The Educator's Report
Sharon Amster Brown, R.J.E

Torah Center
Learning & Fun - 2007-2008

Another year of Torah Center comes to an end this month, and I feel proud of the students’ and teachers’ many accomplishments. With the wonderful support of our religious school parents, our temple children have grown like weeds, both in stature and in Jewish knowledge.

Our Shirim L’Yeladim (Songs for Little Children) Program, taught by Kendra Cogert, enjoyed bi-monthly sessions filled with delightful music and movement. How sweet it was to see our congregation’s babies and tots getting to know one another at such an early age!

The Preschool Parent and Me Program, taught by Nancy Levy, brought the holidays to life through hands-on activities for our three- and four-year-olds. Ask Mrs. Levy or any of her students how to plant a seed inside of an apple in celebration of Tu B’Shevat!

Kindergarteners enthusiastically learned about our synagogue and mitzvot with their teacher, Pattie Blasnick. I can’t wait to see their hand-made photo album with pictures of all the people and places that make up Temple Israel!

Our First Grade Class was full of smiles, as the students and teacher Kara Liu explored Shabbat and mitzvot, such as welcoming the guest. If you want to know more about havdallah or how to make sufganiyot, ask one of our first graders!

Dramatization of our Torah stories and thoughtful discussion were the norm in our Second Grade classroom. Taught by Janet Liss, the second graders had lots of fun impersonating and “drashing” on the richness of our tradition.

The Third Graders, taught by Marian Martin and Elisa Turien, sprung to life while learning to read Hebrew and the lessons of the Prophets. If you’re looking for a good game of Hebrew Twister or want to know how to make Solomon’s Temple out of graham crackers, be sure to stop by the loft on the third floor!

Teachers Daniel Kline and Jane Withrow Stahl helped our Fourth Graders learn about our liturgy, Jewish lifecycle, and even a little conversational Hebrew. I always love walking into their classrooms and see how focused the students are on their learning!

Fifth Graders were busy learning and asking questions about Israel and the meaning our prayers throughout the year. Taught by Jessica Gross and Shlomit Jackson, the students happily explored the Hebrew language and creatively reported on various Jewish heroes.

The Sixth Grade Class applied their life experience and problem solving ability to their study of ethical decision-making. Along with teachers Deb Lewis and Nico Turien, the students discovered their connection to Jewish history and a fuller meaning of the prayers that make up the rich Torah service. What an accomplishment the sixth grade bake sale was! The children raised $261 for tzedakah.

Careful exploration of the Holocaust and thorough mastery of the Shabbat liturgy filled the hearts and minds of our Seventh Graders. Teachers Andi Joustra and Janet Liss helped the students connect to one another and our tradition throughout the b’nai mitzvah year.

Eighth Graders, taught by Andi Joustra and Janet Liss, eagerly learned about comparative Judaism, Jewish American history, and healthy relationship and sexual choices through the URJ’s Sacred Choices Curriculum. If you’d like to know more about area synagogues or more about what makes Reform Judaism special, ask one of our eighth graders. I am very excited about the upcoming eighth grade trip to New York City. Stay tuned for more details!

Our Ninth Graders enjoyed a good year, actively participating in the Orange County Bureau of Jewish Education’s Adat Noar Program. Parents and teens learned side-by-side at various Sunday sessions, and the ninth graders had lots of fun at their five weekend retreats!

The Confirmation Class, taught by Rabbi Moskowitz and Amy Lakin, explored Jewish identity and how Judaism applies to our lives. Through discussion, team-building exercises, and creative writing, our teens have had the opportunity to express their feelings about being Jewish in this contemporary world.

Gesher Students, in grades 11 and 12, stayed connected to the temple and to one another through exploration of modern-day issues and Judaism. Amy Lakin facilitated this enthusiastic and committed group of teens.

Special thanks to our Chugim Teachers and Specialists, Jackie Fritz, Laura Snyder, Elizabeth Kleinman, Jay Alhadeff, David Hillinger, and Robyn Hendricks, who bring their love of Judaism and the arts to our Torah Center.

And to our awesome Madrichim Team, led by Andi Joustra, I thank you for sharing your excitement and passion for life with our students and teachers. We look forward to the Madrichim Recognition Program on Saturday, May 10th.

Join us for the closing day of Torah Center Festivites and Teacher Appreciation on Sunday, May 18th. I look forward to our continued work together at the Torah Center, as we create more Jewish memories and learning experiences for our children.

