Testimonial – Rebecca Engmann
Darst, Parent of Two’s
May 31, 2012
May 31, 2012
Like many families
these days, our family must negotiate the hectic demands of commuter careers
with the desire to create a nurturing home life, the pressures of city jobs
with the craving for home and the bosom of a local community. We must reconcile
the wish for a close, integrated family with the reality that our extended
family is small, dispersed and disconnected. While family life, for us, has
played out in a series of compromises large and small, in one key area we have
found a treasured source of support and uncompromising quality, and that has
undoubtedly been in the commitment to Jewish values and traditions, and the
atmosphere of learning and loving care at Maimonides Early Education. As
parents of young children, we were eager to find an early education program
that would offer a gentle, positive introduction to the customs and values of
Jewish life in a nurturing, close-knit environment. Our experience at
Maimonides has been nothing short of a gift. From our initial visits to the Two’s
class and in our subsequent conversations with the teachers and staff, we were
touched by the loving care, acknowledgment and attention given to each child,
and the atmosphere of respect and community fostered across age cohorts. In
every room we visited, the children were happy and secure in the fellowship of
their classmates, their teachers, and with the broader student body. As our
children’s first school year draws to a close, we are happy to report that the
Maimonides community has far and away exceeded our most robust expectations.
Each week our kids go to school with tremendous enthusiasm about their teachers
and friends, expanding their awareness and involvement in Jewish community
through reading, songs and projects. They are increasingly confident in their growing
abilities, and each week a little more knowledgeable about the customs and
rituals of Jewish life. We have been delighted with the school’s seasonal
observances are integrated with a regular preschool academic curriculum. As
parents, we have greatly valued the regular personal communications from the
teachers, keeping us up-to-date on the children’s activities and upcoming
events. We look forward to even greater involvement with the community of
Maimonides parents in the years to come. Returning to the topic which began
this letter, our life as a young family has at times involved feelings of scatter,
of being pulled in competing directions, of living a spiritual life that falls
short of our ideals and best intentions. What I can say without hesitation is
that the Maimonides experience has been a gift to our entire family in all of
those respects, galvanizing our commitment to a fully involved Jewish life,
offering a sense of true community and belonging, and solidifying our
priorities. The teachers at Maimonides have planted a positive seed of learning
and dedication to humanity in our kids that will stand them in good stead for
many, many years to come. Our entire family benefits as a result. For that, we
are grateful beyond words.
