Our latest Reggio training in Sofia
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.
Our mentors ...
Tag: Lauder Javne
Feedback Day and More
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, ...
How Powerful!
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 ...
Connections
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 ...
Gratitude
One of my favorite moments from the past week was the Gratitude Circle we did on Shabbat as a parting activity for both students and teachers. We all sat in a big circle, and each student and staff member had to thank someone from the group for anything they feel grateful for while tossing that person a piece of delicious American candy. Not only were all students and staff happy to share their gratitude, but we actually had to go around the circle three times because so many “thank-you’s” kept coming up. Students thanked each other for being considerate hosts and wonderful house guests. Students thanked staff for moments of bonding while riding the bus. Educators thanked students for participating willingly and thoughtfully in different parts of the trip. Educators thanked each other for professional enrichment. Gratitude filled the room, and it was a most moving activity to take part in.
As educators, we don’t often get to pick the fruits of our labor. Education is a slow process. But the Morim Limmud program provided me an opportunity to hear and see not only the immediate, strong effect of the program on the students and teachers taking part in it, but it also reminded me that I am taking part in something greater than the immediate.
I am grateful I had the chance to participate in the program for a second year: seeing my students bond with their peers, learn about Hungarian history, discuss their Jewish identity with their peers, and teach them about our school community. I am positive the connections made throughout the trip will continue to enrich us.
‘Why didn’t they teach me this in school?’
I have come to realize this week that some concepts are truly international.
I feel fortunate to have the support of Adelson’s administration and math department to teach ‘Financial Math’. The course covers personal finance concepts that many young Americans say they never learned. I tell students the goal of the course is that they don’t look back on their Adelson education and think ‘Why didn’t they teach me this in school?’
I brought this same question to Lauder and never expected the Hungarian students’ interest in learning about Investing to be so strong. Students learned about 7 common ways to invest (Savings accounts, Index funds, individual stocks, etc.) and the pros and cons of each. They then played a web-based game that simulated 20 years of investing in 20 minutes. A competition was held to see which investing strategy would yield the greatest result. The leaderboard updated in real time and the collective cheers and groans could be heard throughout the class and as the markets went through their typical ups and downs. Students were surprised at how much emotion they felt but took to heart the advice that investing is a marathon, not a sprint.
I’m confident that my new colleagues at Lauder will begin incorporating personal finance topics into their math lessons. I appreciate the opportunity to debrief with their team and discuss current best teaching practices. Teaching personal finance and financial literacy concepts has given me renewed life as an educator. I’m appreciative of the opportunity to bring these strategies to students in Budapest. Understanding how to build wealth and work with money is something that all students appreciate, no matter their home country.
Brian Hemsworth
AEC Math Teacher
Opening ourselves to the world, what I bring with me, and my hopes
Honestly, the opportunity to get to know others, to impact others, and be impacted by them is what excites me the most about participating in the Morim Limmud program. I am always looking for opportunities for students and myself to connect with others around the world, to help us better understand other cultures, challenges that we could impact, and ways to communicate and build relationships globally.
Specifically, in my AP CSP course, students are undertaking projects where they design apps based on problems they identify in the world that they can impact, as well as study and understand computer innovations from around the world and the impact they make. It would be incredible if we could develop a joint project between our students and those in Budapest that would have an impact on their knowledge of computer science and project development – and/or perhaps a project exchange that could impact both communities. This could also be done in conjunction with our Tech Entrepreneur program. Additionally, I have experience leading distance learning programs, something which could help all continue to foster the connections made beyond the face to face experiences. We could further encourage exchanges through websites like Flipgrid for student and teacher driven sharing and learning.
Traveling outside of America is one of things that I have come to value highly in my life. I have had incredible experiences connecting with people, learning about their lives, and the stories they have to share. Whether it was when I was young and traveled outside of the US to Israel for the first time through a Hebrew exchange program, or just recently as I traveled and lived in Barcelona for a period of time with my family – walking through history, experiencing things hands-on, and seeing how it could bring to life what one can only experience in those ways, I continue to value and support the importance of Global education and the impact it can have on the learner. I am intrigued to learn more about the Jewish history of Budapest and Hungary, allowing me to connect with yet another important aspect of Klal Yisrael, and promoting a sense of community around the world.
