My name is Anna Falk. My
journey into Jewish Education and Pardes began in the Siberian city of
Krasnojasrsk, where I grew up. It was only when I was transferring to a new high
school, that I saw that the nationality listed on my papers was Jewish. I met
another Jewish girl in high school, who introduced me to Hebrew classes
sponsored by the Jewish Agency. I had hoped to come on aliya after high school
but my parents would not let me. Instead, I went to college and graduated from
the Teacher Training University with a major in English. Upon graduation I
worked for the Siberian branch of the American Jewish Joint Distribution
Committee (The Joint).
In 2000, after working for The Joint for 4 years, I decided to fulfill my dream and come on aliya. I studied and lived at Ulpan Etzion and continued to work for The Joint in Jerusalem. I had wanted to get my Masters Degree in Education at Hebrew University and heard about the Pardes Educators Program. I came to Pardes to study in 2002 and was accepted into Cohort 4 of the Educators Program ('03 -'05). My first teaching position was at the El Paso Jewish Academy. Currently, I am a Judaic studies teacher at the Brevard Jewish Community School, Melbourne, FL. I also teach at the Temple Beth Shalom Religious (Sunday) School. In the coming months, in addition to the school-wide Pesach Seder, we are preparing for the first Communal Kabbalat Shabbat service at the neighboring Conservative Synagogue. With a student body of fifty, our biggest challenge is to bring the non-affiliated families to participate in the Friday night services at the Temple. I teach "Jewish Family Living" at the Beth Shalom Religious School. This class is for fourth-seventh graders and focuses on Jewish holidays and traditions. The other class I teach is on Hebrew reading skills with the third graders. I have been involved in the continuing education program in our synagogue for the past three years. I am currently teaching a 2-year long course entitled "Basics of Judaism" for B'not Mitzvah. and has just opened his own company. We are happy with our lives in Florida and the opportunity to be actively involved in the Jewish Community. I love my family, school and the amazing students I am privileged to have. |
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