Category: News Archive

News Archive

How to thank a teacher

by ATT Chicago

This year’s National Teachers’ Appreciation week could not have come at a better time. With every parent now forced into the role of their child’s teacher during the COVID-19 pandemic, is there any parent of school age children out there who doesn’t think teachers deserve a raise?! We encourage all our parents to do what they can to recognize and express hakarat hatov (appreciation) to their children’s teachers.

As the Chicago Jewish community’s hub of quality learning, funding and advocacy, we have seen firsthand the works it has required of our schools to facilitate virtual learning practically overnight. This unprecedented time in our modern history has forced all of us to adapt, and teachers have led the charge in ensuring children keep learning and growing even now. They’ve taken steps to assure the well being of their students and have been a calming force of normalcy for students facing so much uncertainty. And they’ve done this on top of managing their own families’ struggles at home.

Following are a few ways you and your children can thank teachers

  1. Write a letter or email: It’s human nature to speak up with complaints, but when is the last time you took the time to offer thanks and gratitude for a job well done? Take a moment to specifically express your gratitude to your children’s teachers. Point out what you have noticed has gone well. A hand written letter or card from you and your child or even an email can go a long way to support a teacher. If you send an email, consider Ccing the administration so that they can also recognize a job well done.
  2. Make a sign and send a photo: Teachers typically enter this profession because love what they do, and right now they are missing the opportunity to connect with their students. Even if your children are having Zoom classes or phone calls with their teachers, it’s not the same as being together. Take a photo of your child with a card or poster he or she made, and you will no doubt make a teacher’s day. If you and your school are on social media, post it there and tag the school to encourage everyone to do the same.
  3. Give a gift: Monetary gifts certainly aren’t necessary, but they do go a long way. Everyone is shopping online these days, so a gift card to Amazon or Target is easy and appreciated. Some of the ATT schools are collecting funds for teacher gifts too, so we encourage you to join this if you can. Not all gifts have to cost money, though. We are a tight knit community, so if you know a teacher personally, your child could deliver a handmade craft like a friendship bracelet, beaded key chain or painted rock to a deserving teacher.
  4. Nominate a teacher for the Hartman Family Foundation Teacher of the Year Award: We believe so strongly in the power of recognizing teachers that we host an annual teacher award where three teachers earn a cash prize and the honor of being named an educator of the year. We can think of no better way to express your gratitude to our teachers than to nominate them for this esteemed award that will be given out next year.
Nominate a teacher of the year
News Archive

Collaborative Problem Solving

by ATT Chicago

Conventional wisdom about behavior reward and punishment

Conventional wisdom leads us to believe that because of poor (passive, permissive, inconsistent) parenting, kids learn to use challenging behaviors to get what they want. Therefore, the logical solution is to motivate compliant behavior through intensive, consistent programs of rewards, punishments and ignoring. Examples include listing target behaviors, creating charts of rewards/punishments and setting up currency systems. But the question is, do these generally tend to work?

Limitations of rewards and punishments

Setting up rewards systems like these can affect children in a number of ways. They can teach basic lessons, facilitate extrinsic motivation and clarify expectations. What they can not do, however, is help kids stay regulated, work long-term, facilitate intrinsic motivation (they can actually de-motivate kids), or teach thinking skills. Furthermore, reward and punishment systems can actually be consequential. If we are constantly telling our children that they are not trying hard enough or that they don’t care, eventually they will look like and act like they don’t care. Additionally, our chronic misbehaviors may actually be trying harder than anyone else to behave. So how then, do we deal with challenging behaviors? First, we must change our perspective.

How to deal with challenging behavior

Research in neuroscience has shown that challenging kids are delayed in the development of crucial cognitive (thinking) skills or have significant difficulty applying these skills when they are most needed. Areas of lacking skills include: Flexibility/adaptability, frustration tolerance and problem solving. If that’s the case, we must look at challenging behavior the same way we look at learning disabilities. The simple philosophy behind this logic is that KIDS DO WELL IF THEY CAN. If they are challenging us, it is because something is getting in the way. It is our job as parents to figure out what that is so that we can help them! 

Intrinsic Motivation

While it often seems that kids aren’t motivated or don’t care, motivation is generally not the culprit for our children’s misbehavior. By understanding what builds intrinsic motivation we will be able to help our misbehaving children feel invested and excited about their day to day lives. According to the Self-Determination Theory, there are three components to feeling intrinsically motivated.

1. Competence: Our children need to feel competent with the tasks they are given. If they are lagging skills they need for a certain daily task (i.e. getting dressed independently or doing their math homework), chances are we will see some challenging behavior.

2. Autonomy: Our children need to feel a sense of independence in their lives as well as opportunities to make choices.

3. Relatedness: Our children should feel they have a close and trusting relationship with us, their parents. With these ideas in mind, we begin to rethink they way we think about challenging behavior.