I have been meditating on ways to bring my expertise to Lauder Javne and impact teachers as well as students. I have had the pleasure of leading professional development on a day to day basis at the Adelson Educational Campus. This is something I take great pride in and am passionate about, so much so that I pursued and completed a Masters in Instructional Design & Technology aiding me in delving deeper and building my experience to provide quality professional development. Last year I led workshops at the Apple Worldwide Institute providing hands-on training on how to teach coding to other Apple Distinguished educators from around the world. Over the past five years I have pursued and accomplished certifications through Code.org, Adobe, Apple, and Google enabling me to provide quality training to other teachers and staff in the areas of technology integration, digital media production, STEAM integration, project-based learning, classroom management, and more. Additionally, I have presented interactive sessions at conferences around the United States and abroad where I led adult educators and administrators through activities and learning to help expand on their experiences of leading and providing professional development, Jewish studies and technology learning, STEAM education, and design thinking.
I am well versed in andragogy, adult learning and hoping to use my knowledge to develop workshops and exchange opportunities between the staff at Lauder and myself. This is something that I have built experience in over the years, as well as built on through my Master’s program studies last year. I am excited to share my Instructional Design and Technology skills and help other Morim develop them in turn. For this coming year, one of my goals and desires is to create global connections through Design Thinking Projects in our Incubator, and this opportunity would be ideal to foster such connections. I would love to help students and educators capture and share their learning. It would be exciting to “be like Steven Spielberg” and capture audio stories and history shared (if permitted) in order to set up web resources that could be further shared and developed. Having worn many hats over the years, I developed an ability to help mentor students and would love the chance to help guide ours and theirs through this “once in a lifetime” exciting learning opportunity.
One final note I would like to share is that I continue to be passionate about helping students make connections with Jewish History and Cultures around the world. With having been afforded this opportunity, I look forward to what we could design and build together for all of our teachers and students.
Returning to learn more
I have been fortunate enough to be asked to return to the Morim Limmud program and represent my school in the second year of this exchange. But this year is going to be different; this year we are taking students with us. How exciting!
As my colleagues and I begin planning for the program, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I learned in the first year.
For me, examining the complexity of Jewish identity amongst many Hungarian Jews was compelling. It was fascinating and educational to discover how similar the struggle is to develop and enrich Jewish identity amongst young adults, to witnessing how similar teen spirit is across the world, and how different the school atmosphere and culture is between the Adelson Campus and Lauder Javne. I want my students to get to examine these similarities and others, as well as the differences which exist. I want them to learn from them.
How can I prepare my students for what they are about to experience? How can I convey the depth of what I hope this encounter will teach them? How can I ensure they get the most of what the program has to offer?
We’ve scheduled weekly sessions with the group where we are exploring some topics relevant to the program and the upcoming trip, focusing on Jewish identity in and out of the U.S. We are discussing what it means to be Jewish, how one may define their Judaism, and Jewish denominations to which they might belong. We are also considering the influence (or lack thereof) of the State of Israel, the Holocaust, Halacha, the Hebrew language, and more on our Jewish American identities. We are asking the students to keep in mind these factors as they connect with their Hungarian peers. I hope our sessions will serve as fertile ground for an educational, meaningful, interesting, and fun experience for all the students. I hope it will push them to ask further questions about their own Jewish identities as well as that of their Hungarian counterparts.
An opportunity
I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to add teachers from around the world to my professional network. I look forward to discovering new resources, teaching strategies, and methods for reaching all students. I plan on bringing the best of Lauder back to Adelson and sharing what I learn with our faculty and students.
It all began last December…
When I arrived home from Washington, from my first Reggio-journey, I felt enlightened. This is what I’ve been looking for. I am on the right path. The Reggio-approach made me stronger, filled me up and changed my everyday 
routine. I’ve always known that you don’t need to approach a child differently just because he is a child. Be honest, natural, trust them and then they will come to you the same way. Reggio helped me to express what I think about raising children and teaching. Be with the children, listen to them and hear them! They have incredible thoughts and knowledge of the world, we can’t even imagine it. Don’t force your own ideas and decisions on them, help them with questions. Let them solve their conflicts, their problems, let them learn how to cooperate, but be by their sides so they can feel you support them. Catch them before they fall, but only at the last moment!
I try to approach everybody and everything with this attitude, at home, and at work as well.
I’m lucky that I had the chance to spend another week with Mara Bier and Shelley Remer at our school in Budapest. I could deepen my knowledge, and I’m happy that my colleagues, my team could be part of this learning process too. The more of us know and understand what a child needs in order to become a successful, creative, environmentally conscious adult – who can stand up for themselves and others, who can say NO to the things they don’t like – the more certain the success is!
We have to trust and believe in our children. If we believe that they are able to put their shoes on, we should also believe that they know what makes them curious, what are they interested in. Our job is to bring in values, provide a safe environment and give them the opportunity to try and experience as many things as possible.
My three sons are 3 different personalities. I never wanted to behave with all three of them the same way. My relationship with them is based on honesty and trust, this is the strongest bond.
