Mara, Fran, Nia and I were working 3 months to have this amazing 5 days and I think we surpassed ourselves. We had learned a lot, we have talked a lot, we have connected ...
Thanks to SOS International and the Lauder Javne School of Budapest, I could get another chance to be a part of a new Reggio workshop with my four colleagues in Sofia.
Today was a beautiful day. We started the day by visiting three classes in the preschool. We were welcomed warmly into each room by teachers and children. Following our observations, we met with Beti, ...
It is so powerful to see 40 Jewish early childhood educators sitting together in one room, speaking 4 different languages, all buzzing with excitement and eager to learn. We were warmly welcomed ...
We started the day at Gan Balagan, meeting up with Beti and Niya, as well as our friends who came from Lauder Javne Ovode in Budapest, with their director Szonja. Beti and Niya took us on a tour of ...
Life serves us so many opportunities on a daily basis – obvious and hidden, big and small, the ones we miss and the ones we seize. In the end, it’s all about having the eyes to see them, the strength and courage to grab them and the heart to live them.
The opportunity to continue my professional development and personal growth in the city Reggio Emilia, side by side with experienced and inspiring educators from different parts of the world is one of those opportunities that is rare and valuable, and it is often life-changing.
The past days of this educational and spiritual journey have been intense, rich in content and experiences, and challenging in many ways. I feel all kinds of emotions – excitement, frustration, inspiration, curiosity, confusion, amusement and gratitude. My mind and heart are rushing and my thoughts are all over the place, but it all feels good and right – I call it euphoria.
Everything in Reggio Emilia feels like an opportunity – to stroll around the beautiful streets, to enjoy self made pasta and pizza in local restaurants, to hear the music of the city, to feel the spirit of optimism, to learn more about and experience the complex educational approach of Reggio Emilia and to debate and discuss with people who have common values and beliefs. It is a multi-sensory experience that enriches you on many different levels.
The days start early and finish late. The intensity of the lectures is sometimes overwhelming but mostly eye opening and valuable. The opportunity to visit schools that are in alliance with parents in the fight for better education and that value curiosity, creativity, research, and deep learning, is one that you don’t just grab, you seize it. Listening to lectures led by educators devoted their life to excellence in education and building meaningful relationships with children and families is another opportunity for personal and professional enrichment.
The Reggio Emilia Conference so far has been an outstanding journey, an opportunity to further shape my identity, and a chance for us to give back to our community by strengthening early childhood education. Here comes the most challenging and beautiful part of the journey – once going home it will be all about the opportunities we create for ourselves.
Today was a really special day. We visited one great preschool – Freire. The first thing I was impressed was the formidable yard that belongs to the preschool – it is like you are in the park. And the kids are really involved with the development of this park – they made a pond, they playing there, they observe the animals. The second great thing was the architecture of the building – the classrooms have a second floor and it’s made like this especially to develop again the way of children’s thinking – to give them the opportunity to see from different levels the same things. Also, they have a lot of internal windows to have more light and because the transparency is a value of this approach. They have transparent doors because of the visual communication. They keep on being open for the entire and the city, the community. The building of preschool Freire have an ecological vision and is created as a result of the collaborative work of bio architects, pedagogista, and ateliarista. They wanted to create welcoming place for the autonomy of the kids. And another special thing is that each classroom has its own atelier.
After I became a mother, for me the food that I give to my daughter has to be really special, homemade, bio, clean, for sure without white sugar and salt. So in this preschool, they almost are a mirror of my requirements. They do homemade food, it’s healthy and when we was there it’s smelled so good… And the next good thing was that the kitchen staff is really important part of the whole staff. The kitchen is the atelier of tastes, of smells, of seasons, of colors, of materials.
Also, we saw gorgeous classrooms, very clean, well organized, full of kids each of them doing something. And they were so autonomous. They have the freedom for so many choices – they played, they worked with clay, they read books, they arranged numbers and letters, they danced and they delivered and served the food.
And this preschool was so welcoming that we didn’t understand where passed the time for our visit.
