Interview with Tamar Lipton on Jewish education in BC. Tamar attended Talmud Torah and King David High School, then Maimonides, in Vancouver. She also has experience with Richmond Jewish Day School as a parent.

Interview with Sarah Solomon on Jewish education in BC. Sarah talks about her experience as the daughter of an educator, her experience attending Talmud Torah and Richmond Jewish Day School (RJDS), and her experience being the parent of a child attending RJDS.

Number: CA JMABC A.1971.001-20.21-33
Name: Jen Jaffe
Interviewer: Unspecified
Date: Unspecified
Place: Unspecified
Project: The Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia Oral History Project

Summary:
00:00: The interviewer asks Jen Jaffe to introduce herself and her role at the Temple Sholom school.
2:05: The interviewer asks Jaffe to describe her role as principal of the school. Jaffe describes some of the general trends that have happened within the school since she became principal in 2010.
4:32: Jaffe describes who the students are that attend the school and the reasons the common reasons their parents placed them in the school program.
7:08: Jaffe describes the involvement of Rabbis Dan and Brown in the school and its activities.
10:27: Jaffe describes the use of technology in the school and how the school programming was restructured during the early months of the covid-19 pandemic that began in 2020. She also recounts how they were able to ensure each family had the sufficient technologies to be able to participate in their classes.
15:36: Jaffe describes how the Temple Sholom school works with every child to support their individual needs. The school employs Teen [Madrohim] to act as educational aids for the students who need some extra support.
18:47: Jaffe tells how the school is divided in to classes and how those classrooms are generally structured.
20:03: Jaffe responds to the interviewer’s requests to elaborate on the curriculum and philosophy.
23:45: The interviewer asks Jaffe if there is an issue of anti-Semitism that the students have expressed. Jaffe says not directly but it is a topic that is addressed in the school. The teachers also teach the kids how to cope with Christmas.
27:17: Jaffe describes the diversity in the student body.
29:11: Jaffe describes some of the electives the school offers including art, music and Lego.
31:55: The speakers discuss changes that have happened during Jaffe’s tenure at the Temple Sholom school.
33:45: The interviewer asks Jaffe if she thinks the school will encounter any significant issues in the near future.
35:31: Jaffe responds to the interviewer’s question about how the school addresses the political situation between Israel and Palestine.
37:16: Jaffe describes some of the interactions the Temple Sholom school has with other Jewish schools in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. They also discuss how the school prepares its students for their B’nai Mitzvah.
40:43: End of interview.