Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on May 30, 2024

If you walk into Lawton Elementary School in Ann Arbor, you will find two large glass displays showcasing influential Jewish figures, Judaica such as shofars and a Torah plushie, and the American and Israeli flags.

The displays represent a grassroots effort by three Jewish families in the school. One of the displays designers, with two children in the school, said she wanted the cases to mirror her own feelings about being Jewish: Bursting with pride. (She requested to remain anonymous.)

Jewish families across Washtenaw County public schools have taken similar initiatives to recognize Jewish American Heritage Month in their childrens schools, as they find few school-sponsored events. In the absence of such events, Jewish families reached out to their childrens teachers, read books on Jewish themes, presented in classrooms and erected displays.

Digital Choice Board in Saline Area Schools 4th and 5th grades.

Hagit Barry-Naab read the book Pizza Mitzvah in her daughters first-grade class at Thurston Elementary, and Jenny Kirsch Van Beck, who has a first-grader at Bryant Elementary, presented on mitzvot, or good deeds. She brought in a big poster titled: Everyday Mitzvahs! and read a book called Can Sophie Change the World?

According to AAPS Interim Superintendent Jazz Parks, Jewish Americans are highlighted in lessons and reading selections with our students across classrooms in AAPS school and digital libraries. In the arts, students explore, study and perform the works of great Jewish American artists, lyricists, dancers, composers and many other extraordinary individuals who have had a positive impact on our society.

Parks recognized Jewish American Heritage month in a May 3 update via the districts website and in a May 8 update to the Board of Education,

However, this announcement did not list any specific events or provide resources for schools information that was provided for many other heritage months, such as Black History Month, National Asian, Pacific Islander & South Asian American Heritage Month and Arab American Heritage Month.

Two large glass displays show items, books and information on Jewish themes.

AAPS Director of Communications Andrew Cluley provided a list of efforts within Ann Arbor schools, including library displays showcasing books about Jewish figures at three schools, and a district-wide digital library collection. Some school-wide efforts were reported by Jewish families, such as announcements at Clague Middle School about famous Jewish Americans. Cluley said that Huron High School plans to buy Jewish heritage books with grant funds.

Some Jewish parents with children in Ann Arbor Public Schools expressed frustration at the lack of school-wide and district-wide recognition of JAHM. Part of the challenge might be in the delay of recognition of a Jewish Parent Advisory group, which applied to be approved Oct. 24, 2023. Cluley said that the Board of Education is still reviewing the groups application.

Other advisory groups help to plan and contribute to district-wide resources and events. For example, National Asian, Pacific Islander & South Asian American Heritage Month, which is also in May, features three virtual author talks available to AAPS teachers and students.

Dexter and Saline

In two other Washtenaw County school districts, JAHM celebrations vary. Dexter Community Schools is currently making a comprehensive list of cultural recognitions and will include Jewish American Heritage Month starting next year, according to Hope Vestergaard, director of communications of Dexter Community Schools.

Cultural recognition activities have traditionally been teacher- or building-driven, Vestergaard said. She noted that there were no district-wide events or announcements about Jewish American Heritage Month.

In contrast, in Saline Area Schools, a May 1 social media post included a graphic that read, We celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month, which was displayed on digital display boards in buildings. The district provided resources and a reading list in the post.

Within each of our seven school buildings, staff volunteers comprise equity teams that work to compile resources for classroom teachers around the planned observances, executive director of communications and community relations, Saline Area Schools Jackie Martin wrote in an email.

She provided an example at the fourth- and fifth-grade levels, where a Digital Choice Boardincludes links to videos about Jewish holidays, famous Jewish American and history about Jewish American immigration.

Elementary schools in the district feature famous Jewish Americans through bulletin boards, author and artist spotlights, Martin wrote. Several sixth-grade classrooms are currently reading Refugee by Alan Gratz. One teacher invited a parent to join their student as classroom guest speakers to present on Jewish heritage and the Holocaust as part of their unit of study.

This was in response to a request from a student, she noted.

Continue reading here:

Jewish American Heritage Celebrated by Families in Washtenaw Schools - The Jewish News

Category: Jewish Heritage Month
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