2 minute read
Outdoor Classroom Ribbon Cutting
Relationships
By Tamar Frieze*
On Thursday, October 8, the FJECC Preschool and the Temple Israel community came together on a picturesque fall day to celebrate the dedication of the new Rita and Adam J. Weiner and Family Outdoor Classroom at the Frances Jacobson Early Childhood Center at Temple Israel. As all of the parents and greater community members know, the FJECC is a truly exceptional early learning institution. Under the vision and direction of our beloved Helen Cohen and her staff, the FJECC is always leading the way with innovative programming, allowing our little ones and our families to explore, learn, and thrive in a nurturing, non-pressured, and engaging environment. The Rita and Adam J. Weiner and Family Outdoor Classroom, one of the first Certified Nature Explore classrooms in Boston of a national initiative, has been a magnificent extension of the unutilized playground-adjacent space on the Temple Israel grounds. The extended outdoor space is a dynamic, naturerich learning environment that enables our children to use this beautiful new oasis as an integral part of their learning experience in our urban setting. Children are encouraged to thoughtfully explore their natural surroundings both during class and at play. Sitting amongst family and friends at the dedication, listening to the warm words of welcome from Rabbi Elaine Zecher, I was in awe of the verdant ‘Grow’, ‘Gather’, ‘Garden’, ‘Discover’ and ‘Construct’ areas (among others), framed by the beautiful foliage. I had a moment of profound gratitude for the school, Temple Israel, and my dear friends Adam and Rita Weiner whose generosity have given my children, the school’s children, and children yet to come such a beautiful and sacred space in which to build a meaningful relationship with nature, and with each other. It has already been powerful to witness our children (ages 1.9 to 6 years of age) designing, planning, creating, observing, engineering, and learning together through the vehicle of nature. The FJECC staff believes that spending time outdoors brings a sense of wonder and joy to children and helps to foster imagination, creativity, and powers of observation as well as promoting a positive environmental ethic. Rabbi Jeremy Morrison concluded the dedication by leading us in the Shehecheyanu, beautifully summarizing the essence of the prayer at this event by saying that he hopes when our children are in this space, they are energized and invigorated, stand tall and feel confident in the world they are in, and come into connection with new ways of thinking, playing and creating together. Amen! And once more, on behalf of the preschool, and the community at large, I’d like to thank Rita and Adam Weiner and their family for their vision, dedication, and passion for this project and their endless generosity. As they said that the children have inspired them, they have inspired us.
Classroom, one of the first
Certified Nature Explore
Temple Israel grounds.” *About the author: Tamar Frieze is the mother of FJECC alumni and students Sloane, Marin, and Avery Frieze.
