Bais Yaakov of ’s

“G” Whiz Class by MARGIE PENSAK Not being a mother of girls, I can only imagine the typical “My husband and I actually moved our family to Baltimore reaction of a daughter opening up a beautifully wrapped for this class,” shares Sara Katz. “We were living in New gift from her parents, only to find a school uniform inside. York and looking to relocate for a number of reasons. This But for Esther Danziger, the broad smile on her face was class opened the door for us to move to Baltimore, as we indicative of a dream come true — it meant she would never would have moved to a community that didn’t have attend a Jewish school for the very first time and go on a Jewish schooling option for Huvi. the same bus as most other girls living on Lane, “The big difference we noticed right away was that located on the Ner Yisroel campus. Huvi was now on the same schedule as the rest of the In September 2012, Esther was just one of a group of five family,” continues Sara. “When she was in public school young girls with developmental disabilities who walked in New York, her bus would pick her up at 7 a.m. — into Bais Yaakov of Baltimore. They were third-graders before my other kids even woke up — and dropped her who, up until that point, had attended public school. off at 2:30 p.m., leaving her with a long afternoon to fill. Mainstreaming these students wasn’t working, even Once she started Bais Yaakov, she was able to leave with full-time class shadows. You had to meet these at the same time as everyone else and come home in girls where they were. You couldn’t just stick them in a carpool with her sister. It helped her to be part of the classroom. family!”

14 August 26, 2020 A Joint Effort girls’ needs, and they are learning way more than anyone It was thanks to the dynamic push from former Bais ever thought they could. ” Yaakov of Baltimore Elementary School principal Aviva Shafran’s mother, Shalva, adds, “The limudei Mendel Freedman, a”h, that this innovative class took kodesh teachers really reach out and ask the parents what shape in under a month. He named it the “G Class,” they want covered. Even if we don’t know, they come up because the school already had divisions A through F; it with such good ideas of what would make a lasting impact has been known as “G” ever since. on the kids. This past year, the teacher went through This fall, seven years later, the members of this class are different phrases that are constantly being used in our tenth-graders at Bais Yaakov, taking sign language classes culture, such as b’ezras Hashem, baruch Hashem, limudei and a full complement of Judaic and general studies kodesh — phrases that we throw around but that could get classes, as well as participating fully in school functions lost in the shuffle if they were never introduced to them. and extracurricular activities. The class is a joint effort Also, songs that are constantly being sung at kumzitzes of SHEMESH — a program that provides educational when the girls are together, zemiros sung at home, support for Jewish children with learning differences in davening tunes — making them much more meaningful to a Jewish setting — and Bais Yaakov. The school provides the girls.” space for the girls and pays “Hashem gave each their morning limudei kodesh special-needs child a teachers; parents pay tuition neshamah tehorah and to Bais Yaakov. it needs to be fed with Program Director Fayge kedushah,” remarks “G” Friedman elaborates, “Bais parent Shaindy Chaifetz. “We Yaakov takes ‘ownership’ for Cook Esky Credit: Photo felt that Sara Rivka would be the ‘G’ class — it doesn’t feel able to gain from a Jewish like it is just housing the class. education, especially by being Over the years it has had to able to observe and interact work out some challenges. with other typical frum girls For example, when we first on a daily basis. She is very came to the middle school happy to be in Bais Yaakov in sixth grade, there wasn’t and has many ‘non-G’ Bais a classroom for us. The Rabbi Mendel Freedman, z”l Yaakov friends.” principal, Rabbi Hexter, gave up the school’s conference room for the ‘G’ class. School Shout-Outs from Teachers conferences were held in the nurse’s office all year.” Esther Resnick teaches the class sign language once a week. Mainstream Success “‘G’ class makes me smile,” says Esther. “I jumped at The “G” girls are included in all extracurricular this opportunity to teach these young women. American activities, whether it is participating in the school Gemach Sign Language (ASL) is used many times from birth-2 program, going on the annual eighth-grade trip to years of age and I knew these girls had early exposure to Washington, D.C., visiting nursing-home residents weekly, sign language. Sign is a gross-motor skill and easier than or taking part in the bas mitzvah program or bi-annual speaking/verbal communication, which is a fine-motor high school production. This past school year, as ninth- skill. Their talent and deep feeling were displayed at our graders, the girls participated in the school’s biggest ASL Purim production for the Jewish deaf community.” production ever — held on the stage. Chumi Millman teaches the girls social skills, lessons They were not hidden in the back; they joined just like that focus on any areas of need identified by the teachers everybody else, front and center! and parents — like those related to peer relationships, “I love how the class has their own specialized learning setting and striving toward personal goals, zones of within their classroom but are mainstreamed for regulation, social thinking, relating coherent stories, extracurricular activities and really made to feel like part maintaining attention and more. of the school,” says Sara. “Huvi initially resisted socializing Remarks Chumi, “It’s clear that the girls have come with the other girls but now considers her classmates to be a very long way in these skills and I believe they’re more her closest friends. The learning is really fine-tuned to the prepared to engage with similar-aged peers now than