I can’t wait for the toddler-infant center visit! ~ Beti Gershom, Early Childhood Director, Gan Balagan Sofia, Bulgaria
At the beginning of an amazing Shabbat in an amazing place, there was a sacred place. This Shabbat we pause, we disconnect to connect, we move from action to reflection and back from reflection to action. Talking about storytelling we create a good fairytale: “Once upon a time there was a kingdom. There lived an unknown family. And one day this family which was a group of great educators realize that they are really lonely. So they decided to go walking around the kingdom Reggio Emilia. They saw so many beautiful places and families and smiling kids. They went home and it was time for Havdala. They embraced themselves, they started singing and became aware that they are the amazing family with a perfect mission and that in the name of their kids they will do everything to have a good future!”
So this good family started their journey in the kingdom wisdom understanding that “When the adult is there – the child never forget”. They started organizing different places for their kids, they started to listen to the kids, they started to teach the kids to have a dialogue. They talked about the essence of childhood and taught that it’s the nature, play, songs, smile and freedom of being.
And then the amazing family went to the most special place in the kingdom – The Malaguzzi International Center and have one long, educational, understanding and at the same time a confusing day, full of strong sessions that gave them a lot of information how to work with kids. And the family became more united because they have a nice dinner talking about what they learned and what are their worries. Gelato was good ending of this long day. Have a good night, sweet family! ~ Beti Gershon, Director Gan Balagan, Sofia, Bulgaria
The things I’ve learned and experienced during my current and previous visit have shifted my mindset and opened my eyes to things I hold in my heart. I am growing professionally and personally and I am building strong and meaningful relationships. SOS International: Enriching Jewish Identities and all the lovely people they work with have made this possible and I am forever grateful for the amazing opportunity. Through this journey, I have created heartfelt friendships and I have met wonderful people who opened their homes and hearts to us. I am proud to be a part of such an inspiring and vibrant program and I am looking forward to whatever is coming next.
At the end of the day it’s all about the relationships we build – those in the world, in our countries, cities and communities, the relationships we have with our children, families, friends, colleagues and people surrounding us, the relationship with ourself. Some may take more time, effort and devotion than others but all together they form the many narratives life is consisted of.
American psychologist, Dan P. McAdams said: ‘We are all storytellers, and we are the stories we tell.’ In telling the story of how you became who you are, and of who you’re on your way to becoming, the story itself becomes a part of who you are. Narratives aren’t a simple reflection of our personalities. They take an important part in who we are and become a form of identity, along with the goals we set, the beliefs we have and the values we live by.
Children themselves are storytellers from the moment they see the world for the first time. Behind their actions stands a deeper meaning, a theory or a thought they want to share with us. Any behavior is a narrative and any narrative has layers. It’s us, as educators and parents, who should recognize those narratives, listen and acknowledge what children have to say, and realize our crucial role as co-builders. We carry the ideas and we cross children’s narratives with our owns, but we need to understand that the messages we send are being looked up at. Mutual orientation is key to how the process of narrative development takes place, as it is the foundation upon which narrative building can take place.
Values have a big place in our lives, as Jews, but also as human beings. Through value-based education, we create meaningful learning experiences and we develop in children sustainable social and relationship skills. Education is about preparing children for life and everything that comes with it and helping them fully develop their potential and discover the very best of themselves. By setting the right environment we create a space that stimulates curiosity and creativity and encourages aspirational and reflective attitudes. When believing that children are capable and competent, and have “infinite ways that they can express, explore, and connect their thoughts, feelings and imaginings”, we give them the empowerment to grow.
Having in mind all of the above, we should put focus on our own mindset and the relationship we have with ourself. Self-awareness doesn’t stop you from making mistakes, but it allows you to learn from them. It’s important to think about the energy and attitude we bring in our relationship with children, the example we set and whether we live by our values or not. Children feel all of that and to them we are transparent. Being authentic, honest and respectful is going to help us build a strong foundation for a future developing relationship.
Children are the world’s most valuable resource and it’s best hope for the future. As educators, we get to impact their growth daily. It’s our duty to do it in the best possible way.
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 ...
Thursday. Conference Day. The biggest Jewish education conference I’ve seen. I feel privileged to be here at such a young age and to learn and grow from and with so many inspiring and experienced educators. I don’t even have the right words to describe the feelings and thoughts I had throughout the day. It was definitely overwhelming, but there’s nothing more inspiring than being a part of something so immense and important. It is our obligation to secure the future of our children, tomorrow’s adults, by working towards improving education and living meaningful learning experiences.
“Our task is to help children communicate with the world using all their potential, strengths and languages and to overcome any obstacle presented by our culture.”