Teacher Spotlight

Jane Withrow Stahl

Grade Levels Taught: Hebrew or Judaica:

6th grade Judaica, 3rd grade Hebrew, and now 4th grade Hebrew. I also teach the Fabric Arts Chug on Wednesdays.

How did you come to be a teacher at the Temple Israel Torah Center? I actually started out in the position of interim principal for Sharon when her son Brandon was born. I liked working with the wonderful teachers and staff so much that I then took a position as 3rd grade Hebrew teacher, and then started teaching a chug (the enrichment program for 3rd thru 6th grades before classes start on Wednesdays).

What is your favorite thing about teaching religious school? I enjoy the enthusiasm of the children as they are learning something new. It is rewarding to see the “light bulb” go off in their heads, when the lesson finally clicks.

Tell us about one of your best lessons in the classroom. During the family learning day, I had the children and their parents take an old puzzle and create a new puzzle for the Hebrew prayer we were studying at the time. I painted the old puzzle with white paint to create a blank slate. The families then took buttons, yarn and markers to decorate the puzzle. I had also printed out the words to the prayer for the families to glue down with the decorations. We have the puzzles in the classroom for the students to use.

Tell us about your family, any other jobs that you hold, and things that you like to do in your spare time. I have two wonderful kids in Torah Center: Caleb who is in Adat Noar this year and Ruthie who will become a Bat Mitzvah on June 28. My significant other, Sheryl, and I will be together for 24 years in March. I do have a full time job as a research nurse and have gotten into beading with Ruthie, and we have started to sell our work. In my spare time, I like to read, crochet, and cross stitch.

Teacher Spotlight

Jay Alhadeff

Current Teaching Position: Hebrew Resource Teacher

Years on Staff at Temple Israel: 9

How did you become a teacher at Temple Israel?: I was asked about 10 years ago to come and substitute one Sunday and had the pleasure of meeting Janet Liss who the next year asked me to join the staff as the 5th grade Judaica teacher and Newspaper Chug teacher.

Favorite thing about teaching religious school: To be able to interact with the kids, faculty, and parents, as well as being a positive role model for our students.

Best lesson: When I taught second grade a few years back, one of my all-time favorite lessons had to do with November's Jewish Book Month. I asked each student to read a Jewish book and to make a presentation in front of the class. The variety of the books and the excellent job the kids did made this lesson work perfectly and I was so pleased to be able to share my love of reading and presenting to the class. When we finished after a few weeks, I did a "step-back" (review with the kids what they thought of the lesson) and each of them enjoyed it so much and commented that it made them enjoy their religion even more.

Family, other jobs, interests: I have two wonderful parents, Ben and Barbara, who taught me how to be active in the Jewish community. My dad has been involved on temple boards for many years and served on a Jewish continuity committee of Federation a few years back. My mom has been several times Hadassah president as well as involved in temple boards and Sisterhood. My brother Lee, a computer maven, currently works at Memorial Hospital as a financial analyst and amazes me with his ability to make web sites. I am involved in many activities at Temple Israel, including the Torah Study group, assisting with services when the rabbi is away, helping out with Mitzvah Day, Adventure in the Park, Family Retreat, as well as being an "ambassador" for new temple families. This year I am also serving as a member of the JFCS Athlete's Fete walk committee, and look forward to a lot of strong participation from our Temple Israel family. Away from Temple Israel, I enjoy movies, music, reality TV, playing fantasy football with my friends, and just being me. I also work for Tesoro Los Angeles Refinery in Wilmington as the help desk coordinator. Family and friends are very important to me.

Teacher Spotlight

Shlomit Jackson

Current Torah Center Teaching Position: 5th grade Hebrew Conversational Hebrew chug Adult conversational Hebrew Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class.

Number of Years on Staff: 2
How did you come to be a teacher at the Temple Israel Torah Center? I met Sharon at Temple Beth Sholom in Santa Ana when she was a graduate intern there. When I was looking to teach in Long Beach, I made contact with her and came onboard at TI.

What is your favorite thing about teaching religious school? Passing on the Hebrew language to the students and teaching them the traditions and customs of Judaism.

Tell us about one of your best lessons in the classroom. A fun lesson that I teach my Hebrew class along with the conversational chug class is teaching the colors in Hebrew. I usually save this lesson for Purim, because then we color in a clown’s face and the students really enjoy that. The students love to learn Hebrew not just related with prayer and seem to enjoy using the Hebrew to do an activity.

Tell us about your family, any other jobs that you hold, and things that you like to do in your spare time. I have been married for 5 years to Bryon Jackson, and we have a beautiful two-year-old daughter, Danielle, and a baby boy due in April. I currently also work at Temple Beth Sholom in Santa Ana as the B’nai Mitzvah tutor and teach a Hebrew conversational class for their post b’nai mitzvah program.