6 Elul 5780 15 they were a couple of years ago, inspire me, and on top of this, we have an amazing support team of teachers, despite their older age and the need therapists, administrators, and others to work with!” to be even more adept at this than previously. Thriving in COVID Times “It’s hard to identify exactly what Using a variety of distance-learning tools, the girls participated in Zoom is so special about the ‘G’ class,” sessions, conference calls, and prerecorded lessons. They took culinary continues Chumi. “A few things I’ve arts, social skills, sign language and math on Zoom and learned appropriate noted is the girls’ eagerness and behavior for participating, such as using the chat, muting and unmuting, excitement for life and for others, raising their hands and posting reactions. In Chumash class, they even their infectious personalities, their learned Rashis and Rambans. amazing ability to see right through “Typically, students with special-needs have not fared as well as their peers to the core of many matters, and with regard to online learning; this group shone,” shares Fayge. “They were the way they absorb, remember, able to get the hang of the Zoom sessions, cooking online, learning social and assimilate what they have skills and sign language. They developed skills for communicating online that learned.” they didn’t previously have. Shaindy Silver teaches all the Prior to COVID-19, notes Fayge, even making a phone call was not easy for limudei kodesh subjects to the girls these girls. Although they are very happy to be social, it can be hard for others — Chumash, Parashah, Ivris, yedios to understand them. Also, sometimes they get on the phone and stay on too klalios, halachah, biur tefillah, long; sometimes they call, hang up and call right back. Recordings of these ma’amarei Chazal, and others, girls show that they were pretty silly in the first session — some of them not depending on the year. looking at the screen; some of them busy doing other things — but by their “I strive to give them a final activity, three months later, they had really picked up some good skills. positive atmosphere and a love “Esther adjusted very easily to Zoom,” says her mother, Rivky. “She loves of Yiddishkeit, of learning and of having a schedule, and she was super responsible about getting to class on growing,” says Shaindy. “We focus time every day. She definitely missed in-person interaction with her peers, on mastering academic skills while but her class participation increased over Zoom. Whereas in class she was working on social skills and self- often reluctant to answer questions, she had no problem over Zoom. It’s improvement at the same time. I feel that teaching the class gives me an enthusiasm for life which is what the girls have in abundance. SHOUT-OUTS FROM “G” STUDENTS They are such happy people! Also, Aviva: “I love learning, taking notes and sharing my notes!’; “I love playing they have taught me what it means drums in production and doing activities with the school.” to really work on oneself.” Sara Rivka: “I love my ‘G’ class because I always have nice teachers Elisheva Jacobs teaches reading, and my special friends. My favorite part of the day is to hear the daily writing, math, and social studies/ announcements from the G.O. or Gemach singing new cute songs, and science to the “G” girls in the being with my friends all day. I go to Bais Yaakov to be a true bas Yisrael/bas afternoon, focusing on practical melech! I learned to daven and connect closer to Hashem! Most important life skills and building content and part of the ‘G’ class is to be with my friends and my teachers. I love all of background knowledge. my subjects but my favorite one is social skills because I’m still working on Elisheva elaborates, “We have a being positive and ‘open doors’ and my goals. I want harder subjects this lot of fun doing it. When practicing year.” Meira: “I like the ‘G’ class because I can get advice about the right thing to money skills, we went to the JCC’s do. I learn Torah and we do mitzvos. Science is my favorite subject because restaurant and enjoyed putting our we do experiments.” skills into real-life practice. I really Esther: “I love learning math and science. We went to a science lab and love teaching and working with this watched a litmus paper change when we dipped it in chemicals. It was very class for so many reasons. They are cool! Chumash and Navi — everything that is Hebrew is my favorite subject. growth-oriented. When we worked I learned how to count money. I’m also learning about responsibility and on a social skill of ‘opening doors’ being organized.” (i.e. not giving up, being positive, Huvi: “My teachers are the best! I like Hebrew the best. The most etc.), the girls all encouraged and important thing I learned is being nice and making friends. This year, I’m complimented each other for doing going to do every single subject, every single class.” this. All of these things constantly