Wednesday arrived fairly quickly. Our day started at Temple Emanuel Early Childhood Center. We were once again welcomed by an inspiring team – Gary and Melissa. We had the opportunity to visit classrooms, speak to teachers and observe the learning process. I was blown away. Children were engaged on a whole new level and the atmosphere was inviting, but also provoking. We had a lot of questions that were answered in a clear and supportive way. The outdoor space is a richness for this already beautiful school.
We spend the afternoon at Gates of Discovery Early Childhood Center with Beth and Alex. We had a lot to talk about and they both addressed the conversation in beautiful words. They gave us a clearer understanding, practical advice and inspired us with their personal experiences. The walls of the school were telling memorable stories and were displaying deep child learning.
The evening brought us at Union Station, the first stop of our night tour. The city lights make darkness look beautiful.
We spent our first morning at Beth Sholom Early Childhood Center. Going into the school and seeing Michelle and Meredith (The M&M’s) brought back a lot of memories from last year. They were my host school last December and I was more than happy to be back and share my time with them. We were welcomed with coffee (much needed) and breakfast and we had a productive morning. Being in the classrooms and seeing the amazing work they’re doing was delightful. I am excited and grateful to partner with them in our educational journey.
The evening ended in an unexpected place. Melissa, Betty, Vera, Szonja and I had dinner in a restaurant owned by a young and successful Bulgarian lady and close friend to Melissa. We had the chance to meet her and have an interesting conversation (in Bulgarian) about her life here, we enjoyed the delicious food and we had lots of fun. I am thankful to Melissa for making this happen.
Tuesday was a whole new day full of opportunities. We shared our morning with the wonderful Ora and Sandy at Bender JCC of Greater Washington. We were part of their open-door day and we had a meaningful experience and a lot to think about afterwards. Seeing schools all inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach, but yet so different from one another, indicates authenticity, thoughtfulness and individuality.
We had our afternoon coffee in a very special place – Sunflower Bakery, where caring is their main ingredient. The work they’re doing deserves respect and honor.
As I promised to share, Melissa hosted a dinner on Tuesday night at her home for us and some of her colleagues. She served Italian food (so delicious and thematic) and wine. We had a relaxing evening, met our hosts for the next school visit and enjoyed getting to know each other and our work.
Putting into writing my personal experience in this educational journey I started a year ago is very challenging. I’ve been asking myself why is it so hard to write about something that is so close to my beliefs about education and I realize what I’ve experienced is much deeper than simple learning. It’s about sharing mutual understanding, working towards common goals and impacting education in a meaningful and sustainable way.
I was once again welcomed to Washington DC by being a part of a special and memorable experience. Spending the last night of Hanukkah and the first night of my visit with my dearest friends, lighting the candles and singing songs set the right mood for the upcoming days. Afterwards, we were warmly welcomed by Melissa in her beautiful home, but you’ll hear more about her and the special dinner she hosted if you keep reading.
Feeling like home when you’re so far away, surrounded by caring and giving people, gives you sense of belonging and unity.
Friday has always been a good day for me. Well, you can easily say every day is a good day when you see it as a possibility for a new adventure or a day of growth. Attitude is everything. New day, new strength, new thoughts.
Today started early with a cup of strong coffee and an intriguing meeting at Beth Sholom Early Childhood Center. We were properly introduced to the Reggio Emilia approach by an inspiring woman – we will get to her name, so keep on reading. Let me tell you, a two hour meeting is definitely not enough to understand everything we’re told. What’s helpful is seeing all the warm faces around you, ready to answer your questions and show you the right way of understanding the Reggio approach. After the introduction we got from Dr. Na’ama Zoran (the inspiring figure I mentioned) we visited two different, but both amazing schools. Beth Sholom Early Childhood Center was our first destination and that’s where the meeting was held. That’s one of the transitioning schools, so you could also call it a Reggio inspired school. We got to see the building and meet the staff. Believe it or not, just that already makes you feel excited about the upcoming week. You’re going to hear more about Beth Sholom Early Childhood Center in my upcoming blog posts because that’s where I am going to spend most of my time during the week. The second school we visited was Temple Emanuel – a school which started as a Reggio school. We got to meet the pedagogista and atelierista (very important pieces in the Reggio puzzle) and they gave us a tour of the facility and some background stories. The beauty in both was the high level of involvement of children and teachers, the never ending creativity floating in the air, the jewish values as a foundation of teaching and a lot more than that. A little side note – the whole schedule we follow is very well planned, because each place we go to and each person we meet has it’s own purpose and it all makes sense in the end. Fridays goal was to give us the image of two Reggio schools – one which started as one and one which was still transitioning. The schools had a different vibe but as I said both of them were full of energy.
