The Scribble That Made Me Cry

Or, When "I Can't" Becomes "I Know You Can Do It!"

Talk about the white fire margins...(More on that in episode #4 of my podcast Journey with the Jewla, found here on Spotify, Apple podcast version linked at the bottom)

A few days ago, one of my B Mitzvah students stepped away from her binder to grab a pencil. I looked down and on a page of prayers she's been practicing so much - almost absentmindedly scribbled in the margin - was a note:

"I know you can do it!"

I immediately and surreptitiously snapped a photo:

Not because it was particularly artistic, but because it told me everything I needed to know.

The handwriting was hers.

The voice was mine.

(Also? The lump in the throat and the teary eyes? Also mine.)

It was seriously one of - if not THE - greatest compliments a teacher can receive.

This particular student had never studied Hebrew before we started working together.

She came in as a complete beginner.

And yet, here she was preparing for a B Mitzvah that includes far more than the minimum expectations.

She's learned

• Torah.
• Haftarah.
• All the blessings.
• Wrote an exceptional d'var Torah.
• Leading the prayers for taking the Torah out of the Ark and returning it.
• An additional Torah portion, AND
• Leading an entire Musaf service.

Even more delightfully?

She's excited about it!!!!!

In fact, she frequently tells me how much she loves Musaf...

As a teacher, there are few things more satisfying than hearing a young person enthusiastically discuss a service that many adults struggle to follow along with, let alone feel brave enough to learn and lead.

But the specifics aren't actually what I'm thinking about when I look at that note.

Because while people often assume that B Mitzvah tutoring is primarily about language acquisition, singing, prayer skills, or chanting techniques, these form only part of the story.

What I've learned after working with more than 250 students is that success in Jewish learning is rarely determined by talent, skill, or capability.

It's determined by mindset.

Students arrive carrying all kinds of stories about themselves.

"I'm bad at Hebrew."

"I'm not musical."

"I have a terrible memory."

"I'm going to embarrass myself."

"I'll never get this."

My job isn't just to teach trope or send recordings or say "repeat after me" over and over and over.

It's to help students develop a different relationship with challenge itself.

That requires encouragement.

Humour.

Emotional regulation.

Patience.

Celebration.

Understanding.

Creativity.

Insight.

Impeccable pedagogy.

Collaboration.

Repetition.

Variation.

And an unwavering belief in what they're capable of, especially on the days when they can't see it or feel it themselves.

Fortunately, my background prepared me well for that.

I'm not only a Jewish educator. I'm also a performer, singer, mentor, and social worker.

Those skills come together in every lesson I teach.

The pedagogy matters.

The emotional support matters.

The relationship matters.

All of it works together to create the premium, highly personalized learning experience that families know me for.

The goal isn't simply to get a student through a B Mitzvah.

The goal is to help them fully discover what they're capable of.

And sometimes, if you're very lucky, you get to witness the exact moment they internalize all your hard work, and watch your voice become theirs.

The moment "I can't do this" transforms into:

"I know you can do it!"

That's when you know the learning has truly taken root.

And that's my favourite part of the job.

Episode 4 of Journey with the Jewla - Black Fire on White Fire: Reclaiming Your Place in Jewish Tradition
Apple Podcasts: