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Gesher
(the "bridge" between Lerner and the community)
January 8, 2015 17 Tevet 5775 Parashat Shemot Shabbat Candle Lighting: 5:01
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Calendar
January
Wed 14 Kofim Family Program, 8:15 am
Mon 19 Martin Luther King Day, School Closed
Tue 20 Teacher Workday, No School
Wed 28 3rd Grade Family Program, 8:15 am
February
Fri 20 VIP Day
Sat 21 Auction
Sun 22 Mishloach Manot packing
Fri 27 Teacher Workday, No School
Afterschool will close at 4:30 tomorrow, Fri 1/9.
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Israel: Lerner's
Philosophy and Standards
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Lerner's Israel
Education Philosophy
We believe that an intellectual, emotional, and spiritual connection with Israel is at the core of Jewish identity. We aim to strengthen each student's personal Jewish identity and commitment to Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel) and Am Yisrael (the people of Israel); all aspects of the curriculum are geared towards fostering a feeling of Ahavat Yisrael (love of Israel), and establishing a lifelong relationship with the State of Israel. Within this framework, our students engage in learning opportunities and activities encouraging them to envision themselves as part of an ongoing peace effort in Israel and within the global Jewish Community. The curriculum has a dual focus: for all of the children to gain an appreciation, respect, enjoyment, and understanding of Israel's history, geography, culture, and spiritual significance, and for our older children to explore Israel's ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity and engage in an age-appropriate manner with some of the social challenges Israel currently faces as a diverse nation, in order to provide the next generation with the tools to shape and understand Israel's future.
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Lerner's Education
Standards on Israel
1. Students will be familiar
with the history, geography,
and cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity of the modern State
of Israel.
2. Students will understand the religious and spiritual significance of Israel for the Jewish people, and will have opportunities to develop a personal connection to the historic and modern Land of Israel.
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There are rumors in some circles of our community that the Lerner School does not support Israel. Some members of our community have even gone on record to say that the Lerner School is anti-Israel. I want to take the opportunity now to lay these rumors to rest and to provide readers of the Gesher the tools to address these rumors when they hear them.
Lerner is accused of not supporting Israel because a conscious decision was made to not send out communication regarding the conflict in Israel this past summer. In our community political opinions about Israel reach far and wide. This is a beautiful aspect of our community as it speaks to the diversity and strength of our area. With a major change in leadership this past summer, the decision to not send out communication was made so that my first communication on behalf of Lerner not be about Israel. Without members of the community knowing me or knowing my communication style, I did not want anyone reading into anything I wrote and drawing opinions without having greater context of who I am and what I stand for.
I have heard that the school and the website have been "scrubbed" of anything related to Israel. Though I did not communicate with the community specifically regarding Israel this summer, one of my first tasks at school was reviewing and engaging in conversation about Lerner's Israel curriculum. A committee convened to review Lerner's Israel Philosophy as well as Lerner's Education Standards about Israel (both located in this issue of the Gesher as well as on the lernerschool.org website). In addition, we adopted the full spectrum of the Tal Am curriculum that includes a rich spiraled study of Israel
(1st - 5th grades). Our newly formed Israel committee is aligning our Israel standards and the Tal Am curriculum and they are hard at work on planning for a fantastic Yom Ha'atzmaut celebration.
I have heard that the Israeli flag has been stripped from the walls of Lerner. In fact, a very large Israeli flag was hung proudly in Lerner's Open Space. In addition, Hatikvah is a staple of the Kindergarten and 1st grade Tefillah alongside the Pledge of Allegiance. Israel maps adorn classroom spaces; currently they are Biblical maps as that is the portion of history our students are now learning. Modern maps will be hung as our students learn about the modern state of Israel in the spring. Yes, there is debate about which maps will be hung and that is a debate that will take place amongst the administration and faculty in the next few months as we approach the study of the modern state of Israel.
In my brief time in this community I have not found an anti-Israel sentiment at Lerner or regionally. I have found a broad spectrum of political beliefs and opinions about how to establish peace in Israel. Most of us respect the variety of opinions and choose to take part in debate or respectfully decline taking part in debate. At Lerner, it is not the institution's nor my intent to place judgment on an individual's political opinion about Israel or any other matter. My job is to ensure that the philosophy, standards, and curriculum are carried out by the faculty of Lerner and that their personal political persuasions do not enter the classroom as they interact with Lerner students: I feel strongly about this responsibility whether it is an opinion about Israel, the national debate about the Affordable Care Act, or any other political issue.
I encourage you to question the veracity of the rumors when or if you hear them. I also strongly encourage you to reach out to me if you hear something that makes you uncomfortable or just does not sound right; I am here to engage in conversation with you. For our readers who are not school members, my email is [email protected] and I can be reached by phone at 919-286-5517.
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 Please join us in welcoming two new Lerner families!
Welcome James Manson to the Kipodim class. James lives with his parents, James Manson and Gillian Harper, along with his 3 big sisters, Caroline, Julianna, and Victoria.
Welcome Michael Dayan to the Yanshufim class. Michael lives with his parents, Jonathan and Daphna Dayan and his younger brother, Ethan.
The Manson's and Dayan's contact information can be found in the school directory under My Lerner.
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 Carlyn is the 5th Grade homeroom teacher and 4th/5th Grade math and science teacher at Lerner. She has lived in many different cities and states, but spent most of her childhood in Virginia Beach. After high school, she moved to Texas to attend college at Texas Woman's University, where she met her husband. After graduating and some moving, they found themselves in Raleigh, NC. She was introduced to the Lerner community through the Preschool, where she worked as one of the aftercare teachers. Most recently, they spent their last two years in Virginia Beach, where she taught 3rd Grade at the local Jewish community day school. She is back at Lerner and enjoying her new community. |
 Congratulations to Cecilia and Charlie Payne on the birth of their first granddaughter, Josephine Margaret. She was born born on January 3, weighing 7 lbs and 13 oz. She has 2 big brothers who are completely smitten with her. |
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Contact
The Lerner School
1935 Cornwallis Drive
Durham, NC 27705
919.286.5517
www.lernerschool.org
Stay Connected
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At the Lerner School,
we are committed to achieving the highest standards of academic excellence, fostering learning of Jewish values, culture and traditions, while building a diverse and caring community...
one child at a time.
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