Thank You: An Open Letter to Jewish Educators

Dear day school educators throughout the Greater Toronto Area,

As communal professionals, we know the value of Jewish education. Day schools change lives and shape communities. This simply would not be possible without our community’s extraordinary Jewish educators.
As parents of day school students, we are immensely grateful – every day – for the teachers who impart knowledge, inspire a love of Judaism and Jewish values, and shape our children to be communal leaders. Over the last week, our appreciation for your work has turned to awe.

Virtually overnight, our schools cancelled in-person classes to protect our children and our community. While the buildings may have closed, the schools did not. Thanks to the incredible efforts of our schools’ educators, along with the dedication and support of school administrators, in-class learning was transformed to distance learning. With remarkable creativity and dedication, our teachers deployed technology to ensure the continued education and wellbeing of our children.

Today, thousands of Jewish children in our city continue to learn with their teachers and friends. They are remaining current with their curriculum, overcoming the challenges of isolation, and building resilience in these difficult times. Day school teachers are helping our children (and their parents) cope with disruption and crisis by offering stability, education, and community.

Jewish education has been, and will always be, an essential pillar of our exceptional community here in the Greater Toronto Area. Your continued efforts and commitment are a model for us all. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for being a critical part of our children’s growth and development as thriving and active members of our community.

Sincerely,

Adam Minsky
President & CEO
UJA Federation of Greater Toronto

Daniel Held
Executive Director,
Julia and Henry Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Education