Walk into Temple Beth Israel in Pomona, CA on any given school day, and you’ll find a committed group of madrikhim helping to create a magical school environment. Here’s how it works.
by Leah Zimmerman
Recently, a teacher on our staff and veteran Jewish educator sat down in the chair across my desk and said, “I don’t think you know what you have here, but you’ve created a team of teachers and madrikhim who really work together and it is making a big change around here.”
We are four months into the year and I volley between thinking, “Of course it’s working,” and, “I can’t believe it’s working.” As I walk through classes each day, I see small groups of students huddled around a teenager, teens working one on one with students, and teens running icebreakers or Hebrew games in the classroom while the teacher watches. I see teachers and madrikhim planning together discussing student needs and making plans for future lessons. There is a growing dynamic energy throughout our school as the social capital increases. We are spending resources to build relationships and as a result, we are seeing more relationships develop and influence the learning environment.
