Congratulations to the Helen Diller awardees for Excellence in Jewish Education
Congregation/Community School: Outi Gould, Temple Beth Abraham/Bet Sefer Avraham
After her conversion to Judaism at Oakland’s Temple Beth Abraham in 1997, Finnish-born Outi Gould undertook an intense study of the Jewish worship practice, the Hebrew language, and trope. Within a few years she found herself tutoring Bar/Bat Mitzvah students, and in 2001 she joined the staff at Bet Sefer Avraham where she now teaches tefilah to fifth and sixth graders as well as adult Alef Bet and trope classes. She connects with students through her own history of Jewish learning and creates a comfortable learning environment for students of different ages, personalities, and learning needs. She provides a role model for her teenage and adult students by leading services and being a regular Torah and Haftarah reader. At Temple Beth Abraham, Outi has been involved in a variety of activities: ritual committee chair, gabbai, shaliach tzibbur, caterer, student, teacher, tutor, and webmaster. Most recently, she has started designing and sewing tallitot and gets special pleasure out of seeing one of her students wear a tallit she has made. .
Day School: Naomi Dardik, Jewish Community High School of the Bay
Naomi Dardik truly exemplifies everything a Jewish day school seeks in a Jewish educator – a commitment to openness and inclusion, serious engagement with Jewish content, and modeling a life of committed Jewish involvement. Naomi has taught at JCHS since its beginning and is the longest serving member of the Jewish Studies faculty. She has taught every grade and virtually every class at some point or another. Naomi is collaborative, supportive and involved. She is always willing to take on a project, listen to an idea, offer feedback, volunteer for a task, listen to constructive criticism, lend a hand and offer support. As a torah scholar and a fountain of wisdom, she asks questions and seeks to help her students find meaningful connections between the texts of our tradition and their lives. Naomi is loved, adored and admired by her students and colleagues alike. She listens to her students and colleagues in a way that makes them feel valued and heard. Naomi plays an essential role in building our pluralistic Jewish community with a focus on the power of study as a profound tool for bringing Jews of all stripes together. Since moving back to the Bay Area almost eight years ago, she has taught Tanach, Talmud and Hebrew at JCHS and served alongside her husband at Beth Jacob Congregation in Oakland. .
Early Childhood Education: Lizet Shamash, Osher Marin JCC
Lizet Shamash was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey in a traditional Sephardic family. Education was always highly prized and valued in Lizet’s home. After making Aliyah to Israel in the early 1970’s with her family, Lizet met and married her husband, David. In 1982 Lizet, David and their two sons continued their masa (journey) and came to California. Here Lizet discovered her passion for education and teaching when she joined the Osher Marin JCC as a teacher’s assistant. Soon Lizet realized that this was not just a job, but a commitment to further her passion for Jewish learning and education and she became a teacher. She understood that children and parents both need to begin and continue their own personal Jewish journey. She also recognized the need to “cross” the generations and mentor families and colleagues with an emphasis on new young teachers. Lizet today is a true role model and we celebrate her contributions to the Jewish Community for all she has personally given of herself in these past twenty years. .
Informal Education: Stephanie Levin, Peninsula JCC
Stephanie Levin has been a part of the Peninsula JCC in a variety of roles since 1999 when she began as the Summer Camp Program Director. She happily returned to the PJCC family in January 2008 to serve as the Youth and Family Director where she has the opportunity to develop and facilitate new Jewish Family programs as well as enhancing and supervising camp and teen services. Her extensive experience working with youth and families in a variety of both formal and informal settings includes JCCSF, Berkeley Hillel, Oak Hill School and numerous Bay Area synagogues. As a Jewish educator, Stephanie is especially passionate about inclusion programming for children with special needs, family education and service learning. Stephanie is a graduate of the Tikea Fellowship for Educators of Jewish Teens (2nd cohort), holds a Bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies from Mills College and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Northern California Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