Skill not Will

Challenging kids lack SKILL not WILL. They are misbehaving because something is missing. Behind most challenging behavior is: a problem to be solved and skills to be trained. Here’s a good equation to keep in mind:

Skills > Expectation = Adaptive Behavior

Skills < Expectation = Challenging Behavior

Lagging skills alone do not cause challenging behavior. Challenging behavior occurs when someone is presented with a problem or situation they lack the skills to handle well. Through this lens, it is our job to both assess which skills are lagging and then help our children learn these skills in an incrementally appropriate fashion. How do we begin to do this?

Ways to help kids solve problems

Look for triggers:

The first thing to look for when trying to help your child manage his/her challenging behavior are triggers. What are the demands that your child is having a hard time meeting? You want to do a situational analysis. Ask yourself the following questions: What is happening before the challenging behavior? What are the contexts/situations which lead to challenging behavior? Who is the child with? What time of day/where is your child when these behaviors occur? Once you have more information you will be able to begin to identify patterns and glean a better understanding of why your child is having a hard time. 

Use empathy:

Once you have a better understanding of what your child’s triggers might be, you can begin to have a conversation with him or her. The key to a successful collaborative problem solving conversation is EMPATHY! The goal of the conversation it to gather information from our child and better understand his or her perspective. When we empathize we are not judgmental, but rather open and curious and even if we don’t agree with it, are willing to accept our child’s perspective. 

Drill down:

What do we do if our child won’t talk? How do we get him or her to talk more? There are four “drilling down” tools which are helpful when it comes to getting our children to be active participants in a conversation.

  1. Clarifying questions: Start open-ended and then narrow in
  2. Educated guessing: Play 20 questions or Hot/Cold
  3. Reflective Listening: reflect in your own words to make sure you understand
  4. Reassurance: “I’m not saying no”, “I’m just trying to understand,” “I know there must be an important reason why…”

Explain your concern

Once we feel that we better understand our child’s perspective and have given them a meaningful chance to be heard, it is our turn to explain our perspective. Rather than start the conversation with ”I hear you but…”, start by stating your concern. Make sure your child understands your concern. If your child escalates at this point, go back to the empathy step. Once you have two sets of concerns/perspectives on the table and your child is calm, it is time to come up with some solutions. collaborative solutions

Collaborate on soutions

When it comes to solving problems, let your child take the first stab at it. It is crucial that you come up with a solution that works for the two of you. If your child doesn’t have any ideas, come to the conversation prepared with a few of your own. Very often you will need to “test” a solution for a week or two see if it works and then re-group to assess. The first solution seldom solves the problem durably. Don’t feel discouraged if you don’t get it right away, this process takes time!

Build Skills

When you engage your child in a collaborative conversation and make him or her your partner in solving problems you are simultaneously helping them build fundamental skills. Empathy, perspective-taking, flexibility, and problem-solving just to name a few. With these skills, we are setting our children up for the task of solving problems independently as they grow and mature.

Important reminders

Some important things to keep in mind as you go through with this process with your children:

  • This is not a “one shot solution.” It takes time and practice! But the good thing is, you can’t really mess up, because in the process you are building a stronger relationship with your child.
  • It is very important to not rush through the stages and to be prepared for each one.
  • Expect the unexpected and avoid any preconceived ideas of solutions.
  • Difficult problems require revisiting, go slow to go fast!
News Archive

Teachers Gather for Learning, Collaboration

by ATT Chicago

This year’s system-wide educational conference on Feb. 17 was incredible, bringing more renowned national and local education experts to work with our 500 ATT teachers than ever. The Rabbi Dr. Leonard C. Mishkin Teachers Educational Conference occurs each year on Presidents’ Day and is the largest professional development (PD) gathering for ATT teachers.

The program is an opportunity for teachers to learn new ideas and methodologies in teaching, both in Judaic and general studies. Teachers are also able to collaborate with colleagues from throughout the ATT system in workshops and round table discussions. While this program is just one of many professional development opportunities for educators that the ATT offers throughout the year, the sheer number of attendees and speakers makes it the most exciting.

Chicago is the only city in North America with a system-wide umbrella organization like the ATT for all the local Jewish day schools, which makes this PD day an exciting program that is unique to our city.

Click here to see some of the national and local experts who joined us.

The response to the program was overwhelmingly positive, both from the visiting speakers and from the educators.

