The purest moment of joy
Rays of sunlight penetrated through the stain glass windows as I walked into SSG for another exciting day in Budapest. That Wednesday morning, we had the opportunity to teach and enrich the learning ...
The Dog Blog
Everyone wants something. I explain this concept to my Year-8 students, who do not quite know why I am telling them this. I want them to understand the power of language and how people can manipulate ...
Impact of the Treaty of Versailles
Here I stand alone in a World War One museum with an unfamiliar language on the walls. The floor cracks beneath me as I walk through the hall of mirrors recreation. While walking through this room I ...
A little bit of light
It is late Wednesday night and once again I am exhausted from a packed day in Budapest. The day started at SSG where I had the distinct privilege and pleasure to learn Torah with Hungarian teenagers. ...
The power of a compliment.
Today I re-learned a crucial lesson of teaching. The power of a compliment.
When I was in graduate school, one of the professors told us, a novice group of teaching assistants, that half the comments ...
It’s all about the kids.
Ask any teacher why they like teaching and they will tell you that it’s about the kids. We enjoy watching them grow. We take pride in planting questions and information in them ...
Developing skills
I heard about the Morim Limmud Program founded and supported by SOS International: Enriching Jewish Identities from my colleagues two years ago when they were discussing it. Although I could ...
An amazing, long and tiring day
When I woke up today I was so full of energy. I usually don’t like to go to school like most kids, but today I couldn’t wait to get to school. The reason for that is nothing else, but that ...
Another day and next observations…
Another day and next observations. We started the day by watching films about the techniques used in the Reggio Emilia method and we saw pictures from kindergartens working in this method in the US. ...
Deep connection, spirituality, and unity
As I walk down the bumpy road of the Shoe Memorial located next to the Danube river, many emotions rush through my veins. We reached the Shoe Memorial and a Hungarian ...
So many ideas to take back to Frajda!
It is hard to describe the beauty of Debbie’s farm and surroundings. Eating a farm fresh breakfast with views of miles and miles can’t be beaten.
Today we had the gorgeous California sunshine that ...
Build instead of destroy
It is late Tuesday night and I am exhausted. I am physically exhausted from walking over 6 miles and I am emotionally exhausted from visiting Jewish Budapest, with its constant reminders of the near ...
“In Europe, we don’t talk about the Holocaust in past tense”
Standing on the banks of the Danube at sunset in front of Budapest’s famous Shoe Memorial, I held two complementary thoughts in my mind. The first came from this morning at the Scheiber Sandor School ...
Look, Look Mommy!
Look, look Mommy! There are shoes! There are shoes by the river! 
Careful Dani, don’t get to close!
Mommy, there are shoes, but the ...
Such an inspirational day!
It was such an inspirational day! We started with a welcome from teachers, parents, and employees from the JCC and eating a delicious breakfast. Next, ...
What a great start
We started our day with a warm welcome from JCC staff and preschool parents at a lovely coffee. We were given a tour of the school (14 classrooms!) by Mykenzie (the assistant director of the ...
At long last
After waiting so long our program with BT started today. Right after we arrived at school in the morning we were greeted by Zsolt and Mrs. Halaine Steinberg form Beth Tfiloh School.
On our first ...
Reunions
Our students arrive in Budapest, bringing with them the energy, laughter and sense of sheer joy that only teenagers can muster after traveling for almost 24 hours. They greet their counterparts from ...
Growth comes from going out of one’s comfort zone
On the first leg of our voyage to Budapest, and despite the hour, sleep eludes me. Just had a glimpse of what this trip could mean when we were waiting in line to board and Avishye ...
What a busy day!
What a busy day! We began with breakfast at the farm made with eggs from the chickens here and spinach that we picked ourselves. Yum! Sitting out on the deck ...