Teacher Spotlight

David Hillinger

Current Teaching Position at the Torah Center: Merakez Rikud (Dance Specialist)

Number of Years on Staff: 3

How did you come to be a teacher at the Temple Israel Torah Center? I grew up dancing at Temple Israel. Linda Waltzman (who was Linda Tempkin then) was the dance teacher. While still in high school, I eventually started teaching dance myself. After many years away, I eventually returned to T.I., children in tow. Following in the graceful steps of Lynda Waltzman and then Wyndi Dahlin, I began teaching dance at the Torah Center about 3 years ago.

What is your favorite thing about teaching religious school? I have two things tied for favorite.
My first favorite thing about teaching dance at T.I. is when the students make requests for particular dances. “Can we do the water dance?” or “I want to do the ‘swish your tushie’ dance.”) It feels like I’m a singer whose audience is saying, “Hey! Sing that song we really like! Sing your big hit!” Since dance, by it’s nature, creates self-consciousness and uneasiness, whenever a student makes a request, I think, “YES! I got through to one!” My other favorite thing is when I’m teaching the kids and the whole class just . . . gets it! They can all do the steps. They’re all having fun. We’re a community come together to share the joy of movement. Quite a high.

Tell us about one of your best lessons in the classroom. One particular highlight was an accident. I ended up with 2 classes showing up at the same time—–the first grade and the sixth grade. My initial reaction was to send one class away. After all, first-graders and sixth- graders have such hugely different abilities and skill levels that they certainly could never actually dance together. Or could they? I did a warm up dance that both classes knew to see what would happen, to see if they’d even dance with each other. Both classes rose to the occasion. Then I partnered all the sixth-graders with the first-graders and did couple dances. The sixth-graders got to help the first-graders through a dance a little over the first-graders’ heads, and the first-graders got the thrill of dancing with the big kids. It went really, really well—better than I could have hoped for. Yay to the first grade, the sixth grade and both classes’ teachers and madrichim!

Tell us about your family, any other jobs that you hold, and things that you like to do in your spare time? I have a wife named Erika. She taught 5th grade at T.I. one year, and liked the kids enough to teach 6th grade the next year. She recently finished her doctorate in religion and I’m immensely proud of her. I have two children, Shea, 16 years old in grade 11, and Shira, 15 years old in grade 9. Both attend Los Alamitos High School. Shea’s passion is playing in the high school drumline. Last year, his group came in third in the nationals! Yay, Shea! Shira, whose name means ‘song’ , as is fitting for her name, spends her time with the school choir. She played Sandy in last summer’s LBJCC production of Grease and got a solo in her first high school choir concert—an accomplishment extremely rare for ninth-graders. As proud of them as I am for these activities, I’m more proud that they both decided to give up their precious Sundays and work as madrichim at T.I. My other job is fixing teeth. (License plate frame: “Friendly neighborhood dancing dentist”.) My hobbies include musicals and movies and I am the Lanyard King of America (self-proclaimed).

Teacher Spotlight

Marian Martin

Current Torah Center Teaching Position: 3rd Grade Hebrew

Number of Years on Staff: 7

How did you come to be a teacher at the Temple Israel Torah Center? I was ready to get back into the work world after taking off almost 5 years to be a full-time mom to my children Allison, Geoffrey and Lauren. I was involved with K’vod Israel at the time, and someone mentioned that the temple was looking for religious school teachers. I met with Sharon soon after that and the rest is history! This is my seventh year as a Temple Israel Torah Center teacher, and I love it!

What is your favorite thing about teaching religious school? It is an honor and a privilege to share with these wonderful students our rich heritage and traditions. Teaching them how to read Hebrew is a special joy. Their enthusiasm and eagerness to learn is incredibly rewarding.

Tell us about one of your best lessons in the classroom. We do a lot of fun things in the classroom, but one of the most fun for both the teachers and the students is one that we do on the last Wednesday in December. Mrs. Turien (third grade Judaica teacher) and I work together leading the class in a cookie-baking session. These aren’t ordinary cookies, mind you. They are sugar cookies cut out using Hebrew Letter cookie cutters. The students have come far enough along in their Hebrew studies by then that they can spell their names and other words, such as Shabbat, Hanukkah, and Shalom in cookie dough! Of course, the highlight of the session for the kids is at the end when they are able to eat their creations.

