Episode 2: Gabi Gelman

Before she moved to Denver to teach at the Denver Academy of Torah last year, Gabi Gelman taught at the Robert M. Beren Academy for 17 years, where she taught Middle and High School Tanakh and also taught Kindergarten Judaics. Gabi earned her M.A. in Jewish Studies from Siegal College and her B.A. in Judaic Studies from Yeshiva University, and was an Ayeka Lead Educator as well as a Matan Bellows Eshkolot Fellow.  We spoke with Gabi in the days immediately following the rally for Israel in Washington DC, which she attended together with some of her students. You’ll hear her energy and excitement speaking about her experiences, but also the challenges of bringing her experiences back to students who could not travel across the country. This of course raises the broader challenge of relating the current war in Israel. As the fighting continues, how do teachers find a balance between their regular curriculum, while trying to keep their students aware and invested in what’s happening in Israel?