My first time in the States started with candle lighting at Fran’s home. It was a really special night – I had started Hanukkah in Jerusalem, I came back home to Bulgaria to light the candles with my family and the last night I spent with amazing people. We had a nice dinner and we sang Ladino songs for Hanukkah.
After the visit at Beth Sholom Early Childhood Center, I realized that the change needs a long time, it’s a long time process. I saw an amazing preschool where with a lot of patience and love, Michelle and Meredith are working for achieving their goal – a Reggio inspired preschool. And they already have their result – warm atmosphere, calm environment. In each classroom kids feel at home, everywhere are natural materials and teachers are behaving like equals with kids – they teach kids to be independent and responsible. Teachers believe in kids abilities. The meeting with Michelle and Meredith gave me ideas for different ways of training with my team. It’s important to work together with the team and to get them into the process for achieving some goals.
I was impressed by the visit of JCC. The “Open house” show me a lot of management things that I can bring for me. Ora is an amazing director which with lightness enchants people – teachers and parents. She is an enthusiastic and passionate manager and a good role model for her team. In the preschool I liked a lot the environment – it is a spacious and bright place, very nicely furnished, clean. The teachers there are smiling and calm. They have an incredible yard. This place inspired me to develop my managing skills.
I liked a lot the idea of Sunflower Bakery. Naturally, I compared it immediately to our community social 
welfare project for students that can’t integrate to the society – they are working in the community helping old people. But Sunflower Bakery has another idea – Jewish people help students with disabilities. It’s something like Tzedakah and also Tikun Olam. Our community can learn a lot from this example.
Temple Emanuel Early childhood Center first impression was again the kid’s calmness. I noticed how the teachers of different age group are writing their notes, how funny and interesting was for the 2 years old to wash their hands, how they serve the snack alone. Their yard is huge and gives the opportunity to have different activities – music, sport, science… Melissa and Gary let us wander freely in the classrooms and to see what we wanted. We spoke with teachers and kids and we understand how pleasant it is to be in this preschool for everybody.
Shaare Tefila Congregation was the place that I understood the way that Reggio approach does not have schedules for the days in the classroom but it has planning. With Beth’s help, I am still thinking what to bring back to my preschool and how to start the realization. It was very nice to hear the comparing before and after Reggio approach – how it was for Beth and Alex.
I can’t explain how the conference impressed me. From the beginning of our preschool I realized the need to have some Jewish teachers training – some implemented early childhood topics and in same time Jewish. For me personally was very enriching me the two sessions that I heard.
The last day morning we spend again in Beth Sholom. We sang songs with the kids for Shabbat. I was almost crying looking the cute teachers dancing and jumping with the youngest kids. This spirit I want to see in each Jewish preschool…Amazing! I already adore Michelle and Meredith and I imagine that in some years our preschool will look like theirs!
Thank you, Amazing people – Mara, Glynis and Alan to bring me in this fairy world!