Tell us about your family, any other jobs that you hold, and things that you like to do in your spare time. I have a wonderful family who love and support me. My husband, Paul Martin, is a fun guy to be around, especially if you like to play golf or listen to funny stories. He helps us maintain a Jewish home and participates fully in services and other activities at the Temple (and he’s not even Jewish). Our daughter, Allison, is in sixth grade at McAuliffe Middle School and in fifth grade at Torah Center. Allison’s two older siblings (my amazing stepchildren), Geoffrey and Lauren, are grown and out of the house so we don’t see enough of them these days. My mother, Joan Leb, is an active member of the congregation.

Our family recently returned from a phenomenal trip to Israel. We hope to be able to return there soon. I love to travel and have a trip to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico planned for late February. My horseback-riding days are temporarily on hold due to a back injury, but I’m hoping to be back in the saddle (literally!) one day soon. There’s nothing like cantering through an open field on a sunny California afternoon, on horseback!

Teacher Spotlight

Kara Liu

Current Teaching Position at the Torah Center: 1st grade

Number of Years on Staff: 3

How did you come to be a teacher at the Temple Israel Torah Center? Both my children are enrolled at the Torah Center.

What is your favorite thing about teaching religious school? I love the interaction with the children. Their minds and concept of God amaze me every week.

Tell us about one of your best lessons in the classroom. Recently, our subject for the day was prayer. We took a field trip to the sanctuary. I had the children spread out and closed the doors. We listened and felt the silence of the room. Then I directed their attention to our beautiful stained glass windows. Quietly, I began to tell the story depicted in each window ending with King David. I then read Pslam 23. The children sat quietly absorbed with the moment. We had felt prayer together and it was beautiful.

Tell us about your family, any other jobs that you hold, and things that you like to do in your spare time? My husband and I have been married for almost 12 years. We have two children Maddelin (9 years old) and Maxwell (7 years old). I am a housewife and love to spend time with my family. I garden, stitch, and cook with a passion. I enjoy working with children.

November Spotlights

We are very blessed to have such an incredible Torah Center staff this year. I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with these teachers, and I know that our religious school students benefit from their creativity and commitment every Torah Center session.

In hopes of letting the teachers know how much they are appreciated and introducing them to the wider Congregation, we will be spotlighting a few of our teachers each month in the Kol Yisrael.
This month’s bulletin highlights Janet Liss, Andi Joustra, and Nancy Levy.

Jan Liss celebrated her 36th year at the Torah Center last year and continues to bring her passion and youthful spirit to all that she does in the classroom and out. In addition to her classroom assignments, I am delighted to officially announce that Jan has been hired as our B’nai Mitzvah Coordinator. Jan will be tutoring each of our b’nai mitzvah students, as he/she prepares for his/her special simcha. We welcome Jan to this new position and wish her the very best as she helps to guide students and their parents during this meaningful time in their lives.

Andi Joustra’s love of community and teenagers is evident in each task in which she engages. Having been on staff for 16 years, Andi has worked with a multitude of students and curricula. Her flexibility and commitment to continued learning is much appreciated by students, parents, and colleagues alike.

Nancy Levy is new to our Torah Center staff and brings with her an enthusiasm matched by few. Little children and parents are inspired by her energy and love of this congregation. We welcome Nancy to the teaching staff and look forward to a rewarding year.

Sharon Amster Brown - sab@tilb.org

Teacher Spotlight

Jan Liss

Current Teaching Position(s): 7th Hebrew, 8th Grade Judaica, and B’nai Mitzvah Coordinator

Number of Years on the Torah Center Staff: 37

How did you come to be a teacher at the Temple Israel Torah Center? After I graduated from the Torah Center High School in 1971, I became the music specialist.

What is your favorite thing about teaching religious school? The children and the families. It’s such an honor to get to know these kids, watching them grow up and being a part of their lives year after year.

Tell us about one of your best lessons in the classroom. In second grade at Hanukah time, my students study about the Maccabees and the temporary loss of the Temple. It’s virtually impossible for 7 year olds to comprehend what that means, not to mention empathize. So one Sunday, I arrive very early before any of the children arrive and mess up our room…throw papers and books all over the floor, turn over desks….trash the room. Then when the kids arrive and discover that their room has been ‘destroyed,’ they vent, we talk about their feelings and I assure them they are safe. Then we all clean the room up, talk about what the Maccabees must have felt, and then I own up to the fact that I made the mess myself. By that time, most of the children have guessed anyway! It’s a wonderful lesson.

In 7th grade one of my favorite lessons is encouraging the b’nai mitzvah students to express themselves through interpreting one of the prayers in the evening or morning Shabbat service.

