Teaching Jewish Literacy
By Annette van de Kamp-Wright
When one looks at the state of literacy in America today, a scary picture develops. While different sources give different numbers, the overall consensus is that approximately 44 Americans are functionally illiterate. An additional 25 % of the population can perform basis tasks, but is not proficient in higher-level reading or problem solving skills. Needless to say, literacy is high on the agenda for Elementary schools across the nation. Friedel Jewish Academy is no exception. Principal Cookie Katskee agrees: “Reading is a food for life. In order to function in society and succeed, one needs to be able to read and comprehend the written word. Children who master the written word, master life.”
Underscoring the emphasis on literacy is the Scholastic Book Fair, held annually at Friedel. Organizer and Teacher Barb Sather explains: “We want to get books in the hands of kids; the more kids read, the more they will learn. The Book fair also helps us raise funds and build our own library”. Sather tries to fill the fair with as many Jewish books as possible: “We like a wider topic range than just the Holidays. We want to include books by Jewish writers and illustrators, and stories with Jewish themes and characters.” Both Katskee and Sather agree that parental involvement is key to giving children a good start. “Seeing their parents read gives them such good incentive”, Sather says. “Kids enjoy hearing adults read to them, and they want to be like their parents and teachers. The more they see us read, the more they will delve into a book.”
One good example is the recently introduced ‘One Book, One School’ program at Friedel, where parents and teachers meet after hours to read and discuss literature together. The first session involved Jonathan Wilson’s Biography of Marc Chagall. While a group of adults came together to learn, the students at Friedel were introduced to Chagall’s artwork. They subsequently created their own Chagall-inspired paintings under the supervision of art teacher Julie Phillips. Their artwork has been displayed in the commons room, and can be admired by any visitor who comes to the school. It is a nice example of parents, teachers, and students coming together and creating a community effort.
It also reminds us that literacy, in and of itself, is merely a beginning. We don’t want our kids to be ‘just’ literate; we want them to be Literate Jews. This is a complicated subject, as evidenced by the wide range of opinions in the media. According to Paula Hyman, Professor of Modern Jewish History at Yale, “There has been no consensus on the issue of ‘who is an educated Jew’ for more than 200 years”. Nonetheless, it is possible to come up with a somewhat satisfying definition of what we want our children to learn and be proficient in. Jo Kay is a Director at the School of Education at Hebrew Union College, and she offers some helpful insights. “To create a Jewish home, function in Synagogue, and in communal life, what should we know, feel, and be able to do?” she asks. She subsequently organizes the answer in several main categories. We should study Torah; we should have faith, identify ourselves as Jews, and feel a connection with Israel. We should certainly be familiar with the Holidays, as well as with Life cycle events. Finally, she adds, we need to be involved in Jewish deeds. While we may want our children to be knowledgeable Jews, it is also an obligation to teach them what we know. The Talmud states, “He who does not share his knowledge will ultimately lose it”. This raises the question: are we, as adults, doing our part? In order to impart the necessary knowledge to our children, we need to first obtain and maintain that knowledge; we need to be teachers and students simultaneously. This dual role is a challenge for most parents, as life often gets in the way. We are busy with ‘other things’, and need to very consciously make the choice to get involved and stay involved. Temple Israel’s Rabbi Aryeh Azriel agrees that this can be a struggle: “We are often called the “People of the Book”, and it sounds like a name one can take pride in. In truth, we Jews are people of many important books. Our long history has provided us with volumes of practical wisdom for daily living, and these sources are available to all nowadays. Still, we get sidetracked with fads, such as ‘effective parenting in 10 minutes’, while it is all too easy to ignore 4000 years of character shaping lessons from our tradition.”
It is when we study our traditions and our history that we can reasonably expect our children to be inspired. Luckily, involved parents can be found all over the Jewish Community. Bob Goldberg, who spearheaded the ‘One Book One School’ program at Friedel, agrees: Education is a central focus of all Jewish life. The ‘One Book’ program reinforces the need to pursue knowledge, and learning, in the adult community. Its residual effect is that our children see this and gain an appreciation for learning.” He adds: “As a youngster, I remember learning a primary lesson of the Holocaust, which was that, at any time, all our possessions could be taken. We could lose our jobs, our homes, our books, and our families…but at no time and under no circumstances could anyone ever take what is in our minds, hearts, and souls. When we base ourselves on what the Torah teaches us, we gain strength through learning.”
Goldberg is not the only parent who feels this way. His sentiments are echoed by Susan Fellman-Witkowski, whose daughter Gabby attends first grade at Friedel, together with Goldberg’s daughter Lily. “Our whole history is about pursuing education and literacy as a way of life,” she says. “and I think that Jewish literacy for our children should be seamless. By that, I mean that learning to love learning, including Jewish learning, should be part of everyday life. It is part of who my daughter is every day. She doesn’t have to compartmentalize her Jewishness; she is not a “general student” by weekdays, and a “Jewish student” only on a Sunday morning or a Tuesday afternoon.
There are many ways we as adults can get involved in our children’s Jewish education. If we don’t find the time to read a novelization of Marc Chagall’s life, we can show them kindness by cooking them traditional foods, helping them study their Aleph-Bet, or ensuring they are ready for their Bat or Bar Mitzvah. We can celebrate the holidays with them, take them to Synagogue often, read them Jewish books at bedtime, and take them to special events at the JCC. We can attend Book Fairs and school plays. Most of all, we can show them we are always learning ourselves, and not merely telling them what they need to do. Parenting and educating relies heavily on role modeling. As Cookie Katskee says, “children admire and look up to their parents and model what they see and experience within their family. They will model the bad, as well as the good”. It is up to us to make sure there’s plenty of good.