My advice to all those who work with children: take a step back, squat down when you are amongst them, and then you will meet the miracle, this wonderful world will open for you!
Thank you for the opportunity SOS International. ~ Szonja Merenyi, Director Lauder Javne Ovoda, Budapest, Hungary
What’s next
Tuesday and Wednesday we observed, along with Szonja, classrooms and then met with educators focusing on next steps for each individual team. Our closing faculty meetings, with two different groups, were passionate and exciting. Discussions were lively and intense as we reviewed the learning of the week of the Reggio Approach and 
connecting our Jewish values to the everyday lives of children, parents and community. We leave feeling our time together was productive and are so excited and encouraged by the enthusiastic and open attitude of Szonja and her educators. We also leave with newfound friends who share meaningful Jewish connections. We say l’hitraot to Budapest – until we meet again.
Mara and Shelley
Intra European Early Childhood Conference
So exciting to start our first day of the SOS Early Childhood Morim conference. We began the Conference welcoming everyone with a special welcome to our friends from Krakow. Our meeting started with a beautiful D’var Torah ending with the reciting of the shehecheyanu together in Hebrew. English, Hungarian and Polish. Mara’s session on The Image of the Child/The Image of the Teacher was well received. Special thanks to Szonja for organizing lunch which provided opportunities to discuss the morning’s learning. Afternoon sessions were on leadership presented by Shelley and Learning In-Depth Approaches to Reggio Emilia project work by Mara. Although there were many highlights, the one that stands out was the distribution of the Jewish ritual items donated by families in the Washington DC area. Educators were overwhelmed with the generosity of the families and were touched by the meaning gifts. We look forward to learning together tomorrow as we continue to deepen our knowledge and strengthen our relationships.
School Begins
What a wonderful first day! We received an extremely warm welcome from Szonja and all of the educators at the Lauder Ovoda School. It was a productive day as we discussed logistics for the upcoming and first SOS Early Childhood Morim Conference. We observed the environment, both the spacious, bright and airy classrooms, and the incredibly large outdoor play spaces. It was especially lovely watching the children prepare for Shabbat. We are anticipating two wonderful days of learning together! ~ Shelley, EC Morim Steering Committee Member
Wrapping up and wrapping my head around it
Old cobblestones of the city and me with half a leg out already. We have left Reggio Emilia but as we left our shadows there, so did the ideas leave an effect on us that we took on the train, bus, plane.
So many ideas and no recipe, no one way to do it. It’s not an easy package to have gotten. We return and place ourselves back to our environment but we are ourselves changed!
But these Italians have some recipes! The ones they use at the Pegaso, our daily frequented restaurant. This was the place that fed our bodies after a days worth of mind and soul food. And at that it was amazing! We tried many times to break from it but it kept pulling us in, and thus we were bringing more and more people there!
The gnocchi with truffle mushroom sauce was my personal favorite. Not to mention the prosecco that bubbled it all down. Some of us couldn’t break away from the pizza quatro fromagi! It was cozy inside and out and the waiter felt like an old friend by the end of the week. So Mara, we took your advice and took good care of our bodies! Thanks for all! ~ Vera Marton, Early Childhood Educator, Lauder Javne Ovoda, Budapest, Hungary
Reflecting
Wednesday was the peak and fill point of our visit. I felt like a cup of water filled over the rim, when only the surface tension allows the water not to spill, the tension ...
My journey to the fantastic world of Reggio Emilia
During the week we had adventurous trips, we visited preschools and to an infant-toddler center, where we have the opportunity to learn more about the Reggio Emilia Approach and we could see it in action. We could see how to work and learn together, teacher and children. It was amazing to see the materials, the toys, the spaces, the whole environment.
In this week we had many sessions, where the presenters presented their project’s documentations. My favorites were the perceptual tricks of light and shadows and the “Stories from a bench” projects.
We studied more about how to design and prepare the curriculum, what kind of strategies and tools we can use in our work.
It was very good to experience – how to cooperate together with the teacher, the atelierista and the pedagogista.
It was an inspiring, intense and beautiful week. Thank you for the opportunity SOS International and Mara Bier! Thank you for your trust and for the investment ~ Szonja Merenyi, Director Lauder Javne Early Childhood Center, Budapest, Hungary
Read more of Szonja’s posts here
Dreams do come true
On Monday we could see what we have been dreaming of for months. The Malaguzzi Centre opened its gates to us. The study continued through presentations and conversations. We could hear about the principles of the Reggio approach. The presenters spoke about the projects, the values, the working method, the emergent curriculum, the joyful learning…One of the most important and core values is that children construct their own knowledge. We visited the preschool and the primary school at the Malaguzzi Centre. It seems like a museum or an exhibition. Huge spaces, special and natural materials. It was very inspiring, but I am very envious of the place.
