Teaching week came to an end today. We said our good byes with a promise to keep in close touch and work collaboratively during the year using social media, blogs, google classroom sharing and more.
It is with sad feeling that I say good bye to the school I have come to admire and appreciate. Learning about the history of the school and the long term objectives of its leaders helped me understand that they have come a long way from the Judaic aspect and from its connection with the land of Israel. In our discussion with the leaders of the school our team suggested several ideas to help promote the atmosphere of Jewishness at the school and infuse knowledge of Jewish literacy. We were all very impressed with the students’ knowledge and interest in American politics, and their English is implacable! We learned that The school is regarded among the top schools in the country and graduates of the school go to very prestigious universities.
In my classes today I did what I do with my classes at my school back at home. I dedicated the lessons to learning about Israel and its achievements. Several students were in Israel a week ago and they spoke about Israel with bright shiny eyes and a big smile. They had a great time there and I am confident that they will have an opportunity to share their experiences with the rest of the students at the school. I also shared with them a video our school took for open house this year, in which students describe what they are learning and experiencing at the school as well as interviews with teachers who explained the philosophy and goals of our school. They were very impressed with the building, with the excitement of the students telling about the various clubs and extra curricula activities that they are engaged. The part that they could not identify with was the prayers and the learning of Torah, two things that this school does not plan to adopt in the near (or very long) future. Not all students are Jewish, even though it is a Jewish School. The parents of these students grew up without it, some discovered that they were Jews only later in life, and some have still not shared with their child that he/she is Jewish. When students register at the school, they are not asked if they are Jewish. One of the teachers explained: ”It is not The Hungarian way”, in another words “It is not politically correct”.
It is going to be hard for me to say good bye to my fellow colleagues from JDS in Rockville Maryland. We have become a close family who share ideas, opinions and unique perspectives on everything we see, hear and feel. We tell jokes and laugh and we enjoy each other’s company till very late hours of the night.
It is almost Shabbat Time and we are going to the synagogue and will be meeting with the young members of the Jewish community here in Budapest. I am very excited to meet them!
Shabbat Shalom!