16 August 26, 2020 were answered.” Ourtefillos and gradepeers. friendship withclassmates stuckonthesidelineswere experiencing tobe doomed Friends! eye in theroom. Girlsa dry whohad seemed word from my daughter:friends.’ Idon’t thinkthere was year.school anew said,‘I’mhearing Oneoftheparents over thepast place andemotional—thattook social and myself. We attheprogress take —academic, alook alongwith Fayge principal, and theschool Friedman ofthegirlswith theparents —fathersandmothers Dr.director Aviva Weisbord. istomeet “Ourpractice year,”at theendofthird school shares executive They justplain‘get’ other.” each spirits. They shareofhumor. interests andasimilarsense friendsare kindred sheandher‘G’class in theafternoon, only inthemorningand‘G’class developing peers classmates,” remarks Rivky. “Although sheiswithtypically Lifelong Friends her.”’ thatshedidn’t thepressurepossible of‘all feel eyes on Bais Yaakov of Baltimore’s HighSchool almost any enterprise. It’s beenanamazingjourney and we feel sure it will continue to beso. have to agonize over thedecision;she’ll know inher heartandmindthat aperson with disabilitiescanbeanasset to they are. And inthe future, when aBais Yaakov graduate isinthepositionto hire someone with disabilities,she won’t and continue to experience thebonusesof openingtheir mindsandheartsto others who are not exactly thesameas At this meeting, parents are encouraged to commit to to to commit At are parents encouraged thismeeting, emotionalmomentsformecame “One ofthemost relationship withher close-knit avery has “Esther “The typical girlsof Bais Yaakov will never needto attend consciousness-raising workshops. They have experienced 6 Elul5780 exists?” class is itawonder thatsuchabeautiful team, dedicated ‘How canwe makethiswork?’ Whenyou have sucha thiswork?’ ‘Can butratheras thisas do notapproach but we have they ateam, foundtimeandagainthatas forthisnottohaveThere aremany reasons worked, so parents. academic curriculaandvaluing ourinputas todeveloping practical dedicated — andtoSHEMESH, andfortruly valuing ourgirlstremendous commitment Yaakovexpress toBais our appreciation —fortheir and singing!” together,” says Sara. “They even putonashow withmusic timedoingactivitiestogether and really bonding. spent adaily backyard campforthegirls whereThey hosted they ofCOVID. because away canceled campwas when sleep Fayge. that; they didn’t ofsuchaclass,” have thebenefit says themdidn’t friends. Somany have girls whohadpreceded lifelong have othergirls tohangoutwithwhocanbecome ofthings.Iwant them to that they make part ourgirls feel “It’sgetting thegirls together outsideofschool. wonderful Concludes Rivky, “We really don’t have words to andjoke around listeningtothemshmooze “I loved This year, onthisencouragement theKatzes acted  — Executive Director Dr. Aviva Weisbord 17

Photo Credit: Esky Cook