Music is an integral part of a young person’s life. Most students in Jewish day schools will sing a Jewish song in tefillah at least once a day, and many of those same students will engage in some sort of musical activity, whether it be tapping a pencil, singing a harmony or reviewing a section of Fur Elise on the piano, at least once a week.
However, while in school, students in Jewish day schools are busy! Challenged by a dual curriculum and a long school day, the young men and women who hold the key to the future of the Jewish people have a lot to juggle. In turn, their teachers work hard to develop creative and enticing lessons, designed to reach every child at every level of ability. In this constantly-evolving world and ever-growing digital age, today’s Jewish day-school educator has a nearly impossible task. As students aim to master skills in math and Talmud, where does this leave music class?
Music educators in Jewish day schools hold the burden of developing and strengthening a child’s Jewish soul. The Jewish music repertoire built by students during their time in school lays the foundation for their connection to Judaism for the rest of their lives. More than the skills they will sharpen in their STEM classes, adding music to the mix wakes up not only the other side of their brains, but also the deepest pieces of their hearts.
Additionally, there is the music education that runs beyond the Jewish music repertoire. The boundless history of music, study of the development of instruments, experiential playing of an instrument and collaboration with others in a band truly enable students to reach beyond the textbook, past the written words, and find themselves in the moment.
Fitting all of this into the school day, when music teachers are lucky if they see their students once a week, is an uphill road. Yet, Jewish day schools and music go hand in hand, and all agree that there is nothing like the sound of a young child’s voice expressing in song what cannot be expressed in words, and there is no more unifying feeling than the one experienced when hundreds of youngsters are together in song.
Join the first-ever professional development day and meet-and-greet for music educators from Jewish day schools on Friday, January 13, 2017, at the Ramaz School, 114 East 85th Street, NYC. For more information and to register, please contact Randi at [email protected].
By Randi Wartelsky
Randi Wartelsky is the middle school music teacher and choir director at Ramaz School.