Speakers and partners had this to say:

“It was wonderful to be a part of and so special to see the range of educators represented. I would imagine that beneath the surface there may be tensions but to pull everyone together l’shem chinukh under one umbrella was as impressive as it was moving. Kol ha-kavod.
There is a difference between yekkeshness and professionalism yet you blended the two together beautifully in my every encounter with your office and with the program. Would that all of Jewish education functioned that way.”
–Rabbi Dr. Jay Goldmintz
“It was a special experience for me seeing such a range of educators together for a day of learning, the organization and time that must have gone into the planning was apparent as things were very well thought out and coordinated – really amazing!”
–Becky Udman, Love and Logic teacher

“I was so impressed with the teacher in-service! What a wonderful opportunity for all those educators to learn from a multitude of diverse presenters.” -Samantha Spolter, JCFS

“It is a privilege and a gift to be able to learn together in our close-knit group. It was great to learn from clinicians doing the work and developing specialized programs to meet the needs of our community after a tragedy. We have such a wealth of talent and knowledge in our Jewish community and I appreciate the chance to be a part of it.” -Elisa Rotman, LCSW

Participants had this to say:

“I was only signed up for the first class that Becky Udman (Love and Logic) gave and I just stayed for the others. She was truly amazing. Everything she said was so tangible and right on target.” -Lizzy Zupnik

“Thank you so much for the excellent presenters you brought in today for us teachers. They were very practical and given over so well!! We appreciate all your hard work always on our behalf.” -Elana Dubovick, Arie Crown

“Thank you for all your hard work in orchestrating what went into today! Months of preparation and endless hours of work. Job very well done, and I look forward to next year, iyH!” -Rivkie Zirkin, Yeshiva Ohr Boruch

“As I was leaving today, many teachers were commenting on how great today was. Yasher Koach on all your hard work!” -Margaret Matanky, Arie Crown

“It is a privilege and a gift to be able to learn together in our close-knit group. It was great to learn from clinicians doing the work and developing specialized programs to meet the needs of our community after a tragedy. We have such a wealth of talent and knowledge in our Jewish community, and I appreciate the chance to be a part of it. -Elisa Rotman, LCSW at Sager Solomon Schechter Day School

Courses were on topics as diverse as the speakers and teachers themselves, including topics like:

  • Preparing students to succeed in life by developing their Formative Five Success Skills – empathy, self-control, integrity, embracing diversity and grit 
  • Teaching tefillah and giving children the gift of joy in learning
  • Data-driven instruction
  • Auditory processing disorders in the classroom
  • Prerequisites to connect with students
  • Differentiated instruction in Judaic studies
  • Holocaust education
  • Partnering with parents
  • and more
News Archive

Parenting Program to Inspire Our Children

by ATT Chicago

Close to 200 parents of school-age children joined the Associated Talmud Torahs on Motzaei Shabbos, December 14, 2019 to attend the Thirty-third Annual Rabbi Isaac Mayefsky Memorial Lecture. This annual parenting program featured the captivating speaker, educator and coach in New York and throughout the United States, Rabbi Levi Feldman.

The presentation, entitled “Inspiring Our Children in 2020,” focused on strategies for effective parenting. Rabbi Feldman addressed how to enhance relationships with children, how to teach values, make these values stick, increase cooperation, and inspire children to go the extra mile. He presented the following ideas that can help parents accomplish this:

Parents should remind themselves that each child is a gift and diamond to whom one must connect with mind and heart. This is a daily endeavor.

Using the acronym “CLAP” one can be reminded of these important constructs when relating to children:


a. CONNECT – seek to understand before being understood.
i.Children want our quality TIME.
ii.Face your children when you speak and listen to them – they need undivided attention with active listening.
iii. Dignity – they are Hashem’s children, be positive in your remarks to them even when admonishing them.
iv.Validate – our children don’t necessarily look for our solutions. They want to be validated whenever possible.

b. LEAD – with a blend of kindness/caring, accountability/responsibility.
i. Set clear and realistic expectations.
ii. In positive ways, let children know what options are currently available.
iii. Confident – find short positive words said with confidence.
iv.Remind them what they will gain from this.

c. ACTION
i. Give them a taste of success.
ii. “Catch them doing good” – create the moment to celebrate, transform the moment.
iii. Praise – focus on the specific act, not the person. Don’t use generalities when praising.
iv. Celebrate whenever possible – “I noticed that you…”
v. Create an emotional bank account in which you make a minimal of five positive deposits to one negative withdrawal.

d. PRIDE
i. Show your pride in having a gift from Hashem – the Neshama of your child/children. Children will see and feel your pride and joy.
ii. Opportunity to connect with Hashem every moment should be part of your life.
iii. Children see our passion more than any lecture.
iv. Joy – if we do out commandments with joy, then your home will be a place where yiddishkeit is exciting – show your pride to be a Jew.

This lecture is part of the ATT’s expanded program designed to address the challenges of creative teaching and rewarding parenting. Over the years, it has become an excellent resource for parents of children of all ages. 

Rabbi Isaac Mayefsky was a gifted educator who, in the course of more than 40 years of communal service, developed many key programs within the Associated Talmud Torahs, including the Russian Transitional Program and the Oscar & Bernice Novick P’TACH Learning Disabled Program.

For more information, contact the Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago at attnews@att.org.

