Shana Tova from iTaLAM

Our sages tell us of a man called Nachum Ish Gamzu. No matter the circumstances, he was always grateful and would say: “This, too, is for the best” – Gam zu letova. Even when he was sick or injured, or the nation was facing difficulties, he would still say, “this, too, is for the best.”

 

Since the advent of COVID-19, we are faced with many difficult challenges and will have numerous roadblocks to overcome as the new school year progresses. No one could have predicted the magnitude of the effect this pandemic would have on every aspect of our lives.

 

Even as we started to feel the effects of COVID-19, many were still unprepared for how long it would last and how significant the damage would be.

 

However, one could still say: “This, too, is for the best.”

 

Here is just a snapshot of some of the positive things we were able to accomplish in the face of adversity these past months:

 

• We developed new and creative ways to help students learn from home.
• We developed new and meaningful ways of introducing books and songs to children and their families.
• We, as a society, learned how to invest in our relationships and make new connections while social distancing.
• Jewish educators from around the world came together to develop solutions for teaching Hebrew language and Jewish heritage under ever-changing circumstances.
• We learned how to be more flexible, tolerant, and to be more understanding and considerate of one another.
• Students were engaged with their online studies with iTaLAM and were able to maintain and even exceed their previous grade averages while learning from home.
• We had a three-fold increase in the number of educators who participated in the iTaLAM Online Training Institute’s summer session.

 

My wish for the current school year is that we can stay in this positive mindset and continue to help iTaLAM’s 330 schools with over 33,000 students make this a successful year of good health and meaningful learning experiences.

 

As we approach Rosh Hashana, the iTaLAM team would like to say thank you to our exceptional board, dedicated supporters, and all of our partners – the excellent educators with whom we have the privilege of working each day. Your outstanding dedication to your students’ success does not cease to amaze and humble us. We very much look forward to sharing our joint mission with you in the months to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shoshi Becker

 

CEO, iTaLAM