On Tuesday we met with a few atelieristas. They introduced us to the culture of the atelier through some 
powerpoints. After this, we could try how it works in practice. We explored different kinds of paper, we tried to create freely, without restraints. We could share our thinking and researching of our creations with each other. In the afternoon we visited the Documentation and Educational Research Center. We spoke about its works and mission. We saw exhibitions about metaphors as a tool for learning and about the shapes, that interact with things. Mara always helps us to interpret the things heard and seen. She gives us opportunities for asking questions. It was also a very exciting and useful day for all of us.
~ Szonja Merenji, Director Lauder Javne Ovada, Budapest, Hungary
Beresheet
Feelings ranged from overwhelmed to awe, thoughtless to whizzing with ideas, energized to dead tired. It was an intense first day and it seemed super long. The visit to the school seemed surreal in so many ways. The amazing and well thought out architecture created a bounty of possibilities. It’s just so hard to imagine it in action! It is a place
impossible to be in without learning and experiencing. The spaces are open and visibility is everywhere. I loved this, the overlapping of ages and time and spaces and lives! How spaces change and transform depending on their inhabitants.
The lectures were thought-provoking and connected on many levels. People were friendly and inviting!
I can’t wait to go on!
Vera
My journey to the fantastic world of Reggio Emilia
My experiences started with the discovery of the city. In this fairy small town there are so many little streets, squares, coffee shops and restaurants. The squares are very special, they always show different faces. On Friday we welcomed the Shabbat with the American and European members of our study group. It was very unique, we wrote our own Shabbat prayer. We finished this day with a very special Shabbat dinner. On the weekend we had a story based Shabbat experience, we went on a short meaningful walking tour around the hotel and had a nice Havdalah. We could travel to the nearby city of Parma. Naama and Mara spoke about the connection of Jewish values and the Reggio approach. We shared our stories about our objects of the essence of the child. It was very interesting and helpful in getting to know each other. On the weekend we could spend some time with our east European friends from Bucharest and Sofia. ~ Szonja Merenji, Director Lauder Javne Ovada, Budapest, Hungary
So Much to Learn and Share
Our special week at the Adelson Campus has been wonderful. In the last few days, I have seen the benefits of providing different elective classes to students. Observing these middle-school lessons built into the morning schedule was a real eye-opener. Kids can get involved in art, coding, theatre or any other course of their choice during core school time, instead of staying in for long afternoon hours. I personally loved the 7th and 8th grade humanities projects that our American colleagues presented – I think we would definitely borrow some of these great ideas. In project-based learning, skills are being developed and one has to be brave enough to leave certain things behind (e.g. chronology in history or science). We also saw that some of our problems are often the same: it is not easy to involve a Judaics teacher in these projects in ea
ch grade – this is a difficulty Jewish schools outside Israel share. I personally loved the idea of daily “town hall meetings” which is a great way of sharing information and seeing the middle school, the high school, or both of them together for a short period of time every day. The Kabbalat Shabbat with a lovely musical performance was our chance to say thank you to the school and SOS International for a great week at Adelson.
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Feedback Day and More
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, ...
How Powerful!
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 ...
Connections
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 ...
Gratitude
One of my favorite moments from the past week was the Gratitude Circle we did on Shabbat as a parting activity for both students and teachers. We all sat in a big circle, and each student and staff member had to thank someone from the group for anything they feel grateful for while tossing that person a piece of delicious American candy. Not only were all students and staff happy to share their gratitude, but we actually had to go around the circle three times because so many “thank-you’s” kept coming up. Students thanked each other for being considerate hosts and wonderful house guests. Students thanked staff for moments of bonding while riding the bus. Educators thanked students for participating willingly and thoughtfully in different parts of the trip. Educators thanked each other for professional enrichment. Gratitude filled the room, and it was a most moving activity to take part in.
As educators, we don’t often get to pick the fruits of our labor. Education is a slow process. But the Morim Limmud program provided me an opportunity to hear and see not only the immediate, strong effect of the program on the students and teachers taking part in it, but it also reminded me that I am taking part in something greater than the immediate.
I am grateful I had the chance to participate in the program for a second year: seeing my students bond with their peers, learn about Hungarian history, discuss their Jewish identity with their peers, and teach them about our school community. I am positive the connections made throughout the trip will continue to enrich us.
As educators, we don’t often get to pick the fruits of our labor. Education is a slow process. But the Morim Limmud program provided me an opportunity to hear and see not only the immediate, strong effect of the program on the students and teachers taking part in it, but it also reminded me that I am taking part in something greater than the immediate.