News Archive

ATT Honors NWHA/Park Plaza for Ensuring Future of REACH

by ATT Chicago

Nearly a century ago, visionaries of Chicago’s Jewish community came together to meet our community’s Jewish educational needs by forming the Associated Talmud Torahs. And as our community has grown and educational standards have shifted, the ATT has evolved as well. Today, our leaders in Jewish education have risen to the challenge to create an educational environment that meets all children’s learning needs. It’s a vision that requires dedication, educational best practices and resources. Thanks to the generosity and leadership of this city, Chicago is rising to the challenge with REACH.

REACH is built upon nearly four decades of educational programming to support day school students with different learning needs. The Oscar A. & Bernice Novick Ptach program was founded nearly 40 years ago to help children who learn differently. The Broner and Sheinfeld families stepped in as the parent body advocating for more services for our students. They were the pioneers that began this journey. They were followed by the Elan Diagnostic center program, thanks to the Mermelstein and Kahn families. Then came the JUF, who was instrumental in starting REACH in a partnership with ATT, initially administered by JCFS to bring all these services under one banner. The JUF brought others to the table as well including the Crown family and MRHT to broaden the support of REACH. A few communal leaders stepped up as well, including the lead gifts of the Esformes and Walder families, along with the Rothners, Hartmans, Robinsons, Davis and Meystels, who all gave us the jump start we needed. Hundreds of other community donors allowed us to expand and grow. We are grateful to those families, individuals and organizations in our Jewish community who laid the foundations for REACH that brings us to today. Thank you for investing and believing in our children.

This leads to today and the future of REACH. Thanks to NWHA/Park Plaza, the future of REACH is more secure than ever. ATT was selected among Chicago-area education organizations to receive multi-year grants from NWHA and Park Plaza, whose board has embarked on a groundbreaking, cross generational effort totaling $11 million to support and sustain Jewish day school education across the Chicago Jewish community. This unprecedented multi-year gift builds on NWHA’s ethos of service to the Chicago Jewish community for more than 75 years and its mission of providing high quality housing for Jewish seniors. NWHA’s flagship facility is Park Plaza, an independent living community located on the far north side of Chicago.

The members of this committee stepped forward and approached the ATT because their goal was to impact as many children in the Jewish community as possible. Rabbi Mordechai Raizman, ATT’s Executive Director of Operations, tells the following story: “We were asked initially to put in a proposal for a 3.5 million dollar endowment. After much preparation and a highly anticipated meeting with the REACH leadership team led by Julie Gordon, we felt relieved and hopeful for a positive outcome.

That evening just a few hours after we met, I received a phone call. We got the grant, but it isn’t $3.5 million. Okay, I am thinking at least we got something. I was told that they were so impressed with the dedicated professionals of the REACH team, they pledged $5 million.

These are a special group of people that truly exhibit the middos of our forefather Avrohom, the paragon of chesed. In the end of shemoneh esrei we ask Hashem to bless us because He has given us Toras Chaim and Ahavas Chesed. What is the connection between the two? They seem to be two separate ideas, Torah as the guide for life and the love of chesed – yet they are lumped together?

The truth is they go hand in hand. Many people can give dollars, but most of the time it is after they are asked. I may add sometimes multiple times being asked until they come forward with a gift. To keep our values alive and have a Toras Chaim we need more than that. It needs to come with Ahavas Chesed. The love of chesed demands of us to come forward and give before even being asked. Stepping forward and recognizing the need and then going ahead to fill that need.

Not only did they look for us, asked us to aim high, they went even higher. I have asked other professionals in the field of fundraising and rarely have they heard a story like this. ‘They told you to ask for an amount and then gave you more?’ This is Ahavas chesed that keeps the Jewish people alive.”

Presenting the leadership of NWHA/Park Plaza with the Crain Maling Pillar of Education Award at the ATT dinner on December 8, Rabbi Raizman said, “We are forever grateful for this incredible generosity to impact the lives of hundreds and thousands of students for years to come. On behalf of the schools, administrations, educators, parents and students I thank you and applaud this committee for teaching us this valuable lesson.”

The ATT is one of three recipients to receive the NWHA board’s $11 million in funding over a five-year period. Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago (SSDS) and Chicago Jewish Day School (CJDS) also received endowment gifts. This funding will maximize each institution’s impact and ensure their long-term sustainability. It will also enable each institution to build further capacity from their respective base of supporters. Like Park Plaza itself, these institutions serve Jewish families across the broad spectrum of the Chicago Jewish community.

“The Hebrew words l’dor v’dor are literally inscribed into the doors at Park Plaza,” says Alan Caplan, president of Northwest Home for the Aged. “From generation to generation; that’s what we believe in, as individuals and as part of the Jewish community, and that’s exactly what this gift is: a gift that gives from one generation to the next, and the next after that. We at NWHA/Park Plaza are thrilled to make these gifts to support Jewish education in and around our communities.”

The NWHA/Park Plaza grant will have a far-reaching impact on ATT’s REACH program. Rusi Sukenik, REACH’s director of student services, says, “This endowment enables us to provide support to schools and teachers to teach struggling learners in a manner that best fits the student and addresses the needs and learning styles and needs of each student.”

