Shulamis Fishman has been a dedicated member of the Hebrew School teaching staff at Congregation Sons of Israel, bringing a passion for teaching and sensitivity to the individual needs of students. With an understanding of learning and behavioral issues, she has the  capability to reach all the children of her classroom. Mrs. Fishman has pioneered the new Pre-Kindergarten program and provided dynamic ways of teaching that have attracted the devotion of many parents. Children have come away from this program with an in-depth knowledge of Judaism and a love of Yiddishkeit. Her multi-sensory style of teaching incorporates story-telling and the arts, as well as meaningful discussions that keep students excited and curious about what it means to be Jewish.
     She chooses original worksheets, songs and stories to teach tefillah, the aleph-bet and other Jewish subjects.
     Mrs. Fishman’s experience as an educator has been international in scope, as she served as a public school outreach teacher in New Castle England. She founded a Pre-school Program in New Haven Connecticut (The Gan School) and has established a unique program in Monsey within the Bas Mikroh Girls’ Pre-school. Her knowledge of innovative approaches to special needs has given all students an equal opportunity to learn about Judaism. As a mother of ten, the youngest of who has Down Syndrome, her love for children and commitment to compassion is obvious and provides an excellent model for other parents. She uses her skills in story-telling to bring to life the stories from the Torah, yet never fails to incorporate the children’s talents as well and reinforce their own sense of worth. She takes the time to choose and write age appropriate songs and poems on the valuable lessons of their heritage. The sense of respect that the children show for each other arises from the care and attention she gives to every aspect of classroom management. She encourages students to search for their own meaning within the Torah, in addition to revealing the profound understanding of Jewish law and tradition. She takes the time to create flash-cards and other material specific to individual needs.
     Mrs. Fishman is guided by a strong respect for the subject she teaches and the individual child.  She is Orthodox, and makes a point to emphasize the common ground that all Jews share (Klal Yisrael) in an “unfailingly warm, friendly, and nonjudgmental” way.

Edna Pasternak has been a devoted and inspiring teacher for more than 35 years. Born in Israel before the War of Independence, she witnessed her parents’ perseverance in helping create the Jewish homeland, Israel, and served as a sergeant during the Six Day War. She began her educational career as a special education mentor for an Israeli middle school while completing her Bachelors degree at Tel-Aviv University.
     When she moved to Georgia in 1977 she was grateful to have the opportunity to teach first graders, and has continued to teach first grade for the past 25 years at Reuben Gittelman Hebrew Day School here in Rockland County. Mrs. Pasternak values the first years of school as a vital time to introduce children to Jewish values, Hebrew language skills and expose them to Jewish religious practices. Her positive influence on the children’s appreciation of continued Judaic studies and the development of a deeper understanding of Israeli life is central to the Jewish community. She has created an atmosphere of enthusiasm towards education, especially towards the Hebrew Day School. She has ensured that children carry with them a good self-image and an ability to create relationships based on respect, trust, cooperation, and consideration. This has affected the students’ ability to resolve conflicts with sensitivity to each other’s feelings and to effectively communicate in a variety of situations.
     She has implemented a new Hebrew language program, Tal-Am, which draws on a wide range of activities, incorporating Jewish concepts and values into their conversation and writing skills and has enabled the children to take a more active role in their religious services. She requires that every student be involved in every step of the process of their education and has individualized the curriculum to ensure that everyone receives a greater understanding of Jewish life. She regularly engages the children in the weekly Torah “Parashat Hashavuah,” which familiarizes the children with the major events, personalities, moral teachings and mitzvot of each Parasha, and emphasizes the importance of the Torah. She has received special training from the Lincoln Center Institute in arts education and has extended herself beyond the requirements to bring Israeli folk dance to the children of Reuben Gittleman Hebrew Day School.  Edna has volunteered on behalf of the entire community having been the chair of a number of Mini-CAJE conferences and Gittelman’s liaison to the Rockland Salute to Israel Parade Coalition.
     The principle of Reuben Gittleman Hebrew Day School, Nadine Alperin, has described Mrs. Pasternak as reaching a pinnacle of excellence unique in her field. Her continued enthusiasm has been note-worthy.