I am grateful I had the chance to participate in the program for a second year: seeing my students bond with their peers, learn about Hungarian history, discuss their Jewish identity with their peers, and teach them about our school community. I am positive the connections made throughout the trip will continue to enrich us.
‘Why didn’t they teach me this in school?’
I have come to realize this week that some concepts are truly international.
I feel fortunate to have the support of Adelson’s administration and math department to teach ‘Financial Math’. The course covers personal finance concepts that many young Americans say they never learned. I tell students the goal of the course is that they don’t look back on their Adelson education and think ‘Why didn’t they teach me this in school?’
I brought this same question to Lauder and never expected the Hungarian students’ interest in learning about Investing to be so strong. Students learned about 7 common ways to invest (Savings accounts, Index funds, individual stocks, etc.) and the pros and cons of each. They then played a web-based game that simulated 20 years of investing in 20 minutes. A competition was held to see which investing strategy would yield the greatest result. The leaderboard updated in real time and the collective cheers and groans could be heard throughout the class and as the markets went through their typical ups and downs. Students were surprised at how much emotion they felt but took to heart the advice that investing is a marathon, not a sprint.
I’m confident that my new colleagues at Lauder will begin incorporating personal finance topics into their math lessons. I appreciate the opportunity to debrief with their team and discuss current best teaching practices. Teaching personal finance and financial literacy concepts has given me renewed life as an educator. I’m appreciative of the opportunity to bring these strategies to students in Budapest. Understanding how to build wealth and work with money is something that all students appreciate, no matter their home country.
Brian Hemsworth
AEC Math Teacher
Opening ourselves to the world, what I bring with me, and my hopes
Honestly, the opportunity to get to know others, to impact others, and be impacted by them is what excites me the most about participating in the Morim Limmud program. I am always looking for opportunities for students and myself to connect with others around the world, to help us better understand other cultures, challenges that we could impact, and ways to communicate and build relationships globally.
Specifically, in my AP CSP course, students are undertaking projects where they design apps based on problems they identify in the world that they can impact, as well as study and understand computer innovations from around the world and the impact they make. It would be incredible if we could develop a joint project between our students and those in Budapest that would have an impact on their knowledge of computer science and project development – and/or perhaps a project exchange that could impact both communities. This could also be done in conjunction with our Tech Entrepreneur program. Additionally, I have experience leading distance learning programs, something which could help all continue to foster the connections made beyond the face to face experiences. We could further encourage exchanges through websites like Flipgrid for student and teacher driven sharing and learning.
Traveling outside of America is one of things that I have come to value highly in my life. I have had incredible experiences connecting with people, learning about their lives, and the stories they have to share. Whether it was when I was young and traveled outside of the US to Israel for the first time through a Hebrew exchange program, or just recently as I traveled and lived in Barcelona for a period of time with my family – walking through history, experiencing things hands-on, and seeing how it could bring to life what one can only experience in those ways, I continue to value and support the importance of Global education and the impact it can have on the learner. I am intrigued to learn more about the Jewish history of Budapest and Hungary, allowing me to connect with yet another important aspect of Klal Yisrael, and promoting a sense of community around the world.
I have been meditating on ways to bring my expertise to Lauder Javne and impact teachers as well as students. I have had the pleasure of leading professional development on a day to day basis at the Adelson Educational Campus. This is something I take great pride in and am passionate about, so much so that I pursued and completed a Masters in Instructional Design & Technology aiding me in delving deeper and building my experience to provide quality professional development. Last year I led workshops at the Apple Worldwide Institute providing hands-on training on how to teach coding to other Apple Distinguished educators from around the world. Over the past five years I have pursued and accomplished certifications through Code.org, Adobe, Apple, and Google enabling me to provide quality training to other teachers and staff in the areas of technology integration, digital media production, STEAM integration, project-based learning, classroom management, and more. Additionally, I have presented interactive sessions at conferences around the United States and abroad where I led adult educators and administrators through activities and learning to help expand on their experiences of leading and providing professional development, Jewish studies and technology learning, STEAM education, and design thinking.
I am well versed in andragogy, adult learning and hoping to use my knowledge to develop workshops and exchange opportunities between the staff at Lauder and myself. This is something that I have built experience in over the years, as well as built on through my Master’s program studies last year. I am excited to share my Instructional Design and Technology skills and help other Morim develop them in turn. For this coming year, one of my goals and desires is to create global connections through Design Thinking Projects in our Incubator, and this opportunity would be ideal to foster such connections. I would love to help students and educators capture and share their learning. It would be exciting to “be like Steven Spielberg” and capture audio stories and history shared (if permitted) in order to set up web resources that could be further shared and developed. Having worn many hats over the years, I developed an ability to help mentor students and would love the chance to help guide ours and theirs through this “once in a lifetime” exciting learning opportunity.
