“The way of God means the actual movements of God throughout the history of the world. Israel is expected, as the Torah and the Prophets repeatedly insist, to follow the Lord’s footsteps on this road. The nature of the road is characterized by God..as doing justice and righteousness.”
-- Martin Buber
“Caleb hushed the people before Moses and said, “Let us by all means GO UP, and we shall gain possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it.” -- Numbers 12:30
Dear Shaarey Zedek 6th grade Families –
I am not sure where the summer has gone, but I sit here writing this note and wondering how it is possible that it is Labor Day weekend and summer is gone? I can feel the external signs that the time has come: I have made sure that New Balance has made its quarterly goals by buying the necessary 4 pairs of back to
school shoes; I have managed to make the 25 cent ‘back to school office supply trip’ to Target expand to a few hundred dollar trip; and I can’t help but notice that giant spiders, costumes, big bags of Candy and holiday toys are taking up a good section of Costco. My pockets are empty, and I still have not gotten new itchy grey flannels and stiff dress shoes for my son for the High Holiday. This chaos shows me that clearly, it is time for school. The only cure for chaos is to add more to the mix! I am ready and excited to begin religious school next week!
This is my fourth year teaching Sunday School at Shaarey Zedek, but I have worked an additional year running the Kidz Shabbat experiential learning class. I have also taught at Congregation Shir Tikvah for seven years and have taught Torah classes for NIRIM (Detroit area Jewish teacher professional development
classes). During the week I run a daycare, operate the Michigan chapter of Project Night Night (a non-profit dedicated to serving homeless children), and I tutor middle school and high school English literature and language. Yes, I am busy!
In my previous life I taught middle school, high school English, and college level English. My B.A. is from the University of Vermont, my Masters in English is from Boston College and my teaching certification is from the University of Michigan. However, most importantly, most of my qualifications come from being a parent of a 14 year old girl and a 13 year old boy, and surviving to tell the tale. While the summer has flown by, my mind has never left the classroom! This is my third year of teaching the 6th grade with our current curriculum, and I think that I finally have the kinks worked out! My goal for this year is simple. I want your child to become TORAH STRONG. Our themes for the year are: 1) Chazak! Chazak! V’nit Chazek: Be strong and may we be strengthened and 2) Hillel’s Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated. When your child leaves my class at the end of this school year, he/she will stand taller (literal and metaphorical, I hope!) knowing and emulating the “Fantastic Five” traits of Moses: 1) Live righteously, 2) Pray hard 3) Carry on when you struggle 4) Lead valiantly and 5) Care deeply. Ultimately, I want each and every SZ 6th grade student to feel that their personal Judaism will provide them with the strength and knowledge needed to face whatever the world puts in front of them. And with that, I hope that they go from strength to strength.
May of you know that my room is characterized as “the fun room.” My philosophy is that for most children, the need to touch/see/move/smell/taste/hear in order to absorb knowledge DOES NOT end when it usually fizzles out in the early grades. I know that most children learn the best when they EXPERIENCE new information, and my passion in life is to keep thinking up new and exciting ways to get children to learn by moving and doing. So when you see me wearing a silly costume or hear about your child playing a game, know that there is a method to the madness. I promise you he/she will learn deeper with the experience.
I will be blogging on the Religious Ed Blog, detailing our classroom experiences with photos attached. Please feel free contact me with any questions – big or small – regarding your child, our class or Torah in general. As a mother, I recognize that it takes 3 plus people to educate a child: student, teacher, parent. I value youropinions and input; my goal is to educate your child in a way that is impactful and accessible. I am open and flexible, so PLEASE share with me whatever information you think will help -- from big to small -- so that we can work together to make your child TORAH STRONG!
I also have plenty of resources available if you would like to make the Torah journey along with your child and am happy to answer or help you find the answer to any questions you might have about the readings. Thank you in advance for your time and support. I know that this will be a fantastic year for all of us.
Please feel free to contact me at: leahgawel@yahoo.com or call 248-974-6289 (cell). You are welcome to share this information with your child. I look forward to meeting you and your 6th grader!
B’Shalom,
Morah Leah
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