TBT has been blessed with amazing teachers- past and present- who serve our Religious School.
We are fortunate that the Jewish community at Yale has been a great source of many of our teachers. We currently have five Yale undergraduates teaching at TBT: Aviv Pilipski, Hannah Saraf, Keira Gerstley, Dani Klein and Anya Geist. They teach Kitot Bet – Vav (2nd – 6th) in the order listed. It is a joy to watch them work with our kids, and the kids love them!
From the broader community, we have Ed Soufer, who teaches music and leads tefilah for our students, while Miriam Heyman teaches Gan (kindergarten). Ed lives in Madison, and Miriam makes her way from the Naugatuck Valley each Sunday.
Members Shelley Capozzi and Rachel Kilian, teach Kitot Zayin (7th) and Alef (1st), respectively. I realize that many of our congregational members served our school long before I became part of this amazing community. Our members often find ways to share their gifts with us – such as working in leadership, worshipping with us, or serving on committees.
TBT members often connect me to candidates who join our faculty. Our mission statement says: “Temple Beth Tikvah is a vibrant, inclusive Reform Jewish community, guided by Torah and interconnected through our traditions and values of tikkun hanefesh (enriching our lives) and tikkun olam (improving the world).”
Our teachers fulfill most of the mission. However, only the teachers who are TBT members can fully demonstrate our mission. They live the values of TBT, and they model them to our children inside TBT and outside in the community.
If I have two candidates equally capable, and only one is a member of our congregation, I will hire the member. I do so because a member modeling our values is something that rarely can be found outside of TBT. Of course, not being a member is a curable condition. Our SALTY advisor, Devon Barker, joined TBT around the same time he began his work with us!
Please consider teaching Religious School at TBT, perhaps starting as a substitute. No teaching experience? Not to worry. The best teacher I ever had was a treasury agent. The criteria for teaching our children is simple:
You love being Jewish and are passionate about the history and future of the Jewish people.
You enjoy engaging with children.
Good listening skills.
I can help you with technique and Jewish knowledge.
Let’s talk.
Ira J. Wise, DJRE Temple Educator