News

Innovation Grant Brings Acclaimed Jewish Storyteller Joel Ben Izzy to Brandeis

Over the past three weeks, Brandeis students have had many opportunities to engage with acclaimed Jewish storyteller Joel Ben Izzy, thanks to the Brandeis Innovation Grants (BIG) program. Ben Izzy is known for “utilizing Jewish folklore, as well as the folklore of other cultures from around the world, as a way to connect us to ourselves and the world we live in,” explains teacher Jonathan Ferris, BIG grant recipient. Ben Izzy worked with our fifth grade students, sharing his own family stories and challenging them to uncover their own family stories for their upcoming Family Immigration Memoirs, in which students interview members of the families to find out how their families immigrated to the United States. “I had no idea that Joel’s presence in the fifth grade would become so impactful for our students," says Mr. Ferris. "He quickly connected to our students by listening to them, telling stories with great humor and relevance, and helping them find meaningful connections to their families.” Additionally, Ben Izzy joined a lower school assembly, where he shared a story about a man who discovers the importance of tzedakah (giving to the less fortunate); joined in Thursday morning tefillot; and visited other lower school classrooms to share stories and inspire our students.
 
“The goal of bringing Joel to Brandeis is to empower students and teachers by giving them the essence of the craft of creating and telling stories, and thus utilizing this craft in our lessons and learning environments,” Mr. Ferris wrote in his grant proposal. “Stories tap into a part of our brains that activates connection to, as well as enthusiasm towards, ourselves, curriculum, culture, and community.” MORE PHOTOS
Back