I want to know what other people are doing. Other participants, like Joel Siegel, songleader at Temple Isaiah in Lafayette, voiced more idealistic goals. It speaks to people on an emotional and head level at the same time. Networking among teachers is something the BJE wants to encourage through its La'atid program, said Debbie Findling, BJE's director of school services. We hope there will be a ripple effect on their ability to teach in schools.
Participants can receive professional development units.
For Selznick, who hopes to become a cantor, music is a way to connect with God, and community. For me, music is prayer. It's the way I connect to my Judaism in the most primal sense. We live in a speaking world. Singing is a very conscious step away from the mundane, speaking world.