By Janessa Berkowitz
Like any parent, I am always seeking out and pursuing opportunities where my daughter (who is 3) can experience beautiful people, who will gently help her learn how to similarly navigate and enjoy the complex world around her. As parents, we all essentially want to prepare our kids for what can be the harsh realities of life (without losing the fun). We work diligently to answer their complex questions with understandable and digestible answers (without heading down the rabbit holes we cannot, or dare not, explain). As parents, we also know that lessons learned early can help build a strong foundation for thoughtful decision-making later in life (when we are not there to guide them-gulp). This task is a BIG one.

​by Jodi Rubin
From Jodi's remarks at Gan Graduation

Our family has been at the Gan for a while. Maybe because I'm the incoming Adath Secondary Vice President or maybe because after tonight I'll have four Gan alumni, I was asked to say a few words. We started here when our oldest son, Jack was 2 years old. Jack will be 12 this summer, followed by Julia, who will be 10 and Samantha, who is 7. We have spent the last 10 consecutive years as parents at Gan Shelanu. That is a pretty long run!  In those 10 years, a lot has changed in the size of our family, the number of wrinkles on my face, and the frequency that I have to color my hair.  But within that time and those changes, it is my perspective as a parent that has grown and developed the most.