One final note I would like to share is that I continue to be passionate about helping students make connections with Jewish History and Cultures around the world. With having been afforded this opportunity, I look forward to what we could design and build together for all of our teachers and students.
Returning to learn more
I have been fortunate enough to be asked to return to the Morim Limmud program and represent my school in the second year of this exchange. But this year is going to be different; this year we are taking students with us. How exciting!
As my colleagues and I begin planning for the program, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I learned in the first year.
For me, examining the complexity of Jewish identity amongst many Hungarian Jews was compelling. It was fascinating and educational to discover how similar the struggle is to develop and enrich Jewish identity amongst young adults, to witnessing how similar teen spirit is across the world, and how different the school atmosphere and culture is between the Adelson Campus and Lauder Javne. I want my students to get to examine these similarities and others, as well as the differences which exist. I want them to learn from them.
How can I prepare my students for what they are about to experience? How can I convey the depth of what I hope this encounter will teach them? How can I ensure they get the most of what the program has to offer?
We’ve scheduled weekly sessions with the group where we are exploring some topics relevant to the program and the upcoming trip, focusing on Jewish identity in and out of the U.S. We are discussing what it means to be Jewish, how one may define their Judaism, and Jewish denominations to which they might belong. We are also considering the influence (or lack thereof) of the State of Israel, the Holocaust, Halacha, the Hebrew language, and more on our Jewish American identities. We are asking the students to keep in mind these factors as they connect with their Hungarian peers. I hope our sessions will serve as fertile ground for an educational, meaningful, interesting, and fun experience for all the students. I hope it will push them to ask further questions about their own Jewish identities as well as that of their Hungarian counterparts.
As my colleagues and I begin planning for the program, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I learned in the first year.
For me, examining the complexity of Jewish identity amongst many Hungarian Jews was compelling. It was fascinating and educational to discover how similar the struggle is to develop and enrich Jewish identity amongst young adults, to witnessing how similar teen spirit is across the world, and how different the school atmosphere and culture is between the Adelson Campus and Lauder Javne. I want my students to get to examine these similarities and others, as well as the differences which exist. I want them to learn from them.
How can I prepare my students for what they are about to experience? How can I convey the depth of what I hope this encounter will teach them? How can I ensure they get the most of what the program has to offer?
We’ve scheduled weekly sessions with the group where we are exploring some topics relevant to the program and the upcoming trip, focusing on Jewish identity in and out of the U.S. We are discussing what it means to be Jewish, how one may define their Judaism, and Jewish denominations to which they might belong. We are also considering the influence (or lack thereof) of the State of Israel, the Holocaust, Halacha, the Hebrew language, and more on our Jewish American identities. We are asking the students to keep in mind these factors as they connect with their Hungarian peers. I hope our sessions will serve as fertile ground for an educational, meaningful, interesting, and fun experience for all the students. I hope it will push them to ask further questions about their own Jewish identities as well as that of their Hungarian counterparts.
An opportunity
I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to add teachers from around the world to my professional network. I look forward to discovering new resources, teaching strategies, and methods for reaching all students. I plan on bringing the best of Lauder back to Adelson and sharing what I learn with our faculty and students.
It all began last December…
When I arrived home from Washington, from my first Reggio-journey, I felt enlightened. This is what I’ve been looking for. I am on the right path. The Reggio-approach made me stronger, filled me up and changed my everyday routine. I’ve always known that you don’t need to approach a child differently just because he is a child. Be honest, natural, trust them and then they will come to you the same way. Reggio helped me to express what I think about raising children and teaching. Be with the children, listen to them and hear them! They have incredible thoughts and knowledge of the world, we can’t even imagine it. Don’t force your own ideas and decisions on them, help them with questions. Let them solve their conflicts, their problems, let them learn how to cooperate, but be by their sides so they can feel you support them. Catch them before they fall, but only at the last moment!
routine. I’ve always known that you don’t need to approach a child differently just because he is a child. Be honest, natural, trust them and then they will come to you the same way. Reggio helped me to express what I think about raising children and teaching. Be with the children, listen to them and hear them! They have incredible thoughts and knowledge of the world, we can’t even imagine it. Don’t force your own ideas and decisions on them, help them with questions. Let them solve their conflicts, their problems, let them learn how to cooperate, but be by their sides so they can feel you support them. Catch them before they fall, but only at the last moment!
I try to approach everybody and everything with this attitude, at home, and at work as well.
