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Beth El recently hired Andy Shankman to serve as Religious School Manager and Bnai Mitzvah Coordinator. In his new role, Mr. Shankman will work closely with families to ensure students get the most out of their education, support teachers with their various needs, and oversee the Bnai Mitzvah tutoring program. 

Andy took an inspired yet unconventional path to Beth El Religious School. 

Mr. Shankman grew up in central New York State before studying mathematics and philosophy at Goucher College. He then attended the prestigious King's College of London where he received a post-graduate diploma in mathematics. Realizing his passions lay elsewhere, Mr. Shankman returned to New York, and eventually Baltimore, where he served as a road manager for the band Lake Trout and as the music editor for Baltimore's digital fashion and culture publication, Gutter Magazine. "It was exciting and exhilarating," Mr. Shankman said. "I traveled the region seeing bands, interviewing them, and working in all facets of the music business." 

Between studying mathematics, covering emerging musicians, and playing music with his own band, Jumpcuts, the multitalented Mr. Shankman somehow found time to work as a teacher in Beth El's religious school, where he pioneered the Lapid Program for Bnai Mitzvah-aged students. Lapid, which Mr. Shankman teaches alongside Rabbis Schwartz and Saroken, helps Beth El's Bnai Mitzvah students connect with the local Jewish community through volunteer opportunities, learn about day-to-day Jewish life, and discover why some people devote their lives to teaching, studying, and practicing of Judaism.

"Each and every one of my experiences have instilled a global sense to my community and a purpose of absorbing all that the world has to offer," Mr. Shankman said. "My experiences have also provided a concrete sense of Tikkun Olam."

What are your impressions of Beth El after your first week on the job?
    
Everyone has been very warm, and I feel so welcome. Students, parents, educators, and staff are interested in establishing genuine relationships. All the parents I've interacted with are people I'd actually want to be friends with outside of school!

From a teacher's perspective, the Beth El Religious School is committed to turning each moment into learning opportunities for the students, which aligns with my teaching philosophy. I try to create a space for students to learn organically, even if the students aren't aware of it being a learning opportunity. Beth El students are allowed to explore the wide array of reasons that people engage in Jewish life. Our students develop their Jewish identity in a way that works for them, which isn't necessarily how their parents or grandparents related to Judaism. 

Why did you choose to work at Beth El? What makes Beth El schools so unique? 
     
Dr. Bor, Amy Goldberg, and the Religious School staff have been very open to how I see things as an educator and have made space for me to bring who I am into the classroom, which is very true of Beth El as an ethos. 

For example, I want to introduce fresh ideas about how Jewish students look at, understand, and appreciate Jewish prayer. I'm fascinated by the meaning of individual Hebrew words within the prayers and feel a strong connection between my Jewish identity and my knowledge of the Hebrew language. So I incorporate textual analysis in my curriculum, working with my Sixth Grade students to explore the relationship between modern Hebrew and Torah.

What does the prayer have to teach or say to each individual person? I would give the students a prayer in English, remove the title, and tell them to analyze as you would a work of fiction or poetry. By focusing on words or phrases, we can spark an intimate connection between the student and their Jewish identity. 

How does Jewish education impact a young person's Jewish identity?

Religious School is such a vital part of every Jewish person's life, and by that, I mean the full breadth of life. Who are you as a person and as a young Jew, why is your Jewish identity important, and how do you act on that Jewish identity? These students are exploring their identities in ways they may not even be completely aware of because it's a constant process to search within yourself. The rewards are substantial: an understanding that extends beyond yourself and into all aspects of life.  

What's one thing students and parents should know about you to "get" Andy Shankman?

I'm very into getting into new hobbies and constantly want to learn. For example, I have recently gotten into car repair and looking for a project car, ideally a 1965 Ford Falcon, I also am very into birding: Trying to identify the birds that come through my backyard. I'm currently learning about gardening and growing grapes, hope to be the most hyperlocal kosher small batch vintner in Baltimore. I'm learning more and more about guitars and how to build, improve, and repair my own. I started swimming and learning how to improve my ability and my time. I love coffee and how to make the perfect cup of coffee. I seek to both deepen my knowledge and add to it as much as I can.