Tell us about your family, any other jobs that you hold, and things that you like to do in your spare time. I have a wonderful girlfriend named Beverly, and we live with our two cats, Cleo and Honey and 2 pet rats, Patches and Shadow. My daughter, Michal, and her husband Jonathan live in Cincinnati, while Michal is studying at HUC to become a rabbi.

Beverly and I love to attend Sparks professional women’s basketball games and play canasta with our friends. I’m also a big boxing fan!

In my ‘spare’ time, I tutor privately and work part time in the library at HUC in Los Angeles.

Teacher Spotlight

Andi Joustra

Current Teaching Position(s): 7th Grade Judaica, 8th Grade Judaica, and Madrichim Program Director

Number of Years on the Torah Center Staff: 16

How did you come to be a teacher at the Temple Israel Torah Center? The Conservative synagogue where we had been long-time members and where my son Aron had his bar mitzvah decided to stay with the “conservadox” traditions and my daughter Shelley would not have been able to read out of the Torah, or do much of anything for her Bat Mitzvah. I had been teaching there too, and heard a lot about the Torah Center and Temple Israel. I joined Temple Israel when Shelley was in 4th grade and was also hired as a teacher. I’ve been teaching here ever since.

What is your favorite thing about teaching religious school? When a student has an “ah hah!” moment, or laughs out loud when they’re enjoying a lesson.

Tell us about one of your best lessons in the classroom. The Nazi War Crimes Trial, for 7th grade, of course. Lots of emotions as the kids use all they’ve been taught during the semester to really get into the whole courtroom experience.

For 8th grade, the Ellis Island simulation,we speak “gobbledygook” and put the kids through the immigration lines. The nonsense talk is to give them a sense of how the Jewish immigrants felt and what it must have sounded like when they heard English and were asked questions.

Tell us about your family, any other jobs that you hold, and things that you like to do in your spare time. I have two grown children, Aron, a middle school teacher, and Shelley, a dance and fitness instructor, who also coaches a “pee-wee” competition cheer squad. I used to teach theater classes but haven’t in the past few years. I love to read, sketch, and go to the theatre when I can. I’ve tap-danced all my life and have had to take a break but want to get back into it. I’ve become an expert cat “nurse,” as I’ve owned cats for the last 30 years. We now have Vinnie, a red tabby, who is 17 years old, and my daughter’s 2-year old white cat, Cracker. (She looks like a saltine?)

When I was in college, my first real job was as the costumed character “Snow White” at Disneyland.

I’ve also had the honor of being a lecturer at two BJE teacher conferences.

Teacher Spotlight

Nancy Levy

Current Teaching Position(s): Pre-school Parent Participation Class for 3-4 year olds

Number of Years on the Torah Center Staff: 1

How did you come to be a teacher at the Temple Israel Torah Center? I have taught parent participation classes at the JCC for the past 6 years. I am no longer teaching there, so I wanted to keep connected with being a Jewish educator. My daughter Dana is a 3rd grade student at the Torah Center, so I thought it would be fun to be more involved.

What is your favorite thing about teaching religious school? When you teach, you learn. I am on a learning journey with Judaism, so teaching forces me to research, plan, and share what I learn with others.

Tell us about one of your best lessons in the classroom. Young children learn by doing and they learn best when using as many senses as possible. They are kinesthetic learners, so using movement and music activities to reinforce concepts and make them concrete is very important. For Sukkot, each child was given a bag. We went outside and collected leaves, flowers, grass, and many other natural items. The children made collages with clear contact paper and hung them in the sukkah. This also brought up discussions about Creation and what God created versus what humans created.

Tell us about your family, any other jobs that you hold, and things that you like to do in your spare time. I have a wonderful husband Steve. He is an algebra teacher at McAuliffe Middle School in Los Alamitos. We met 11 years ago at our 20th high school reunion and just celebrated our 9th anniversary. My daughter Dana is a beautiful red head who is a 3rd grader at Lowell Bayside Academy. She likes gymnastics, sewing, and rollerblading. Dana is an avid reader, loves writing, and just began taking violin lessons at school.

I taught adapted physical education for 10 years, began the preschool movement education program at the JCC, and now am an elementary P.E. teacher for Long Beach Unified School District. I enjoy rollerblading, kayaking, doing mosaics, and a good book.

I am also very excited to be taking the adult B’nai Mitzvah class over the next two years. We joined the temple, as many others do, for our daughter. I never imagined that I would have the desire to take the journey with her. I am honored to be a temple member, a Torah Center parent, a student, a volunteer, and a staff member here at Temple Israel.