I’m lucky that I had the chance to spend another week with Mara Bier and Shelley Remer at our school in Budapest. I could deepen my knowledge, and I’m happy that my colleagues, my team could be part of this learning process too. The more of us know and understand what a child needs in order to become a successful, creative, environmentally conscious adult – who can stand up for themselves and others, who can say NO to the things they don’t like – the more certain the success is!
We have to trust and believe in our children. If we believe that they are able to put their shoes on, we should also believe that they know what makes them curious, what are they interested in. Our job is to bring in values, provide a safe environment and give them the opportunity to try and experience as many things as possible.
My three sons are 3 different personalities. I never wanted to behave with all three of them the same way. My relationship with them is based on honesty and trust, this is the strongest bond.
My advice to all those who work with children: take a step back, squat down when you are amongst them, and then you will meet the miracle, this wonderful world will open for you!
Thank you for the opportunity SOS International. ~ Szonja Merenyi, Director Lauder Javne Ovoda, Budapest, Hungary
What’s next
Tuesday and Wednesday we observed, along with Szonja, classrooms and then met with educators focusing on next steps for each individual team. Our closing faculty meetings, with two different groups, were passionate and exciting. Discussions were lively and intense as we reviewed the learning of the week of the Reggio Approach and connecting our Jewish values to the everyday lives of children, parents and community. We leave feeling our time together was productive and are so excited and encouraged by the enthusiastic and open attitude of Szonja and her educators. We also leave with newfound friends who share meaningful Jewish connections. We say l’hitraot to Budapest – until we meet again.
connecting our Jewish values to the everyday lives of children, parents and community. We leave feeling our time together was productive and are so excited and encouraged by the enthusiastic and open attitude of Szonja and her educators. We also leave with newfound friends who share meaningful Jewish connections. We say l’hitraot to Budapest – until we meet again.
Mara and Shelley
Intra European Early Childhood Conference
So exciting to start our first day of the SOS Early Childhood Morim conference. We began the Conference welcoming everyone with a special welcome to our friends from Krakow. Our meeting started with a beautiful D’var Torah ending with the reciting of the shehecheyanu together in Hebrew. English, Hungarian and Polish. Mara’s session on The Image of the Child/The Image of the Teacher was well received. Special thanks to Szonja for organizing lunch which provided opportunities to discuss the morning’s learning. Afternoon sessions were on leadership presented by Shelley and Learning In-Depth Approaches to Reggio Emilia project work by Mara. Although there were many highlights, the one that stands out was the distribution of the Jewish ritual items donated by families in the Washington DC area. Educators were overwhelmed with the generosity of the families and were touched by the meaning gifts. We look forward to learning together tomorrow as we continue to deepen our knowledge and strengthen our relationships.
School Begins
What a wonderful first day! We received an extremely warm welcome from Szonja and all of the educators at the Lauder Ovoda School. It was a productive day as we discussed logistics for the upcoming and first SOS Early Childhood Morim Conference. We observed the environment, both the spacious, bright and airy classrooms, and the incredibly large outdoor play spaces. It was especially lovely watching the children prepare for Shabbat. We are anticipating two wonderful days of learning together! ~ Shelley, EC Morim Steering Committee Member
Wrapping up and wrapping my head around it
Old cobblestones of the city and me with half a leg out already. We have left Reggio Emilia but as we left our shadows there, so did the ideas leave an effect on us that we took on the train, bus, plane.
So many ideas and no recipe, no one way to do it. It’s not an easy package to have gotten. We return and place ourselves back to our environment but we are ourselves changed!
But these Italians have some recipes! The ones they use at the Pegaso, our daily frequented restaurant. This was the place that fed our bodies after a days worth of mind and soul food. And at that it was amazing! We tried many times to break from it but it kept pulling us in, and thus we were bringing more and more people there!
The gnocchi with truffle mushroom sauce was my personal favorite. Not to mention the prosecco that bubbled it all down. Some of us couldn’t break away from the pizza quatro fromagi! It was cozy inside and out and the waiter felt like an old friend by the end of the week. So Mara, we took your advice and took good care of our bodies! Thanks for all! ~ Vera Marton, Early Childhood Educator, Lauder Javne Ovoda, Budapest, Hungary
Reflecting
Wednesday was the peak and fill point of our visit. I felt like a cup of water filled over the rim, when only the surface tension allows the water not to spill, the tension ...
My journey to the fantastic world of Reggio Emilia
During the week we had adventurous trips, we visited preschools and to an infant-toddler center, where we have the opportunity to learn more about the Reggio Emilia Approach and we could see it in action. We could see how to work and learn together, teacher and children. It was amazing to see the materials, the toys, the spaces, the whole environment.
In this week we had many sessions, where the presenters presented their project’s documentations. My favorites were the perceptual tricks of light and shadows and the “Stories from a bench” projects.
