When you walk into any of Ms. Friedman’s classes, the first thing that you notice is her exuberant, unrelenting, and vibrant energy. The two qualities that she would like to have as a teacher are creativity and empathy and there is no doubt that she excels at creative learning. “I enjoy project-based learning … for students. I especially like modern technology like TikToks, TV shows, Minecraft and Fortnite- and seeing how students can use these media.” Just look at one of her classes, Talmud Agadata (7th Grade), where instead of simply making students memorize the transmission of the Oral Torah, she let us use Minecraft and Fortnite to create our own museum of the transmission.
From the age of 17, Ms. Friedman was teaching and writing in one place or another. She started out with a blog about her thoughts on G-d “which was widely read in the Jewish blogosphere.” She also attended conferences led by top Yeshivas, volunteered for the Jewish youth organization NCSY, and substituted at Ramaz Jewish Day School in New York. By 22, she had her first formal job at Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School. “I applied to teach at three schools in Maryland because my husband was attending law school in DC; it was my good luck that CESJDs took me on.” Mrs. Friedman said.
After that, Ms. Friedman taught at Ida Crown Jewish Academy (ICJA) in Skokie, IL and found out about JLA through an article her husband sent to her. “This seems like your dream job,” he said. Turns out–he was right!
Ms. Friedman was very interested in JLA’s “focus of offering a meaningful Jewish education while challenging high ability and gifted learners.” She further explained that she loved how all Jewish students were encouraged to come, even if they had no prior experience in Judiacs or Hebrew. Emboldened by this commitment to an excellent academic and Judaic education, Ms. Friedman and her family moved to South Florida, and she joined the JLA community.
Ms. Friedman is not the usual teacher. She makes a podcast that teaches the Parsha to children ages 7 and above, Parsha for Kids, and you can find it on Spotify. She is an avid reader in all genres and a passionate advocate on mental health. “I am co-head of our JLA Erika’s Lighthouse Mental Health Awareness club with Ms. N.”
Combining her modern learning approach, unique experiences and hobbies, Ms. Friedman is a one of a kind teacher and a great contributor to our JLA society.
