Grinspoon Steinhardt Foundation recognizes Jewish educator

Sue Feldman

Sue Feldman, long time Jewish educator in our community, has received a prestigious Grinspoon Steinhardt Foundation national award for excellence in Jewish education for 2008.

Feldman's nomination last winter by the Jewish Community Day School of Atlantic and Cape May Counties to receive the award was endorsed by the Board of Jewish Education of Atlantic County. Last week the board received word that Ms. Feldman was a recipient of one of the few national awards to be presented. In 2007 only 56 educators were given this award nation-wide.

Ms. Feldman has been a Jewish educator 20 plus years including early years at the Trocki Hebrew Academy, and as an educator at the Early Learning Center of Congregation Beth Judah in Ventnor. She has been a lead teacher to those children in their early years at the day school since its opening more than four years ago.

Said Nachum Chasan, headmaster of the day school and himself a Grinspoon Steinhardt winner, "Sue brings a very high level of love and education to our young children. She combines a love for yiddishkeit, a good knowledge of Hebrew language education and a passion for teaching Israel identity to our children. The JCDS was sure she'd be an easy win. She has been that and more to us here at the JCDS."

The Grinspoon Steinhardt Awards are now in their 8th year of seeking out from all over North America Jewish educators of exceptional talent, commitment and work ethic from both the day school and the supplementary school movements.

As a winner, Ms. Feldman will receive a generous national financial award for her ongoing professional enhancement as well as recognition at the 18th Covenant Foundation's Annual Dinner and both the PEJE and JESNA Board meetings in New York in late fall. In addition, she will receive recognition by the Jewish Federation of Atlantic and Cape May Counties, parent organization of both the JCDS and the BJE.

Past local recipients of this award have included Nachum Chasan (JCDS), Ina Goldhagen (Beth Israel) and Rabbi Ari Weiss (THA).

For more information please call Linda Kulp at the Board of Jewish Education at 822-1854.