TORONTO — For Laura Wiseman, a career in Jewish education is a “very integrated” way of living.
“Jewish people learn in their homes and live in their schools, and vice versa,” the new director of York University’s Jewish teacher education program told The CJN in a recent interview. The program – which offers a BA and B.Ed. and qualifies students to teach in Jewish day schools – is the only one of its kind in Ontario and one of only two in Canada, along with a similar program at McGill University, where Wiseman did her own teacher training.
Wiseman, 52, took on her new role in July. She served as acting director from 2004 to 2005.
A former teacher, branch principal, and director of Jewish studies for three campuses at United Synagogue Day School, she has worked as an adjunct professor and practicum co-ordinator for the program since 2002, and was seconded from UJA Federation of Greater Toronto’s Board of Jewish Education in 2004 to co-ordinate it when former director Alex Pomson – now based at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Melton Center for Jewish Education – made aliyah.
“Growing” the program at York is a priority for Wiseman. With 23 students – mostly alumni of Jewish day schools – the program is “on a rebound,” although it’s still smaller than it was when Pomson came to Toronto in 1996 and there were 29 students.
But because the program is “advising-intensive,” it shouldn’t become too large, Wiseman cautioned. However, she is looking at options such as opening it to people who have a BA and want to pursue a B.Ed. and Jewish studies, so they can teach in a Jewish school, and expanding services to those who are already working as teachers.
As well, she said, there is “the beginning of an option to do the program part-time.”
She calls Jewish day school teachers “unsung heroes” for hosting the students for up to year to provide practical experience and feedback.
Opportunities for job placement have been good, according to Wiseman. “Just about everyone who wanted a school job has gotten one.”
On the other hand, she said she has noted an increase in the number of students continuing on to graduate studies, and also in those who are pursuing careers in “experiential” education such as working in summer camps or with youth groups.
For students who are considering the program, but who may have concerns about anti-Israel political activity on campus, Wiseman said she wants people to understand that York University “is a safe place, and there is freedom of expression.”
As well, she said, she wants to “heighten the profile and panache of being a Jewish educator.”
Wiseman noted that Toronto is “among the few cities in North America that remunerates teachers in the Jewish day school system well. There’s a well-developed salary scale, and I think we need to develop a respect that goes with it as well.”
A graduate of the Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto (CHAT), Wiseman switched from the public school system when she was in Grade 9.
Her aptitude for Jewish studies became apparent when she was a student at Beth Tzedec Congregational School, which was a four-day-a-week program. At the time, CHAT had no new stream program for students who did not have a day school background, but a “posse” of Wiseman’s friends from Camp Ramah helped her get up to speed at weekly sessions around her dining room table.
In addition to her undergraduate degree, she now has a master’s of education in curriculum with a concentration on second language acquisition, as well as an MA in Hebrew language and literature, which is also the topic of her University of Toronto PhD thesis.
