Margie Is Retiring; Celebrating 34 Years
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
May 2017 Iyar 5777 ISRAEL & DEMOCRACY Camp Yeladim & PROGRAM JCC Pre-School Monday, June 5 Camp 11:00am RSVP by May 30th See pages 7 & 9 for more information 519-673-3310 www.jewishlondon.ca VOLUME 15 NO. 5 Yom HaShoah Ceremony Margie is Retiring; Celebrating Remember Victims, Honours Survivors, and Heralds a 34 Years Being a preschool teacher is a Compassionate Future very rewarding profession knowing that you shape a child’s understanding and ideas for a life long journey in education. So when you choose a teacher for your developing toddler you want a person who is kind, caring, and willing to develop and enrich that child’s learning experience. If you were a parent who chose Noah’s Ark Preschool then you chose wisely as Margie has all of these qualities and more. making their entry into the school Leslie Johnson had sent four of “Our children have attended system that much smoother. her children to Noah’s Ark and Event organizer Rachelle Frydman. Dana Wachter. Noah’s Ask preschool for the past 3 “Thank-you for another said: “I feel very comfortable in The Yom HaShoah responsibility to mark the years, and in that time, Margie has wonderful year at Noah’s Ark. Kevin saying that Noah’s Ark has truly commemoration at the London Holocaust, remember its victims, created many wonderful memories appears to understand the idea of been a wonderful experience for Jewish Community Centre was a and to help ensure that current and for them. She has organized school – next year should be a me and my children. I believe that powerful experience on many future generations have the countless activities that allow the smooth transition” Parent Quote two of the most important counts. As in past years, Jewish educational and civic background children to learn as they play. She Margie helped create Noah’s objectives of a preschool are to community teens escorted survivors to give each person the ability to has given them opportunities to Ark’s afternoon classes, Fun with provide a setting in which a child as they lit a 6 branched menorah in fight against injustice and help to use their imaginations, create, and Food, Science and Nature and Arts feels confident and to allow a child memory of the six million Jews end discrimination. interact with other children in a and Crafts. These classes were a to simply have fun. These things who perished in the Shoah. The Yet another aspect of the event caring, nurturing environment. huge success and offered parents a can only be attained in a warm and poignant moment was enhanced was a a short video by community Margie is the very core of the fun and creative option for their secure environment both of which with the Yiddish song Oyfn member and journalist Dana Noah’s Ark program and has children to learn and have fun in a the school provides. These is no Pripetchik. The lighting precluded Wachter. Along with Rachelle positively influenced so many lives more structured environment. doubt in my mind as to which a moment of silence, which was Frydman and Priscilla Gerofsky, over the years. It is hard to imagine Margie’s ability to tap into nursery school my fifth child will then followed by songs and Dana visited students at their Noah’s Ark preschool without resources and combine them with attend”. prayers. Earlier in the evening the schools a few months after they Margie, and she will truly be her own creative talents created The staff of the JCC will miss mood was set by remarks from had attended the More Than Just missed. We are so grateful to many wonderful craft and Margie’s influence, laughter and Mayor Matt Brown and a song by Games Holocaust awareness Margie for all the time, energy, and experiment ideas that delighted friendship. They are excited for her the Temple Israel Choir. program that took place at the JCC love she has given to our children.” both children and parents. as she takes this big step into her The program highlighted what over the course of 6 weeks last Ashley and Jason Vitali Over the years Margie has next chapter of her life. aging Holocaust survivors are autumn, and reached thousands of After working 5 years as an worked with a group of dedicated “We have been so blessed to leaving for future generations—for students. Dana interviewed the ECE teacher at Jigsaw Eurythmics, teachers. They have developed have Margie as head of Noah’s their descendants, the Jewish students as they reflected on what on January 2, 1983 Margie began quality programs that are loved and Ark. Since I have been at the JCC community, and the entire world. they had learned, and how they can her career at Noah’s Ark. Little did respected by parents and teachers there has never been a day that I Moriah Gerofsky described the life mindfully use the experience to she