Emily is with us on Tuesdays and Sundays.

Rabbi Adler– teaches Hebrew and Judaic with the Hey class.

Pam Chassen – teaches Hebrew and Judaic with the Hey class. This is Pam's 18th year teaching Hebrew School – and 15th year here. I‘ve taught all grades and have been with the Hey class for the last 10 years.

Juliette Klug - our administrative assistant who has worked in our religious school office for the past 4 years. Juliette is on top of things and keeps the office organized.

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tutor ELIANA KISSNER

Eliana Kissner is enthusiastic and grateful to be the bnai-mitzvah tutor for White Meadow Temple.  After growing up in South Orange, NJ, she studied opera and classical voice at Hunter College, City University of New York and graduated as salutatorian, summa cum laude in January 2009.  With a strong Jewish background, a degree in music, and a passion for liturgy, she decided to make the leap to a career in the cantorate and completed her first year of cantorial school in 2009-2010 in Israel through the Jewish Theological Seminary.  

She has performed in multiple settings including as a soprano in fully staged opera productions at Hunter College, and in Italy at the Amalfi Coast Music Festival in 2008. Highlight roles in theatrical productions include Little Eye in Throw in Some Violins, Suor Genovieffa in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, and Eve in the Tehillim Project.  She also functioned as cantor for the High Holidays in Kochav Yair, Israel in 2009 and Sosua, Dominican Republic in 2010. Before cantorial school, she worked at the Hadassah Archives at the Center for Jewish History in New York and helped run the choir at DOROT, an organization that provides social services for senior citizens.  She is now in the Drisha Arts Fellowship, a program that enables her to expand her knowledge of Jewish texts, collaborate with other artists, and produce uprooting and engaging music and performance work.  

She has already encountered a warm welcome from White Meadow Temple members as well as several students who exhibit kindness, engagement, and commitment to learning.  Eliana is excited to a part of the White Meadow Temple community and looks forward to meeting, working, learning, and building relationships with everyone.     

2011/2012 Board of Education
Sharon Cohen, Vice President, Education/ Programming

Sandy Bernoff
Rona Eckert
Elissa Cohen-Engel
Ilene Lefkowitz, Chairman
Ronnie Lissner
Fariba Mahgerefteh
Ann Stocknoff