National recruitment program places two Valley day school teachers
BETH OLSON
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 Rachel Friedrichs, a Brandeis University graduate, is teaching Jewish studies at the Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School as part of the Jewish Teacher Corps program. Photo by Tegwin Winterhalt |
The Avi Chai Foundation has granted Edah, a modern Orthodox organization, the funds to begin the Jewish Teacher Corps program - an effort to bring graduates from top universities to teach in the country's day schools. This is the pilot year for the program, which currently has three teaching fellows, two of whom are placed in Valley day schools.
Rachel Friedrichs, a Brandeis University graduate is teaching at the Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School, mentored by Rabbi Elana Kanter. Josh Wise is a Massa-chusetts Institute of Technology graduate, teaching at The King David School. The third teaching fellow is placed at El Paso Jewish Academy in El Paso, Texas.
Esther Feuerberg, head of school at King David, recognizes the national need for quality Jewish teachers to enter the profession.
"In every national (education) conference we have raised the issue of recruitment into the Jewish teaching profession - an area which is extremely fulfilling, but difficult to recruit into," she says. "The leadership in this particular movement is making a point and taking a stand and starting to bring in to the Jewish education world some young people who are very capable, who are hopefully going to be tasting the flavor of working in Jewish day schools and liking it."
Rabbi Uri Gordon, an experienced yeshiva high school teacher from Manhattan, N.Y., is leading the Teacher Corps program.
"The goal is to get people who have a great Jewish background, great general studies background (who) are not necessarily considering education full time as a career," explains Gordon. He is searching for college graduates who have "great spirit, great role modeling for 10- to 18-year-olds in Jewish communities around the country to be inspired daily by someone who is young, with a rich background."
Gordon says he is looking for young adults who attended day schools themselves, who spent time studying in Israel after high school, and who graduated with honors from top colleges.
"There's this population ... of really well-educated Jewish (young adults), Jewishly and general studies, and they would love the opportunity, the framework, where they could go and give and contribute to the community. That's what we're tapping into," says Gordon.
Wise is teaching fifth grade and Jewish studies to middle school students at King David.
"Josh Wise has been an incredible addition to the school," says Feuerberg. "We're providing as much support as we can for him to be successful. It's in our best interest for him to be successful, but it's also in the best interest of Jewish education at large."
Friedrichs is teaching Judaics at Jess Schwartz.
"Rachel's students willingly join her on a type of journey into Jewish study that was thus far unknown to them. Because of her proximity to them in age, she serves as a living role model of a type of commitment to Jewish life and learning that they may consider themselves," says Janice Johnson, headmaster of Jess Schwartz.
Gordon travels to top universities to recruit fellows and hopes to have 10 qualified participants to begin teaching in September 2004.
Contact the writer at beth_olson@jewishaz.com.