Steve Sheinkin, creator of the “Rabbi Harvey” series, demonstrates how to work with students to create their own cartoons at a workshop presented by The Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life attended by 150 religious school teachers on Feb. 22.
Photos by Johanna Ginsberg
Deborah Bonelli offered a session on nosh art that yielded a variety of matza mosaics made from chocolate and other sugary treats.
Storyteller Rena Casser drew the teachers at her table in immediately by assuming the role of a biblical character and speaking directly in that voice to the person sitting next to her.
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February 26, 2009
In one corner of the room, Cantor Sharon Brown-Levy was dancing and singing the Torah tropes, just as she teaches them to third graders at Temple Emanu-El in Livingston — yes, third graders. “By the time they are ready to study for their b’nei mitzva, the tropes are a piece of cake,” she quips.
Behind her, Rena Casser, a storyteller, drew the crowd in as soon as they sat down. In a shaky, frail voice, she leans over to a woman at her side. “Would you be a darling and go shoot a deer for an old lady?” Then, she looks at the group. “Quick, which biblical character am I?”
And between the two of them, Steve Sheinkin, author of the “Rabbi Harvey” series, offers tools for drawing cartoons on Jewish topics, while 14-year-old Jason Roth, barely out of religious school himself, offered pointers on bringing magic into the religious school classroom.
Hands-on education was the name of the game at a Feb. 22 seminar, Jews, Guitars & DVRs, presented by The Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life, a partner agency of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest New Jersey at the Aidekman Family Jewish Community Campus in Whippany.
Over 150 teachers from synagogues and day schools found themselves virtually “speed dating” 15 different methods of experiential learning. Tai Chi and Tefilla, edible art, Torah Trope Aerobics, Shabbat sign language, Storahtelling, storytelling, film, music, magic, and MTV were all among the offerings.
For some, it was a refresher course on what kids need; for others, it was an opportunity to be exposed to new ideas.
Amy Olsen, who teaches third and fourth grade at White Meadow Temple in Rockaway, came “to learn to expand my lessons and come up with more ideas. Nowadays kids don’t like to just sit there; they like to be more involved.” She plans to bring back “a lot more music” to her classrooms. “Kids love to sing,” she said, adding, “there were lots of good ideas.”
Nurit Lev, who teaches fifth-eighth grade at the Bohrer-Kaufman Hebrew Academy of Morris County and sixth grade at Adath Shalom in Parsippany, said she came grudgingly, but was surprised at how much she took away from the day. “It’s refreshing. You know, stirring everything back and making you more creative — being more creative in class and reminding you of things you have learned and forgot — and that it’s all about the kids and how to make it very special for them.”
She was particularly excited about “nosh art,” led by Deborah Bonelli. “Purim is coming soon and it put me in the mood of thinking what I will do with the kids to make their holidays more special, more important to them.”
The point of the workshop was to help teachers with ideas for experiential learning, according to Partnership director Robert Lichtman. “We wanted to kind of challenge teachers to think outside the classroom or bring techniques from outside the classroom inside the classroom so that students can really connect to Jewish life in ways that are relevant to them.”
Although the sessions were only 15 minutes each, Lichtman said that was enough time to help teachers realize there are other techniques out there, and to help them connect with the right resource people.
The sessions were followed by four 30-minute “showcase” presentations that provided more extensive information.
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