1. MJGDS The Twenty-First Century Shtetl

2. It takes a shtetl to raise a child.

3. So, what’s a shtetl?
In Yiddish, it translates to a small town with a large Jewish population which was
located in Eastern Europe. Learning and education were the ultimate measures of worth
in the eyes of the community. The shtetl had a consistent work ethic which valued hard
work and frowned upon laziness. Studying of course was the hardest work of all.

4. I view our school as a modern day
version of a shtetl .
We need each other to successfully raise a child.

5. Most educational institutions tend to emphasize
academics. We have the opportunity to teach our
children the importance of tzedakah and acts of
kindness, which were also essential values in 19th
century Europe.

6. One of the most well known people who
represents the shtetls of yesterday was Tevya,
the milkman from Fiddler on the Roof. Everyone
knew each other in the tiny village of Anatevka.

7. The same is true here at our school, where
generations of families all know each other.

8. Part of the strength of the shtetl was the
collaboration to make sure that everyone’s needs
were met. In our modern day shtetl, we work
together toward a common goal.

9. By collaborating we share ideas, resources, and
solutions to problems.

10. Student to student sharing
knowledge

11. Teacher to Teacher
Collaborating our efforts with co-teachers to
enhance lessons and teach values to help
raise each child to be a mensch.

12. Student to Teacher
Students taking an active role in teaching twenty first
century learning skills to their teachers who were
not taught these new skills as students themselves.

13. And let’s not forget parents!
Collaborating with parents as part of the solution to
raise our students are essential to ensure a
nurturing environment.

14. Communication is vital for success of
the community.

15. The shtetls of Europe kept to themselves to the
point that they isolated themselves from the
surrounding communities.

16. In our twenty first century shtetl, we use email,
blogging, twitter, skype , facebook, and you
tube, just to name a few ways to
communicate.

17. Our students will be more adaptable to
society, as they gain knowledge from
blogging, skyping, and communicating from
far corners of the earth.

18. It does take a “shtetl to raise a child”. No one ,
not a teacher, school staff , nor a parent can
do this by themselves.

19. After 50 years, our shtetl continues to thrive
because of the foundation that was set by
previous generations. L’dor v’dor.