know then that she would alike. worried about the children in her of her grandfather, the late Sam fight bigotry. continue to have a profound "There is never a dull moment care. She has not only taught Katz. Despite losing nearly his We are grateful to everyone influence on many families for when you work with Margie! She is students how to write their names, entire family in the Shoah, and who participated in the program over 34 years. Through the years truly one of a kind. I have never tie their shoes or tell the difference being beaten, shot, and forced into including Holocaust survivors parents have expressed their met anyone so passionate about between a circle and square but she slave labour by the Nazis and their Anna Leich, Pepa Livingstone, appreciation of Margie and the teaching preschool and have has taught them the beauty of art, collaborators, he came to Canada Raia Luxenburg, Vera Schweitzer, warm and nurturing environment learned so much from her in our to care for others and helped them after the war with little money and Betty Valinsky, and to event of Noah’s Ark. short time together. Margie's flourish into beautiful individuals. and no English. Despite the organizer Rachelle Frydman. “Thank you for making dedication to the school over the Many a family has come to her for hardships he became a prominent Ronan’s introduction to school years is inspiring. Her love and advice. She will certainly be businessman, but that is not the such a positive experience. I can laughter is contagious and Noah's missed” stated Esther Marcus, sum of his legacy. Instead, when see that he has benefited very Ark Preschool will not be the same Executive Director of the JCC. instructing his children he’d focus much from the structure and without her!" ~Rachael Greenwald, We wish Margie, Rael and their on the fact that his business partner continuity from week to week. I former teacher, 2014-2016 family many happy years of was a German, and that one should appreciate that he was allowed to There are so many families retirement fun. An Open House is judge individuals by the merits of do things “in his own time” – as who have let us know how they felt planned for Margie from 1:30p.m. their character and not by their race you put it. Ronan’s confidence and about Margie. Positive feedback to 4:00 p.m. June 18 at the JCC; or religion. communication skills with other was not an anomaly it was a the public is invited. RSVP if Evan Schreier, another children has notably flourished.” regular occurrence. possible 519 673-3310. community teenager, also offered Parent quote sensitive remarks. Although not Through her dedication and directly descended from Holocaust hard work Margie continued to make Noah’s Ark a place that is survivors Evan emphasized the Evan Schreier and Moriah Gerofsky. well respected by other teachers, parents and schools. Beyond the doors of Noah’s Ark Preschool Margie has helped to develop the early childhood education system here in London and was a founding member of many of the childcare resource organizations such as the Resource Lending System located at Childreach. To say she has been amazing in her role as Director/ teacher would be an understatement. She has taught children and the children of those children, Temple Israel Choir. influencing their early years and PAGE 2 THE LONDON JEWISH COMMUNITY NEWS MAY 2017 YOM HASHOAH CEREMONY HONOURS SURVIVORS Gabriella Pundaky and Anna Leich. Raia Luxenburg and Mica Shatil. Betty Valinsky and Alessandro Francolini. Michael Taran and Pepa Livingstone. Thank you and Yasher Koach to all the people who gave it there all to enhance our commemorations and celebrations on Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, and Yom Ha’atmaut. Robert Breuer Noah Marcus Lawrence Burden Debi Medzon Rabbi Catharine Clark Or Shalom Choir Rabbi Debra Dressler Jacob Peretz Alessandro Francolini Leslie Peretz Manny Friedman Annabelle Pundaky Elyse Frydman Gabriella Pundaky Rachelle Frydman Nava Pundaky Moriah Gerofksy Evan Schreier Priscilla Gerofksy Vera Schweitzer Sharon Glickman Mica Shatil Vera Schweitzer and Elyse Frydman. Robert Breuer, a child of Holocaust survivors, with Alexis Wright. Steve Glickman Naomi Sheinbaum Lilia Golverk Daphne Stevens Lyle Goorvich Michael Taran One Million Names Still Missing From Shoah Rabbi Lazer Gurkow Sondy Taran Efrat Gurman Jeffrey Tugender Records – Has Your Family Been Recorded? Larry Guslits Temple Israel Choir By Susan Merskey, with additional z”l, continued the work until his cousin Manya in Radom, Poland,’ Nicki Ishai Betty Valinsky information from Gloria Gilbert own death in 1990. would ensure that that person is Roni Khrutski Serge Volodarsky As this year’s Yom Hashoah After World War II, London ‘counted.’ Anat Kornecki Dana Wachter commemoration approached, it became home to many survivors.