Congregation Jewish Community North - Spring, Texas - CJCN President Elect and Teacher Harris Pikus Honored as outstanding Teacher

(Representatives of the Irving L. Samuels family with the 2010 award recipients. Vic Samuels, Harris Pikus, Laurie Levy, Bobbi Samuels, Mitch Samuels, Ben Samuels and Ethan Samuels (in front).

The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston's Bureau of Jewish Education hosted the community's annual Teacher Appreciation Evening on Monday, May 24, at Seven Acres. Highlights included the presentation of the 19th annual Irving L. Samuels Outstanding Teacher Awards for Judaic Studies to Laurie Levy of The Shlenker School and Harris Pikus of Congregation Jewish Community North.

Levy teaches third grade at The Shlenker School. She has been a teacher for 33 years, most of it at the third-grade level. Her educational philosophy that guides her everyday teaching is based on the concept of "rowing your boat." She provides her students with the "oars to row," which she explains are the tools of learning, but she expects her students to "row their own boat" across Levy Lake. She also uses The Shlenker core values of tikkun olam, b'tselem el-him, faith, character, community, knowledge and k'lal Yisrael as a guide not only for Jewish learning for her classroom, but in her personal life as well.

Pikus has been teaching Hebrew and ninth-grade comparative religions classes at Congregation Jewish Community North for the past four years. Pikus considers teaching an honor and a privilege. Working with these amazing students and their families has left an everlasting image that he says he will cherish for the rest of his life

In Pikus' educational philosophy, there is a close relationship between teaching and celebrating Shabbat and Havdalah.

"I get excited about the events to come, do all the preparation before class, and then the total focus during class without any outside disruptions gets me in the zone to take care of each student's needs. After class, I still feel the adrenaline rush that lasts for a few days and helps me to get ready for the next week. It is a physical and spiritual cycle that keeps me moving forward because the rewards far outweigh all the preparation," Pikus said. "No matter what I teach, there is always a spiritual component that the students are beginning to recognize. I think that concept is by far more important to them than any facts that we discuss, and it is a pleasure when I see them make the connection."

The Outstanding Teacher Awards include $1,000 for Levy and Pikus to participate in a Jewish educational program of their choice. Each of their names is engraved on a plaque to hang in their schools and also is engraved on a permanent plaque at the BJE. An additional stipend of $300 was awarded to both of their schools for the discretionary purchase of educational materials. Monies for this award are made available by proceeds from the Irving L. Samuels Outstanding Teacher Award Fund of the Houston Jewish Community Foundation. Levy and Pikus also are eligible for the Grinspoon-Steinhardt Awards for Excellence in Jewish Education presented by the Jewish Education Service of North America.

The Irving L. Samuels Award honors individuals who demonstrate particular skill and dedication as Judaic studies teachers in the greater Houston Jewish community. In addition to being a classroom teacher engaged in teaching Judaic subject matter, the Irving L. Samuels Award winner also must demonstrate a high standard of professionalism; a willingness to be flexible and innovative; a dedication to Jewish education; empathy and cooperation with families, lay people and colleagues; the ability to meet the varied emotional and academic needs of the students; a commitment to Jewish life through involvement in organized Jewish communal activities; a commitment to serving as a role model to the students; a sense of warmth, sensitivity and fairness; courage and character in the classroom; high expectations for student achievement; and outreach to families via educational activities.

Irving L. Samuels was a respected Jewish educator who taught the confirmation class at Congregation Emanu El for 21 years. To his students, Samuels was the consummate teacher, interpreter of religious tradition and a link to Judaism for a generation of young Texas Jews. This award was established as a loving tribute in his memory by his wife, Elsie (of blessed memory), and his children, Barbara and Ron Smith, Irene Loots (of blessed memory), Victor and Barbara Samuels, Tom and Mary Samuels, Mitchell and Sylvia Samuels, and Rabbi Robert and Annette Samuels.

Previous recipients of this award include Ilana Giveon, Rina Erlichman, Dr. Irving Rothman, Alan Rusonik, Judy Stein, Rhoda Nichaman, Marsha Schneider (of blessed memory), Hana Karny, Devora Urkowitz (of blessed memory), Blanche Abramovitz (of blessed memory), Rabbi Dov Nimchinsky, Elaine Lupovitch, Have Wolf, Carol Levin, Judy Maislos, Vered Gadot, Ellen Heffler, Carrie Keith, Rabbi Todd Doctor, Charlotte Roth and Rivka Fishman.

Nominations for the Irving L. Samuels Outstanding Teacher awards for Judaic Studies are accepted from the community each year in early January through March. For information about the awards, visit the Federation's website at http://www.houstonjewish.org/, or contact Lisa Klein at the BJE at 713-729-7000, ext. 330, or mailto:lklein@houstonjewish.org

The BJE, a division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, is a beneficiary of the Jewish Federation Annual Campaign.

(reprinted from an article from the Jewish Herald Voice)