Twenty Jewish North Shore Jewish educators from 12 schools returned from Israel learning something they had always taught, but perhaps never really learned: that they are part of a the larger Jewish family and a community of committed and talented educators.

“We fell in love with Israel and with each other,” said Gail Mack. “The first day or two home, I wandered around in my pajamas hoping someone from the trip would email me and bring me out of my funk of not being in Israel anymore.”

Indeed the emails are flying around as jetlagged teachers find themselves awake at odd hours, scanning their pictures, longing for the experience they just left. For Cheryl Schwartz, who has taught for 20 years, mostly in Jewish settings, but never gotten to Israel until this trip, “If someone asked me to go back today, I would be on the plane.”

The teachers expressed extreme gratitude to Robert I. Lappin for giving them this gift of a free trip to Israel and said they would be able to help fulfill his mission of helping to keep children Jewish through the inspiration they gained on the trip.

Said Bonnie Presson-Dudley, “I have not traveled a lot and I’m not sure I would have had this opportunity without Mr. Lappin. 

Teachers to Israel is a free program of the Robert I. Lappin 1992 Supporting Foundation that provides a free trip to Israel for Jewish educators. The intent is to inspire teachers to inspire their students to want to learn about the beauty and richnness of our Jewish heritage.

“It is true that I used my five senses in Israel as opposed to just reading about it. Now I have a lot more ruach, spirit to bring to my children instead of just talking about it,” said Debbie Leibowitz, of Congregation Shirat Hayam Preschool.

Deciding to go to Israel was challenge for Leibowitz who had registered for the August 2006 trip, but cancelled when the war with Lebanon broke out. She never had a desire to go to Israel, partly out of a feeling of not being “worthy,” in terms of her own religious observance or knowledge of Jewish history.

When there, Leibowitz had an epiphany during the Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, ceremonies for the fallen soldiers. She was asked to lay a rose in memory of a soldier and as she and Marla Mindel walked toward their task with the moon shining above, it all came clear.

“I lay a rose for a stranger, who really after all isn’t a stranger because he is Jewish and fought so I could come here and meet him this way and make this connection. Then I thought that I am worthy to be here for this person because of what he did for me and for others.”

Debbie Coltin, trip leader and executive director of the Robert I. Lappin Charitable Foundation, said the trip provided the Israel experience that teachers need to use in their teaching, and to build a sense of community: that teachers in schools one mile apart had not had the opportunity to talk, get to know one another. Now, they are talking about sharing resources and inviting each other into their classrooms and each others classrooms.”

The teachers had lunch at the home of Shlomo Lifshitz, president of Oranim Educational Initiatives, the tour company. From his porch in K’far Saba, they could see the whole width of Israel before their eyes. “They really understand the need for Israel to exist and the right to exist in peace,” said Coltin. "I  witnessed many transformations before my eyes.  Teachers grew both personally and professionally, and they truly understand the Lappin Foundation's mission of helping to keep our children Jewish.  Connecting our children to Israel is an integral part of our mission, as is building and enhancing Jewish pride in our children.”

Being in a place where everyone is Jewish made a huge impression on the teachers. “I felt such a level of comfort and peace and calmness that I did not expect and was pleasantly surprised. It was like I really was home.”

The ease of being Jewish impressed so many of the teachers. “There are no conflicts between hockey practice and Hebrew school or hockey practice and Shabbat,” said Mack, who teaches at Temple Emanu-El in Marblehead.

Others were thrilled to be able to daven kabalat Shabbat in the hotel lobby and to dance in the streets.  “It feels they way it should. Everyone is Jewish from the guy who washes the floor to the guy who lives in the fanciest house.”

With a bit of downtime on Shabbat, the teachers spent in brainstorming about their classrooms and how to transfer all their inspiration to their students. “It was so wonderful to share ideas with other teachers and to think about curriculum together. I teach three and four-year-olds, but they will get Debbie Leibowitz after me, and then Cheryl Schwartz. I’m really on the frontline as their first exposure, but the other teachers were there with me so we will get these kids there,” said Shari Lossano, of Congregation Shirat Hayam Preschool.

Sidney Zimmerman was moved emotionally to walk where his ancestors walked. “I showed my wife the Book of Kings when I got home and told her, I was there. I was in the bunkers from the Six Day War, I was in Haifa where the missiles flew last summer,’ he said. “What I will now be able to teach is the spirit, the enthusiasm and the love of Israel. This was not like reading a book. This trip reiginited my spirit.”

Schwartz brought back a jar of Dead Sea mud for her class of five-year-olds. “I let the kids lather up and we talked about the mud and now it was different than our mud. Most of them loved it and some thought it was gross,” she said. In reviewing her curriculum over the years, Schwartz realized that she teaches Judaism, holidays and even Hebrew words, but she does not teach enough Israel. “Now, I have to teach more Israel. It has to be infused with everything,” she said.

One commitment many teachers made was to add more public Judaism to their lives. When sitting in a public restroom, Debbie Leibowitz said the person in the next stall announced that she was “shvitzing,” something people might not say to a stranger in the U.S. “Now, I want to say ‘shalom’ to someone at least once each day,” said Leibowitz.

For more information on T2I, contact Deborah Coltin, at 978-740-4428 or email dcoltin@rilcf.org.
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