Beyond the Stereotype – Stories that Empower
When we think about the stories that we tell around the holidays, I have been inspired by the incredible evolution that has occurred during my 17 years as a director. Purim is a story about courage, female empowerment, and the importance of speaking out against injustice. There are amazing stories about modern day heroes that we can share with our staff and colleagues to scaffold between historical and current day.
The “I Am…” series, written my Brad Meltzer and illustrated by Chris Eliopolous, provide wonderful examples of these heroes.
And when we think about Esther’s role in the kingdom, we can also correlate it to our roles within our institutions. It’s important to remember that our voices have the power to impact the overall community. According to Brene Brown, “..a leader (is) anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential.” This is what we do every day. We identify teachers who are gifted and help them grow through professional development opportunities. We foster leadership skills in our grown-up volunteers, creating a pipeline for synagogue/institutional leadership beyond their time in our schools. We build incredible foundations of learning for our students helping them to reach their potential by infusing a love of inquiry and exploration. We lead by example, demonstrating how inclusive environments breed respect, responsibility, and participation. We ensure that all in our community are treated equitably.
As we move throughout the year, we should continue to seek out additional stories of courage and agency and share them with our staff and students. When we showcase our own leadership, we shatter old fashioned ideas about our profession, and light the way for future leaders to blaze their own trails.
Jennie Rubin
Assistant Director of ECE
Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, South Orange, NJ
