2019 End of Year School Awards
05/15/2019 08:43:05 PM
Every year, Beth El's preschool and religious school mark the culmination of the academic year by honoring the students and educators who distinguished themselves. Please join us in recognizing the following individuals:
Joan & Morton Baylin Memorial Award for Excellence in Teaching
Patti Hobbs
Patti Jeffery Hobbs has a friendly, welcoming face each time she walks into the Beth El building. Her warmth and upbeat demeanor bring a smile to her students' faces and makes them feel happy to be in the school. Patti is a teacher in the Berman-Lipavksy Religious school on Sundays for Gimel (3rd grade) as well as works midweek at the Roland Park Neighborhood School site. “Being a fourth-generation member of Beth El, educating today's generation of children gives me a sense of gratitude in doing what I love most, teaching,” Patti said about her time here at Beth El.
“I find Patti to be a role model for teachers due to her warm personality, good-hearted and easy-going nature," said Dr. Eyal Bor, Director of Education. “Patti is a superb teacher who is able to reach students of all abilities and ensures each student is able to access the material. I frequently see a student happily running to hug Morah Patti when they arrive at Hebrew school which teaching it tells me that Morah Patti is well liked, admired and appreciated! That is why Morah Patti who deserves the Baylin award. Marisa Myers, a school committee member and the parent of Bailey, shared with me that Bailey now loves coming to Hebrew School because of Morah Patti.”
Yoselin Ibrahim
Yoselin is an asset to the early childhood community. Her creativity, dedication, and devotion to the children and their families shines through in everything she does. Yoselin is always willing to help other teachers and go above and beyond her daily teaching responsibilities. She has inspired a love of Judaic studies as well as introduced the Spanish language to some children. Yoselin will offer Spanish Immersion classes next school year. Yoselin has made a difference in many children's and adult lives ever since joining the Beth El community seven years ago.
The Joseph Lipavsky Academic Achievement Award
Nathan Stegman
Nathan, a mature and respectful young man, is a 6th Grade student at Ridgely Middle School. He has been a student at Beth El since he was in Kitah Gan, attending Sundays at Beth El and Wednesdays at the Hunt Valley Neighborhood school. When asked about his upcoming April 2020 Bar Mitzvah, Nathan says that he looks forward to taking part in this cultural milestone that transforms his engagement in the Jewish community from a participant to an active leader. “It is a responsibility that I look forward to,” he said.
Nathan enjoys learning at Beth El because the teachers are engaging. Holidays, traditions, and Torah stories are among his favorite topics. His teacher, Morah Holly Tiedeman says that “Nathan is respectful and shows his interest in learning by asking many great questions in class.“ Nathan is a gem within his 6th grade class,” says Religious School Director Amy Goldberg. “His interest and responsiveness to learning is unique among his peers and I look forward to seeing Nathan continue his Jewish education into Lapid (7th grade), where he will engage in discussion- based learning with the clergy.”
The Dr. Eyal Bor Leadership Award
Emma West
Emma, a student at St. Paul's School for Girls, is a 6th grade student at the Berman-Lipavsky Religious School on Sundays and meets mid-week at the Hunt Valley Neighborhood site. Emma's teachers, Morah Holly and Morah Jill, say that she is a pleasure to have in class, always walks in with a smile, a positive attitude and eagerness to learn. She is a role model among her peers and steps up when someone needs her help. This is especially true at the Hunt Valley site, where she is one of the oldest in the group. Emma says that she enjoys learning and looks forward to starting her studies for her upcoming Bat Mitzvah in June 2020 because she's “eager to learn more about the Torah." Emma's mom, Melissa shares that Emma is empathetic, always helping others. After their recent trip to Israel, Melissa said that it was such a joy to watch Emma engage with Israel and see connections to Jewish history and culture being made.
Here's what Dr. Boy said about Emma: "While meeting with Emma and her mom, Melissa West in my office, I was moved by Emma's love of learning Hebrew. Last December, Emma and 45 members of her family were in Israel together. One of her most inspiring experiences was praying at the Western Wall on Friday night. Emma is a great listener who knows just when to step up to help a friend. Her classmates find her to be popular and supportive. Emma describes her Hebrew school teachers as engaging and interesting. When I asked Melissa, “what is special about Emma”, she responded proudly that Emma is generous, polite and very empathetic to others and is always willing to assist her friends."
The Morton Offit Award forOutstanding Academic Achievement & Continued Participation in Jewish Education
Ben and Logan Suffel
Ben and Logan are 10th grade students at Franklin High School, are in the ACHSHAV teen program, Beth El's joint leadership program with Chizuk Amuno. Achshav has become a very important part of my life because not only do we do things to help ourselves, but also do things that help others, like making blessing bags for people who are homeless.” says Logan. Ben credits his Achshav teachers for his continued engagement “Our Achshav teachers, Amy Goldberg and Jason Creeger, are incredible because they get us excited and interested in whatever we are learning about”.
Dr. Bor added: "I remember both Logan and Ben since they were two-years old in our Preschool. However. I have gotten to know Logan and Ben much better during our past trip to Israel. I assisted in leading the group and recognized immediately that both Logan and Ben are two gentlemen with hearts of gold. They are kind, friendly and always positive. These boys added to the overall experience of the group, and for Amy and me, as well. When someone felt even a little bit down, Logan had compassion and knew just how to bring that person's mood back to normal. When Ben saw that a student had a problem carrying her luggage, he immediately stepped in to assist her. They were always thoughtful during group reflections and always elevated these discussions by making them relevant and interesting.In the very near future, I see both Logan and Ben becoming important leaders in the Jewish community. I am so proud that Logan and Ben will be the recipient of the Offit award. They both well-deserve this honorable award."
The Katz Award in Blessed Memory of Mr. and Mrs. Hyman and Beatrice Katz
Madeline Weisman
Madeline Weisman, a sophomore at Towson High School, recently returned from her first visit to Israel with the Achshav program. On the trip, Maddie showed compassion and true leadership skills as she made sure her peers were happy and emotionally supported. During the trip, Maddie was facinated by the culture and politics of Israel. She looks forward to returning.
According to Dr. Bor: "Madeline is an original thinker; she adds deep insight into our discussions by always saying the right things. In addition, I witnessed Madeline's helpfulness and thoughtfulness to her friends and adults alike. She is a mature and good person and a terrific friend."
Maddie is creative, smart and kind to her friends, including her younger siblings Mik and Evri. Amy Goldberg, who took the Achshav group to Israel, says that Maddie was a joy to travel with. "She is an independent young woman who shares her opinions and viewpoints in a respectful and articulate way. It was such a joy to watch Maddie explore Israel and see it through her eyes."
In Maddie's own words: "I love Achshav because it provides me with so many opportunities to explore not only the Jewish culture but what I am capable of achieving. I loved every second of the Israel trip and so grateful for all that it allowed me to learn."