Rabbi Raizman adds, “An endowment of this magnitude impacts our day school community in a profound manner. It ensures that no parent will worry that their child is falling through the cracks. This grant gives everyone a chance to succeed. Programs such as REACH are very costly to sustain. This grant is visionary in its nature and will allow us to provide for children for many years to come.”

The cross-generational aspects of Park Plaza are obvious the moment one enters. “Local schoolkids, grandkids, great-grandkids … they’re here all the time,” said Elly Bauman, Executive Director of Park Plaza. “Kids are here to celebrate Shabbat and holidays, to visit relatives, and to volunteer. It’s part of what helps us fulfill our mission of providing Jewish seniors with a life that’s not just comfortable, but which has dignity and meaning.”

“It’s just really what Park Plaza and Northwest Home for the Aged are all about,” says Alan Caplan. “We put l’dor v’dor front and center, the first thing you see when you enter the building, whether you’re a resident or a first-time visitor. It’s what grounds the Jewish community. Northwest Home for the Aged couldn’t be more pleased to put our primary principle into action with these gifts. They are investments in the future of our community.”

Thank you, NWHA/Park Plaza for invest in all of the future – in our children and the next generations to come.

News Archive

Inspiring Evening Celebrating Jewish Education

by ATT Chicago

Some 325 educators, community members, friends and lay leaders gathered on Sunday, December 8 to make this year’s 90th ATT celebration in inspiring evening celebrating Jewish education in Chicago.

The dinner came on the heels of planning a new, three-year strategic plan and an unprecedented new endowment to the ATT. Rabbi Mordechai Raizman, Executive Director of Operations, says, “This is an exciting time as we concluded an extensive and thorough look to where we are as an organization and where we are going into the future. Led by our Consultant Debra Nathashon over the last 18 months, we have created and started the implementation of a strategic plan for the next few years to better serve the day school community.”

The ATT was humbled and grateful to recognize Northwest Home for the Aged (NWHA) and Park Plaza with the Crain Maling Pillar of Education Award. ATT was selected among Chicago-area education organizations to receive multi-year grants from NWHA and Park Plaza, whose board has embarked on a groundbreaking, cross generational effort totaling $11 million to support and sustain Jewish day school education across the Chicago Jewish community. This unprecedented multi-year gift builds on NWHA’s ethos of service to the Chicago Jewish community for more than 75 years and its mission of providing high quality housing for Jewish seniors. NWHA’s flagship facility is Park Plaza, an independent living community located on the far north side of Chicago.

After deep consideration, the NWHA board devised a plan to allocate $11 million in funding over a five-year period to three recipients: The Associated Talmud Torahs’ REACH program, Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago (SSDS) and Chicago Jewish Day School (CJDS). This funding, structured as endowments, will maximize each institution’s impact and ensure their long-term sustainability.

A highlight of the evening’s program was honoring three winners of the the ATT’s 10th Annual Hartman Family Foundation Educator of the Year Awards: Mrs. Sari Kravitt (Hillel Torah North Suburban Day School) whose top award was sponsored in memory of Mrs. Gayle Anne Herwitz, Mrs. Betty Hainsfurther (Arie Crown Hebrew Day School), and Miss Breindy Miller (Joan Dachs Bais Yaakov Elementary School).

Rabbi Avrohom Moller introduced the awards saying, “Robert and Debbie Hartman’s noble intention is to express gratitude to those teachers who dedicate themselves with heart and soul to the most meaningful career one can choose; the passing of our heritage to the next generation and the building of young students into successful people.”

Mrs. Kravitt describes in the video how she once attended the dinner to support a colleague who won the award in a past year and was inspired to become the kind of educator who would one day win the same award. This was extraordinary proof of the importance of the power of this generous Hartman Award that inspires our community’s educators to strive for higher goals and to reward them when they do.

The award and selection process are designed to highlight the superlative and innovative efforts of our educators. The ATT and Hartman Family Foundation hope that through the awarding of this prize not only three of the most outstanding teachers in Chicago are recognized, but the award also further elevates and ennobles the entire profession in the eyes of our community.

Awards are selected by a committee of educational consultants and community members. Selection criteria for the Educator Award include exceptional instructional skills in a nurturing environment, commitment to one’s students’ success, superior communication skills with parents, students, and peers, commitment to continued professional development, and contributions to one’s school’s learning community.

Thank you to the ATT staff and lay leadership who made this year’s annual dinner such a success.

