The AARC is delighted to welcome Shlomit Cohen as our Beit Sefer (religious school) director. Shlomit shares her background and her plans for the coming year in her own words (below).
My name is Shlomit. I am thrilled to be the director of the Ann Arbor Reconstuctionist Congregation (AARC) Beit Sefer (religious school). After teaching at the AARC Beit Sefer for five years, directing the program will be as natural as going back home. My son, Eli, had his bar mitzvah at the AARC. I am delighted to step into this position and give back to my community in the best way I can.
My vision for the Beit-Sefer is for the AARC to have a religious education program focused on supporting children in forging their unique lifelong Jewish identity. I believe that hands-on, student-centered education is the best way to shape identity while having fun.
There are so many different ways that a person can access their Judaism. As a native Israeli, archaeologist, and educator, I’m always eager to help people find opportunities to open many doors and explore the different ways of being Jewish. I grew up on a kibbutz, living Judaism as a hands-on (as well as brain- and hearts-on) daily experience. During my mandatory national service, I was in the education unit, teaching outdoor education to civilian children and adults.
I trained as an archeologist, and held positions at both the Ein Yael Living Museum and the Bible Lands Museum (in Jerusalem) as an archaeologist and the head of the education department. In these roles, I coordinated with both our professional development teams and other educational institutions to develop, plan, and implement educational programming.
Since coming to the United States twenty years ago, I’ve taught in a variety of settings, primarily focusing on Jewish religious education and Hebrew. I always seek to create cooperative education experiences that engage individuals and families both artistically and intellectually.
In 2019 I earned my masters in Jewish education from the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). I also completed a year-long program in Israel education at The iCenter in Chicago.
I have two children Eli (19), and Gabi (16), a dog (golden) and a white cat (retriever). I love the outdoors, gardening, cooking and entertaining. Yoga is big in my world – I have taught yoga for more than 30 years. I love arts and crafts, a good book or a movie.
About the Beit Sefer
This year the AARC Beit Sefer program will be based on four pillars:
- Jewish time
The year cycle which includes the holidays, Shabbat, seasons (we’ll meet a few times at the farm), and personal moments on the calendar – birthdays. - Hebrew language
as a means to connect to the reach literature. The students will learn the alef-bet (the Hebrew letters) as a preparation for the Bar- Mitzvah. Basic decoding, prayer words and phrases to be able to join the congregation services, including few modern Hebrew words. - Jewish values
The younger children will learn the Bible stories. They will examine and practice values and mitzvah. - Israel
The geography, the land reach story since antiquity (archaeology and history), where our Jewish identity formed and the place where Jews first began to take shape as a religion and a people. Present Israel, its symbols: flag, anthem, currency, Independence Day, the reach diversity of people, and its amazing food! I will teach basic important facts only. No politics.
My goal is to lead a supportive team with the Beit Sefer madrichim (teachers) to ensure that the kids will be happy and excited to go to school. I look forward to getting to know you and your children and having a great year together.
– Shlomit
