BY JEN ROSENBERG, PRINCIPAL

We are delighted to welcome our new 3rd/4th grade general studies teacher, Laura Pasek, to the Hebrew Day School family. She brings with her a passion for teaching and Jewish education and is an incredible addition to our staff. Read on to begin to get to know her…

What attracted you to the field of education, and specifically Jewish education?

After traveling and living in Israel, I made the determination that I wanted to work within the Jewish community. I had spent some in Israel as a journalist for the Jerusalem Post and teaching English to all ages. I always found journalism very similar to teaching — you take a complex concept and you present it in a way that your audience can grasp. I find this role immensely fulfilling, and working within Jewish days schools allows me to create this learning community that is bonded by more than geographic proximity. When you can relate the voyage of the Pilgrims to the New World to the students’ shared tradition of the Jewish New Year, you can engage in learning on a whole new level.

What do you most love about HDS so far?

I love that everyone cares so deeply about their colleagues, their students and their students’ families. Colleagues are quick to share ideas, resources and anecdotes to help make my transition easier. Students are engaged and eager to learn. Everyone has been so welcoming! You don’t get that feeling at any old school; this is a special place.

What are you excited about teaching this year?

Biomes. In our Jewish tradition, we are supposed to be stewards of the Earth. When we embark on our biomes unit, we will explore how human activity can affect the Earth and how we can truly care for our planet.

Tell us something surprising that has had an impact on your teaching.

There is a high emotional component to learning. Children are sponges, but they are also anxious, fearful, proud, worried, etc. This understanding has changed my methodology to include a lot more emotional learning.

How has becoming a mom impacted your teaching practice or view of education?

I think that before becoming a mom, I could only conceptually understand that parents only want what’s best for their child and will do pretty much anything to ensure their child is happy, healthy, and loved. I now understand this on a whole new level — and it sometimes can defy rational thinking how much we worry about our children.

Please join us in welcoming Morah Pasek to Hebrew Day School. May she, and all of us, go from strength to strength.

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