-Rabbi Paul Silton
Comments
from past participants:
" The community of professional
Israeli folk dance teachers who especially work with children and teens
is a small one and the chance to gather for an annual conference of our
peers is especially needed. The conference was planned to specifically
expand the knowledge and repertoire of those professionals and was well
run. We had the opportunity to learn from and watch master teachers.
This was my second time attending the conference and I came away
inspired with new material, teaching techniques and the encouragement
to continue working in this unique field. There are not enough
communities that support dance like you do in Albany, NY. It was
special seeing how a community comes together in their support of
Israeli folk dance. This is truly an inspiration to all of us dance
teachers. I know that as I continue to draw on this inspiration, it
will reflect back into my own community as part of each class I
teach. I am grateful to the Temple Israel community for hosting
this annual conference, Rabbi Silton for his ongoing support, the many
volunteers who meet, plan, host and cook ( every year I've also taken
home some great recipes!) and the Shul community for being so warm and
friendly."
- Sharon Gelboin-Katz
"The
Israeli Dance in Education Conference that Temple Israel recently
hosted was extraordinary ... The full impact of the weekend continues
even after the teachers have gone home. Frequently, my son Ari is heard
humming the tunes and is seen dancing in store aisles. I
truly hope that workshops like this become a permanent part of the
Temple's "repertoire" ... as well as encourage other synagogues
throughout the country to sponsor similar conferences."
-Gail Cohen Karo
"I
was particularly impressed with the way dance was woven in with Shabbat
observance ... Friday night was filled with ruach and spirituality as
families danced together while singing zmirot ... It was a treat for
our community ... to have the opportunity to dance and learn with such
high quality dance educators as Ruth Goodman and her team."
-Shelley Justa
"The
Shabbat Lunch and Learn ... was another example of Israeli dance
through movement inspired by an understanding of Jewish text. [The]
presentation was enlightening, as she explained how to tell a story,
using dance as the words."
-Karen and Ken Shulman
"By
incorporating Israeli Dance weekly into our day school curriculum over
the past 13 years, we have been able to instill in our students
self-confidence, improved motor skills, team work, school pride and
connection to the people and culture of Israel. By attending
this workshop, I was exposed to an abundance of new techniques and
ideas for use with all the age levels I teach, from nursery through
high school."
-Eve Cameron