Life inside the green fence.

Hello everyone! So, I decided that it is about time that I tell you a bit about my life here at work, home, the insane asylum! I have been working at a Jewish boarding school in Greensboro, NC. Now, you may ask - what the hell is she talking about?? Jews in the south??? A Jewish boarding school in the south?? That's right folks, I moved below the Mason-Dixon line in August for a fellowship here:

http://www.americanhebrewacademy.com/index_flash.asp

I work as a house parent and I also have had several teaching roles in the Jewish Studies department. In the evenings I am on most nights in the house - study time, check in, lights out, talking with my girls making sure they are doing well, see where their days took them, room inspections, the list goes on. I co-taught Synagogue Skills, I observe in Bible 11, and I have a mentorship with guided teaching that I have done in Bible 10. I have worked very closely with three teachers in all. I live with the freshman girls - with three seniors thrown into the mix. It has been so much fun and so rewarding to spend the year with them. I spend my days teaching and also taking a Hebrew class (Israel, don't worry, I'll be there soon!). In the afternoons and the evenings I have yoga, I watch the student union, I get work done and I hang around with the kids. I have had some unsuccessful attempts to bring things to the school - I wanted to get the wet darkroom set up, but because I came in in August it wasn't possible to alter the budget that much. I planted the seeds and had some understanding ears to fall on, and I think it will get done in the next few years. On the plus side, I learned a lot about darkroom equipment if I ever want to try the same thing somewhere else. I also wanted to create a shabbat worhsip alternative involving yoga and meditation, and here I was much more successful. I decided to call it "nefesh b'tnu'ah" - a soul in motion. I incporporated Jewish text, meditative practices, breath work (not exactly pranayama, but more stretches to facilitate deep breathing), and hatha yoga. I had a lot of positive feedback from staff and the students. I also had some pretty offensive comments from some staff that really doesn't jive with a pluralistic environment, but that was minimal and the small stuff should just roll off your shoulder right??:) Well, i was very proud of that development and I hope to have at least one more session (I run it on Shabbas) this year. The last thing I think I'll tell ya'll about is my work with the Green Team. This year we have done a lot of work trying to green up the campus and also done sort of "nature appreciation" hikes on shabbas. The main reason i mention that part of my work is that I am probably most fond of this group of students. They are still so sure of their ability to impact the world, they are aware of their ecological footprint and they are a lot of fun to boot! I'm fond. Being around all these teenagers has been an interesting experience: all the drama they create, their innocence and yet strong desire to loose that innocence, their extremely evident desire to find adults they respect and look up to, their first loves, their broken hearts, their college searches...Not a day passes that they don't challenge me. And man do they bring me copious amounts of joy and laughter. Josh, one of the sophmores yesterday had me rolling describing t-shirts he found online that he told me he really wanted to buy me just so i would have to wear them around campus. You see, he is a pround conservative and me, well, I am a proud liberal (love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal - thanks Phil Ochs...). He said the one he liked best was an elephant kicking a donkey's (whatever that democratic party symbol is:) ass...they relish in being lovingly abusive. Maybe that is one of the things I love so much about this place, and maybe one of the things I sometimes hate the most as well - we are a mini family - the fights, the tensions, the tears, the lies, the honesty, the favors, the care, the devotion...

last night my day ended with two of our girls coming into the house to show us a ballroom dance they had learned from a book they inherited from the Dubins...I even get entertainment here! rock on...

I have to admit that it has been an extremely chill year. The work has been challenging and I have learned a lot, and there have been some trying moments with my students. It has been so low stress, though. It was a wonderful transition out of school and also an incredibly safe and supportive environment in my rough few months back in the fall when I split with that Canadian boy I was so fond of for all those years:) But I have gained so much from my students, my co-workers, this school. I am excited to get outa here because I am sick of the politics for now - while I have been isolated from them because of the temporary nature of my employment, I have had some serious ethical issues with the school - although I wouldn't have traded this year for the world.

In other news, I booked a ticket to come home for Mommies day in May and also to be with Weeza at her graduation. I am excited to see the culmination of all her hard work (for all of you who don't know she is a brilliant industrial designer!) - I hope she knows how much she inspires me. So, I'll be in Cuse on May 13th for two days or so. Yay home:). Be well everyone, wherever you find yourself on this lovely day...