News Archive

Mayefsky Memorial Parenting Lecture

by ATT Chicago

The community is invited to join the ATT for the 33rd Annual Rabbi Isaac Mayefsky Memorial Parenting Lecture on Motzoei Shabbos, December 14, 2019 at 8:00PM at the Associated Talmud Torahs, (ICJA Entrance – 8233 Central Park Avenue) in Skokie. The theme of this year’s lecture will be “Inspiring Our Children in 2020” and will be presented by Rabbi Levi Feldman, captivating speaker, educator and coach who is passionate that every child thrives and reaches his/her maximum potential.  Rabbi Feldman will address how to enhance relationships with children, how to build a child’s confidence and increase cooperation. The program will provide parents with skills to inspire one’s child to go the extra mile – skills that can be applied to children of all ages. Admission is free.

To see the brochure, click here.

For more information, contact the Associated Talmud Torahs at 773-973-2828.

News Archive

ATT Receives Groundbreaking Endowment Gift of $5 Million

by ATT Chicago

The ATT is proud and grateful to announce we have been selected among Chicago-area education organizations to receive multi-year grants from the Northwest Home for the Aged (NWHA) and Park Plaza. NWHA and Park Plaza have embarked on a groundbreaking, cross generational effort totaling $11 million to support and sustain Jewish day school education across the Chicago Jewish community. This unprecedented multi-year gift builds on NWHA’s ethos of service to the Chicago Jewish community for more than 75 years and its mission of providing high quality housing for Jewish seniors. NWHA’s flagship facility is Park Plaza, an independent living community located on the far north side of Chicago.

The ATT will be honoring NWHA with the Crain Maling Pillar of Education at its annual dinner on December 8.

The gift follows a strategic decision by NWHA to take advantage of the current robust real estate market and sell an investment property that, although valuable, was not part of its core mission. The sale and its proceeds ensured that two vital goals would be met. First, that Northwest Home for the Aged, at its key Park Plaza property, would continue to provide the highest quality independent living for Jewish seniors across metropolitan Chicago. Secondly, that other critical needs within the Jewish community – specifically, Jewish day school education – would receive vital support over an extended time horizon.

After deep consideration, the NWHA board devised a plan to allocate $11 million in funding over a five-year period to three recipients: The Associated Talmud Torahs’ REACH program, Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago (SSDS) and Chicago Jewish Day School (CJDS). This funding, structured as endowments, will maximize each institution’s impact and ensure their long-term sustainability. It will also enable each institution to build further capacity from their respective base of supporters. Like Park Plaza itself, these institutions serve Jewish families and school children across the broad spectrum of the Chicago Jewish community.

“The Hebrew words l’dor v’dor are literally inscribed into the doors at Park Plaza,” says Alan Caplan, president of Northwest Home for the Aged. “From generation to generation; that’s what we believe in, as individuals and as part of the Jewish community, and that’s exactly what this gift is: a gift that gives from one generation to the next, and the next after that. We at NWHA/Park Plaza are thrilled to make these gifts to support Jewish education in and around our communities.”

The grantees fill important roles in Jewish education across the Chicago area. The Associated Talmud Torahs (ATT), founded in 1929, is the central agency dedicated exclusively to Torah education. Chicago is the only Jewish community in North America that has such a resource. ATT’s REACH program focuses specifically on services for children who learn differently, building the capacity of the Chicagoland Jewish day school system to effectively teach students with a wide range of needs, allowing those students access not only to a meaningful general education, but one which incorporates Jewish learning. The other grantees, Solomon Schechter Day School, in Northbrook, founded in 1962, and Chicago Jewish Day School, in Chicago, founded in 2003, are both pre-school through grade eighth grade Jewish day schools. (CJDS begins with a junior kindergarten program). Both schools serve a diverse Jewish population.

Judy Finkelstein-Taff, CJDS Head of School, said of the NWHA/Park Plaza gift, “It seems very poignant to me as we look at the cycle of our lives and think about how we stand on the shoulders of the ones who came before us. We educate our students to celebrate the diversity of their present, and our students become the next generation of shoulders for their children to stand on. This gift will not only ensure the future of our school, but in a sense, it is ensuring the future of the Jewish people.”

Lena Kushnir, SSDS Head of School, also reflected on the importance of the Park Plaza grant to Schechter. “Both my husband and I are Schechter alumni and are parents of two alumni. As a former Schechter teacher and current Head of School, I can say with great certainty that a Schechter education is invaluable. The foundation that Schechter provides is the bedrock upon which we live our lives. It is simply the best gift I’ve ever received or given. Yet, while the Schechter experience is invaluable, there is a real cost to being able to provide this strong and critical foundation to students and families. The gift from NWHA/Park Plaza to our endowment fund will enable us to provide vital tuition assistance and ensure that more parents will be able to provide their children with a strong Jewish educationalfoundation. We are deeply grateful to NWHA/Park Plaza for this tremendous gift.”

The NWHA/Park Plaza grant will have a far-reaching impact on ATT’s REACH program. Rusi Sukenik, REACH’s director of student services noted, “This endowment enables us to provide support to schools and teachers to teach struggling learners in a manner that best fits the student and addresses the needs and learning styles and needs of each student.” Rabbi Mordechai Raizman, ATT’s Executive Director of Operations added, “An endowment of this magnitude impacts our day school community in a profound manner. It ensures that no parent will worry that their child is falling through the cracks. This grant gives everyone a chance to succeed. Programs such as REACH are very costly to sustain. This grant is visionary in its nature and will allow us to provide for children for many years to come.”