We studied more about how to design and prepare the curriculum, what kind of strategies and tools we can use in our work.
It was very good to experience – how to cooperate together with the teacher, the atelierista and the pedagogista.
In this week we had many sessions, where the presenters presented their project’s documentations. My favorites were the perceptual tricks of light and shadows and the “Stories from a bench” projects.
We studied more about how to design and prepare the curriculum, what kind of strategies and tools we can use in our work.
It was very good to experience – how to cooperate together with the teacher, the atelierista and the pedagogista.
It was an inspiring, intense and beautiful week. Thank you for the opportunity SOS International and Mara Bier! Thank you for your trust and for the investment ~ Szonja Merenyi, Director Lauder Javne Early Childhood Center, Budapest, Hungary
Read more of Szonja’s posts here
Dreams do come true
On Monday we could see what we have been dreaming of for months. The Malaguzzi Centre opened its gates to us. The study continued through presentations and conversations. We could hear about the principles of the Reggio approach. The presenters spoke about the projects, the values, the working method, the emergent curriculum, the joyful learning…One of the most important and core values is that children construct their own knowledge. We visited the preschool and the primary school at the Malaguzzi Centre. It seems like a museum or an exhibition. Huge spaces, special and natural materials. It was very inspiring, but I am very envious of the place.
On Tuesday we met with a few atelieristas. They introduced us to the culture of the atelier through some powerpoints. After this, we could try how it works in practice. We explored different kinds of paper, we tried to create freely, without restraints. We could share our thinking and researching of our creations with each other. In the afternoon we visited the Documentation and Educational Research Center. We spoke about its works and mission. We saw exhibitions about metaphors as a tool for learning and about the shapes, that interact with things. Mara always helps us to interpret the things heard and seen. She gives us opportunities for asking questions. It was also a very exciting and useful day for all of us.
~ Szonja Merenji, Director Lauder Javne Ovada, Budapest, Hungary
Beresheet
Feelings ranged from overwhelmed to awe, thoughtless to whizzing with ideas, energized to dead tired. It was an intense first day and it seemed super long. The visit to the school seemed surreal in so many ways. The amazing and well thought out architecture created a bounty of possibilities. It’s just so hard to imagine it in action! It is a place impossible to be in without learning and experiencing. The spaces are open and visibility is everywhere. I loved this, the overlapping of ages and time and spaces and lives! How spaces change and transform depending on their inhabitants.
The lectures were thought-provoking and connected on many levels. People were friendly and inviting!
I can’t wait to go on!
Vera
impossible to be in without learning and experiencing. The spaces are open and visibility is everywhere. I loved this, the overlapping of ages and time and spaces and lives! How spaces change and transform depending on their inhabitants.The lectures were thought-provoking and connected on many levels. People were friendly and inviting!
I can’t wait to go on!
Vera
My journey to the fantastic world of Reggio Emilia
My experiences started with the discovery of the city. In this fairy small town there are so many little streets, squares, coffee shops and restaurants. The squares are very special, they always show different faces. On Friday we welcomed the Shabbat with the American and European members of our study group. It was very unique, we wrote our own Shabbat prayer. We finished this day with a very special Shabbat dinner. On the weekend we had a story based Shabbat experience, we went on a short meaningful walking tour around the hotel and had a nice Havdalah. We could travel to the nearby city of Parma. Naama and Mara spoke about the connection of Jewish values and the Reggio approach. We shared our stories about our objects of the essence of the child. It was very interesting and helpful in getting to know each other. On the weekend we could spend some time with our east European friends from Bucharest and Sofia. ~ Szonja Merenji, Director Lauder Javne Ovada, Budapest, Hungary
So Much to Learn and Share
Our special week at the Adelson Campus has been wonderful. In the last few days, I have seen the benefits of providing different elective classes to students. Observing these middle-school lessons built into the morning schedule was a real eye-opener. Kids can get involved in art, coding, theatre or any other course of their choice during core school time, instead of staying in for long afternoon hours. I personally loved the 7th and 8th grade humanities projects that our American colleagues presented – I think we would definitely borrow some of these great ideas. In project-based learning, skills are being developed and one has to be brave enough to leave certain things behind (e.g. chronology in history or science). We also saw that some of our problems are often the same: it is not easy to involve a Judaics teacher in these projects in each grade – this is a difficulty Jewish schools outside Israel share. I personally loved the idea of daily “town hall meetings” which is a great way of sharing information and seeing the middle school, the high school, or both of them together for a short period of time every day. The Kabbalat Shabbat with a lovely musical performance was our chance to say thank you to the school and SOS International for a great week at Adelson.