March 4, 2024
Today, Mykenzie and I had a chance to be in classrooms with the dedicated educators mentioned in our last post. We were able to see them in action and were most impressed with the ways that they were present for the children. It is essential to note that this unique early childhood program takes in children from Israel and Ukraine as well as from the local area of Poland. These youngsters have been ripped out of their home countries under difficult circumstances and brought into a completely new environment. As a result, they come into the program not speaking the language or knowing anyone else in the school community. The educators listen closely to children’s concerns while making room for them to help each other and themselves. Gathering times as well as open times provide opportunities for making connections and interacting. The result is a strong feeling of community across the school. At the same time, the educators are eager to learn more about how to demonstrate the expression of values from Jewish life. Clearly, they are engaged in teaching about Gemilut Hasadim (deeds of lovingkindness) and showing Kavod (honor) to every child and adult. There is further interest in learning more about value concepts, as noted in our last post, and I am sure that they will discover how much they are promoting the Jewish cultural context in ways that they can name. It is clear that the children are absorbing this culture by how they already relate to each other across languages. I also heard a spontaneous rendition of Am Yisroel Chai at the art table!
~Lyndall Miller
