MOST I LEARN FROM MY STUDENTS

Babylonian Talmud Ta’anit: Much I learn from my teachers; more from my colleagues; but most from my students.

Entering a Florence Melton Adult Mini-School classroom on a bright snowy day in Chicago, I hear the hum and chatter of eager students greeting each other and catching up on the events of the week. As they brush off the snow, pour themselves a cup of coffee, and take their accustomed seats around the table, they never fail to warm my heart. There are young mothers who request to keep their cell phones on just in case they are needed back home, and recent empty nesters who fondly call themselves “the post carpool generation,” and senior citizens who forget their infirmities while they study.

I never take for granted the wonderful diversity of students before me, all of them sharing a love for Jewish text and a sense of wonder at the way it touches their lives. They represent all ages; they come from all parts of the world; they are at different stages of their Jewish journey.

I am in awe of the representation of life before me, and I am challenged to teach in a way that will meet their unique needs. From them, I have learned that there are common experiences and desires on which I can build and that many of these are a result of living in North America in the 21st century. Judaism is a choice for them—even those coming from a traditional background. How do I help them make informed choices? How do I present Judaism in the best possible light-- including its encouragement of doubt, debate and disagreement?

I am challenged, and yet I have the utmost confidence that I am only a transmitter of an irresistible truth that makes our brief time in this world more meaningful, more worth living. It is a truth that transcends time and space and extends our existence beyond what we know. This also I have learned from my students.