Jewish diversity, inclusion, and acceptance are the hallmarks of NWHA/Park Plaza. The community’s residents span the spectrum of Jewish observance and experience. Many are lifelong Chicagoans. Others have moved to Chicago to be close to adult children and to enjoy a secure, supportive, and fully modern and updated facility. Park Plaza provides a rich Jewish life that includes broad based programming as well as kosher meal service. Park Plaza recently completed a major renovation to allow it to continue to provide a high quality of life to its residents.

The cross-generational aspects of Park Plaza are obvious the moment one enters. “Local schoolkids, grandkids, great-grandkids … they’re here all the time,” said Elly Bauman, Executive Director of Park Plaza. “Kids are here to celebrate Shabbat and holidays, to visit relatives, and to volunteer. It’s part of what helps us fulfill our mission of providing Jewish seniors with a life that’s not just comfortable, but which has dignity and meaning.”

“It’s just really what Park Plaza and Northwest Home for the Aged are all about,” added Alan Caplan. “We put ‘l’dor v’dor’ front and center, the first thing you see when you enter the building, whether you’re a resident or a first-time visitor. It’s what grounds the Jewish community. Northwest Home for the Aged couldn’t be more pleased to put our primary principle into action with these gifts. They are investments in the future of our community.”

News Archive

5 Essential Ways to Prevent Bullying in Our Schools

by ATT Chicago

In every age and every grade, students commit a certain level of unkindness and insensitive behavior. It’s up to parents, schools and communities to model and encourage positive interpersonal behavior, regardless of whether kids naturally get along. As much as we would like to think that students in Jewish day schools internalize Torah values that would prevent bullying, kids will naturally act like, well, kids. It’s cliche, but, indeed, it takes a village. 

Bullying, however, is different

It’s important that everyone working with children and teens understands appropriate boundaries on what is bullying and imparts them upon the young people we guide. Bullying differs from normal conflict between students with one important factor: the intent to harm. Normal conflict arises when students are testing limits and learning social cues. Bullying occurs when a student intends to harm another student physically, verbally or emotionally.

The National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice states that 20% of students age 12-18 experience bullying, and yet only a fraction of those students notify an adult.

Bullying is defined as “unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.” This leaves a lasting impact for both the kids being bullied and the bully him or herself.

In his work, No Place for Bullying, author and principal James Dillon writes that with bullying “the reality is that no one is to blame, yet everyone is responsible.” 

In honor of October’s National Bullying Prevention Month, check out 5 tips to help prevent bullying year round:

1)  Reduce conditions that contribute to bullying

Bullying often occurs in areas with little supervision. This makes it incredibly important to have increased adult supervision and to have adults be on the lookout for bullying behavior during recess, open gym or in the hall between classes. Each Jewish day school environment varie, and it’s important for staff to assess situations can trigger bullying to better target prevention efforts.  

 2)  Establish a Positive School Culture

Culture starts at the top in any organization, including Jewish day schools. Schools with positive programming to promote values like kindness and communication are better equipped to deal with students who do not act according to school values. These values should be communicated to teachers, students and parents regularly, and everyone should understand school rules pertaining to bullying. Teachers, who are most likely to witness or first hear about any issues, should be equipped with the skills to assess bullying behaviors and have an action plan to react appropriately. When it comes to professional development training, include anti-bullying training can help teachers identify behaviors and learn how to intervene effectively when necessary.

3)  Encourage Communication

Research suggests that children look to parents and caregivers for advice in challenging situations. However, it’s not unusual for teachers and school faculty members who work on building positive relationships with students to hear about challenges in school. According to the “Stop Bullying” government initiative, asking students open ended questions and then narrowing the focus could be an effective way to encourage students to open up about potential bullying.

4)  Empower kids to understand and help prevent bullying

By encouraging positive social behaviors at school assemblies and events, the school can increase awareness of bullying. Teach students what bullying looks like with relatable examples and help them learn how to stand up to it safely. Make sure that all students know the action plan for what to do if they are being bullied or know someone being bullied. Another way to empower students is to help kids take part in activities they enjoy. This can help build confidence that can help protect kids from bullying.  

5)  Respond immediately

By not responding immediately to bullying, teachers and administration can inadvertently send the message that your school does not take bullying seriously, possibly causing the behavior to spread. When adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior, they send the message that it is not acceptable. Research shows this can stop bullying behavior over time.

Helpful links with more information on bullying:

News Archive

How Parents Can Model Instructions

by ATT Chicago

When it comes to parenting, typical instruction involves you verbally telling your children what you expected. If your expectations were clearly stated, why is it, then, that your kids often still don’t know what to do or just don’t do it? 