Friday was a good day, full of new experiences. There’s a saying that a mind that is stretched by new experiences can never go back to its old dimensions.
The first day of our visit has come to its end and I am feeling overwhelmed. I had an amazing experience today and I’m looking forward to all of the upcoming events. I was lucky to participate in the Jewish Early Childhood Education Conference and meet so many people of different age and nationality, all with a different background. What was really amazing was being surrounded by all those people and knowing that we all have one thing in common – we are all trying to be better and more innovative and effective in what we do with passion and love.
We grow by learning and by sharing our knowledge with others. Today gave me the opportunity to learn from people with experience and great ideas – I felt excited, curious and motivated. As we all know, curiosity is the fuel of development and the engine of achievement. Children are born with all the curiosity they’ll ever need and our job is to feed them with ideas daily, so that their curiosity would last a lifetime. We all have a unique contribution to education and it’s our responsibility to help our kids form and thicken their Jewish identity by understanding what being Jewish really means. It’s not just a special activity, it’s a lifestyle.Read More
Eight years ago, Gan Balagan, the Sofia Jewish Early Childhood Center in Bulgaria began with 4 children. Today the school has 70 children enrolled and occupies three floors of the five story Sofia Jewish Community Center. Every floor of the school is filled with the wonderful sounds and voices of energetic children who are the future of the Sofia Jewish Community.
Beti Gershon is the Director and has a teaching staff of 14 teachers and assistants.
SOS International and Gan Balagan have established a five year partnership. For the next five years, the Early Childhood Morim Project will provide bi-lateral, bi-national professional development, onsite coaching and modeling and ongoing curricular and administrative advice, guidance and support.
SOS International very much looks forward to deepening and strengthening our personal and professional relationship with Gan Balagan and the Sofia Jewish Community.Read More
It is so powerful to see 40 Jewish early childhood educators sitting together in one room, speaking 4 different languages, all buzzing with excitement and eager to learn. We were warmly welcomed ... 
The days start early and finish late. The intensity of the lectures is sometimes overwhelming but mostly eye opening and valuable. The opportunity to visit schools that are in alliance with parents in the fight for better education and that value curiosity, creativity, research, and deep learning, is one that you don’t just grab, you seize it. Listening to lectures led by educators devoted their life to excellence in education and building meaningful relationships with children and families is another opportunity for personal and professional enrichment.
formidable yard that belongs to the preschool – it is like you are in the park. And the kids are really involved with the development of this park – they made a pond, they playing there, they observe the animals. The second great thing was the architecture of the building – the classrooms have a second floor and it’s made like this especially to develop again the way of children’s thinking – to give them the opportunity to see from different levels the same things. Also, they have a lot of internal windows to have more light and because the transparency is a value of this approach. They have transparent doors because of the visual communication. They keep on being open for the entire and the city, the community. The building of preschool Freire have an ecological vision and is created as a result of the collaborative work of bio architects, pedagogista, and ateliarista. They wanted to create welcoming place for the autonomy of the kids. And another special thing is that each classroom has its own atelier.
“Once upon a time there was a kingdom. There lived an unknown family. And one day this family which was a group of great educators realize that they are really lonely. So they decided to go walking around the kingdom Reggio Emilia. They saw so many beautiful places and families and smiling kids. They went home and it was time for Havdala. They embraced themselves, they started singing and became aware that they are the amazing family with a perfect mission and that in the name of their kids they will do everything to have a good future!”
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.
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.
the right words to describe the feelings and thoughts I had throughout the day. It was definitely overwhelming, but there’s nothing more inspiring than being a part of something so immense and important. It is our obligation to secure the future of our children, tomorrow’s adults, by working towards improving education and living meaningful learning experiences.
and observe the learning process. I was blown away. Children were engaged on a whole new level and the atmosphere was inviting, but also provoking. We had a lot of questions that were answered in a clear and supportive way. The outdoor space is a richness for this already beautiful school.
