The Bureau of Jewish Education (BJE) of United Jewish Federation is happy to announce that Dr. Mara Hammerman, a seventh-grade teacher at Temple Beth El’s religious school, is the area winner of the Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. The award is designed to recognize teachers in communities across North America who have made a commitment to the field of Jewish education.

Thanks to the generosity of the Romanowitz Family Fund, in loving memory of Eva Romanowitz z’l and Louis Levy z’l, Stamford Jewish is able to continue to participate in the Grinspoon–Steinhardt Award program, which includes a cash prize, professional development stipend, and national and local recognition.

The award was presented at UJF’s annual meeting on June 29 at Temple Beth El.

“Teaching 7th grade in a supplementary religious school is a daunting challenge for an educator” said Al Treidel, Education Director of Temple Beth El. “Seventh graders are at an especially vulnerable time in their lives. They are neither adults nor children and mature at different rates. Mara’s goal is to make each student in her class feel both welcome and valued by creating a unique educational experience in an unconventional manner. Patience is one of Mara's greatest strengths. She never prejudges anyone and demonstrates great respect for both her colleagues and students. Mara is always on the lookout for new methods of enrichment and consistently brings into class cutting edge strategies that improve the learning process and engage her students throughout the lesson. I can enter Mara's classroom at any time and find her students always engaged and smiling in her class. She has an uncanny ability to reach out to each and every student and to motivate them to participate and to do their best.” He added that Mara is a dedicated teacher and makes herself available to students beyond the prescribed time limits of her class: She hosts a class Shabbaton in her home, sits with her students at Shabbat services and makes them feel welcome and comfortable throughout the service.

Dr. Ilana De Laney, executive director of the BJE, said, “Our teachers deserve tremendous respect and appreciation for their dedication and the work in which they are engaged. In their hands lies enormous responsibility for educating the next generation. Although Jewish education has a crucial role in the Jewish tradition, not many communities highlight their teachers in a major way. The Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award recognizes an outstanding and unique Jewish educator who touches the lives and minds of today’s students daily. Mara’s dedication to her students and her willingness to give of herself above and beyond what is expected of an educator makes her stand out as one of the outstanding Jewish educators not only in her community but in the nation.”

Mara is a psychologist specializing in child and adolescent development. She is an adjunct professor at Norwalk Community College and a proud 7th grade teacher at Temple Beth El religious school. She is married to Rabbi Joshua Hammerman of Temple Beth El and has two sons, Ethan and Daniel.

View photos from Tapestry 2009