Mazel tov to Beth El teacher Janet Buchwald

Mazel tov to our beloved teacher, Janet Buchwald, who will be honored on Thursday, Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at a Zoom gala hosted by the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts.

“Our educators, teachers of Torah (all things Jewish), have nourished our minds and kept our Jewish souls alive — they have sustained us during this most unusual time,” the council says. “They pivoted from in-person to on-line gatherings. They tackled the technology — often coaching others — and continue to innovate new teaching techniques to engage learners of all ages, across the lifespan.”

Janet Buchwald “is a beloved teacher to lifelong learners at Beth El,” her nomination says. “She brings passion, creativity, patience and technical/grammar expertise to her lessons, deepening her students’ appreciation, understanding and connection to Hebrew and our Jewish traditions. She makes grammar fun and relevant, by referencing Torah, song, prayer, and modern Hebrew music and poetry. To enable our Advanced Adult Hebrew class to continue during Covid-19, Janet purchased a new laptop so that she would have the latest software to allow her to lead class on Zoom. This allowed some of our elderly members to participate safely and for those who moved away, or were experiencing health issues not related to Covid-19, to continue to learn and feel connected to our community.”

Click here to see the other honorees.

The gala will feature keynote speaker Susannah Heschel, the Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College, discussing “Abraham Joshua Heschel on Jewish Education: The Curriculum from Hasidism to Racism; What to Teach, How to Teach, Transforming Teaching into Inspiration from Textbooks to Text People.” 

Tickets to the gala start at $50. Click here to register.