The same challenge exists in the classroom for our teachers. The good news is that the method we at the ATT have taught teachers to reinforce instruction modeling can work at home as well.

When it comes to addressing this issue in the classroom, the Responsive Classroom––an evidence-based approach to teaching––developed a 7-Step Method called Interactive Modeling to effectively introduce and reinforce procedures. Several ATT teachers learned this method in depth last year as part of a program to train them in Station Rotation.

Last fall ATT and REACH staff introduced the Station Rotation Teaching Initiative to 11 motivated ACHDS and YTT teachers, who joined group instruction and benefitted from classroom observations and individual coaching. Station Rotation Teaching creates flexible learning groups in the classroom using a variety of learning modalities.

This ground breaking nation rotation initiative can benefits parents in the home as well.

Rabbi Yitzchak Lurie has adapted this 7-Step Method of Interactive Modeling for use not just in the classroom, but in our homes as well. All seven steps are meant to be done in immediate succession – all in a matter of 3-5 minutes.

Step #1– Describe why you are introducing the procedure, and what it is

Step #2 – Model the procedure

This doesn’t just mean showing your appreciation after you eat a meal and cleaning up after yourself. Rather, it means to actually show your children what they should do after they eat a meal. For example, you can model the procedure by acting it out:

“Chaim, would you be Mommy for a minute, and I’ll pretend to be you? Come, sit down in my chair while I sit down in your chair.  I’ll take my last bite of the meal.”

After swapping seats and taking a last bite – 

Parent (pretending to be the child) says a bracha acharona (or for younger children, thank you Hashem for the delicious food), and then (while looking at the child), “Thank you Mommy for dinner.  The food was delicious.”

Parent then gets up to clear her plate, throwing out what needs to be thrown out and putting the dirty dishes in the sink.

Actually showing our children the behaviors that we desire speaks a multitude more than words alone.

Step #3 – Ask your children what they noticed (about your modeling)

The goal is for them to be very specific and articulate all of the behavioral expectations that you laid out in Step #1 and modeled in Step #2.

“What did you notice about what I did after my last bite of food?” You want your children to say something along the lines of – I noticed that you said a bracha acharona to thank Hashem, and then you also thanked Mommy for the delicious food. You then got up from your chair and cleared your plate, throwing out what needs to be thrown out and putting the dirty dishes in the sink. 

Most children will not include all that detail on the first try so your next strategy is to ask some leading questions to get them there. However, it is important that you don’t give it all away. You want them to come up with the details which, in most cases, means modeling again.

Step #4 – Ask your children to model the same behavior

The goal is for them to immediately practice the actions that they verbalized in Step #3. As part of teaching them this procedure, the children should model it/practice it immediately after Steps #1, 2 & 3.

“Who wants to show us what to do after you finish your last bite of food?”

Step #5 – Ask your children what they noticed (about their brother’s/sister’s modeling)

Almost identical to Step #3, this is one of the keys to success in making the procedure stick! You want your children to be able to articulate details about what they saw when their sibling modeled the procedure. It’s not just about hearing what they’re supposed to do (Step #1), watching what they’re supposed to do (Steps #2 & 4), practicing what they’re supposed to do (Step #4) – but the children need to be able to verbalize the specifics about what they’re supposed to do (Steps #3 & 5).

As we said in Step #3, many children will not include all the detail on the first try so your next strategy is to ask some leading questions to get them there.

To continue our example: 

“What did you notice about what Chaim did after his last bite of food?”

Some leading questions-

After Chaim’s last bite of food, did he talk to Hashem? What did he say?Did he say anything else? Did Chaim do anything after he threw out the garbage on his plate?

Step #6 – Have your children practice the procedure

Every child responsible for the procedure needs to have an opportunity to practice – whether in the “modeling step” (#4) or in the “practicing step” (#6).

Once your children understand what’s expected of them both descriptively, now it’s time to make it stick. They should practice so that it becomes natural and automatic.

Step #7 – Give specific praise

As your children are practicing the procedure (Step #6), give them very specific praise. Stay away from only using general sentiments like Great job! or You did it! Instead, you want to re-articulate the same details as part of your specific praise.

To continue our example: 

“You did a great job!  You said a beautiful bracha acharona and then you thanked me for the delicious food. You also did a great job when you cleared your plate, throwing out what needs to be thrown out and putting the dirty dishes in the sink!  Overall, I think you’ve really learned how to show your appreciation to Hashem and Mommy and to act with derech eretz by cleaning up after yourself.  I’m so proud of you!”

Once you get the hang of this, all seven steps are meant to be done in immediate succession – all in a matter of 3-5 minutes.  It will take us some time to understand each of the steps, but once we, as parents, understand the process, the application is meant to be relatively fluid.  Then, following the initial teaching of the procedure through the 7 steps, it will still be important to review periodically – either by thoughtfully selecting certain steps or by repeating the whole process from time to time.