During this year’s orientation meeting for our madrichim, the teen teachers at Synagogue School, I asked them to draw the ideal madrich, exaggerating features they felt were most essential. I paired them off with no other direction, and the drawings could not have been any more perfect. One drawing had ears that took up half the page, because it is much more important to listen than to talk. Another group drew a body with one enormous hand, stretched out and ready to help at any moment. One pair drew a face with many eyes looking every which way, always looking out for a student in need. Another “ideal madrich” was sketched doing a full-on split, acknowledging that being a madrich requires flexibility. And pretty much every single drawing had a big, bold heart right in the center. We had been together for maybe fifteen minutes, I had barely said a thing, and it occurred to me: if you grow up at RSNS, you just get it.
These amazing teens already know that their role as madrichim is at the core of RSNS’s mission: building relationships. At orientation, our teens shared what it meant for them to have madrichim when they were in school. In their classes, during electives, at Ashokan-our kids and our teens bond in ways that teachers and students never really can. The students see them as role models, as confidants, as friends. Our school is stronger when our students feel the love of their madrichim. We have over a dozen madrichim this year, some joining for the first time as eighth graders alongside veterans who were the madrichim for those very eighth graders a few years ago!
These amazing teens bring light and joy to our school, and as they grow more connected to the students, they begin to see themselves as leaders in our community. And as they experience our school from a new perspective, they become their own community, celebrating their Jewish identities out loud and with pride. They are not quite teachers (some of them are actually-it’s really an incredible group!) but definitely not students. It’s a role that they alone occupy, and they do so with maturity and grace. I love that even though they have gone to school here for eight years, they have no idea where room eight is, yet instinctively know how to comfort a new student feeling overwhelmed by the unfamiliar schedule. Our first day of school was a boisterous afternoon, and I could not have done it without their help in guiding, comforting, and cheering our students on.
Our monthly meetings combine learning, reflecting, and exploring ways to make our school better. These thoughtful and spirited teens, many of whom have been in our lives for years, are ready and eager for this next adventure on their Jewish journeys. Each one of them weaves a unique thread into the tapestry of our school. If I ever feel worried about the future of the Jewish people, and there is so much to worry about these days, I simply look at this unbelievable group of compassionate, dedicated, creative souls, and I know we are in good hands. Working with these teens is an honor and a privilege, and I am so excited to see where we take this school together.
Rebecca Hirschwerk
Director of Congregational Education
