You may not know it, but this Sunday almost 200 Jewish educators from 14 different synagogues across the Northwest Suburbs are coming to Temple Jeremiah! With the generosity of a grant from JUF, we are flying in an educational consultant, Dr. Nancy Parkes. Dr. Parkes specializes in Social, Emotional, and Spiritual Learning (SESL) and will be training our teachers on how we can better meet the needs of our students today. This all came from an idea I had after learning with Dr. Parkes last year, and what started as a small idea, will now be for the betterment of thousands of students across the Chicagoland area.
On the other side of our Sunday schedule is our J-Quest teacher orientation. It is a time when we come together to talk about our year and get ready to greet our students and families. It is personally my favorite time of year because it truly showcases the joy that happens on Sunday mornings and beyond at Temple Jeremiah. Our teachers and staff love connecting with their students and families, and everything starts with our preparation this Sunday.
This week’s Torah portion, Eikev, begins with the promise that if the Israelites follow God’s commandments, they will be rewarded. It also reflects on the 40 years of wandering in the desert, citing various lessons that we have taken. What is nice about the start of a new year is that it offers up the opportunity for us to also reflect while forward thinking. If we put in the work and try to reach our students where they are at, making changes in our approaches to match the learning styles of our learners, we will be rewarded. We also must continue to keep the integrity of our congregation and in this case, the J-Quest program. For us, teaching is about making memories and having fun with our students. From the time our families enter the doors on Sunday until they leave, they should feel like connections are being made.
I know that on most occasions I focus on the portion as I just did above, but I also just wanted to take the time to invite all of our community to come feel the energy of a Sunday morning at Temple Jeremiah. Parents and grandparents fill the lobby to learn and engage, and the sanctuary and hallways are filled with the voices of kids singing and laughing. Overall, it’s a time when we do our best to make everyone feel comfortable. It is easier said than done to make everyone feel comfortable, and our students each have different ways of learning, participating, and living each day. I am so excited and appreciative of our teachers and staff for taking the time to grow and learn together this Sunday and cannot wait to welcome over 175 other teachers to Temple Jeremiah to learn with us.
Shabbat Shalom,
Matt Rissien