Atlanta’s CMCH School Works to Keep Students Engaged

By CMCH Parent

It’s 11 AM on a Tuesday morning, and Matan Fleishman is sitting in his sixth-grade classroom at the Chabad community school CMCH in Atlanta, Georgia, thoughtfully tapping his pencil to his chin.

In three days, he will need to submit the position paper he’s working on to a Rabbinic Council for review. At the moment, however, he’s not in class with his Judaics teacher, Rabbi Mendel Jacobson, but with Mr. Wes Morris, who runs the Middle School’s English Language Arts program.

“Rabbi Jacobson and I both come from a Montessori background, and were looking for ways to integrate the Judaic and General Studies sides of the curriculum,” Mr. Morris said. “We decided to come up with hot topics in the Jewish world; he would guide them in researching their assigned topics, and I would support them in writing their papers and preparing for a debate.”

The project they came up with is a challenging but fascinating one. The boys were divided into groups and assigned a debate based on real-life situations and recent events. Each group was further split into two pairs and instructed to research one of two opposing positions and create arguments based on halacha and other scholarly works.

Some students utilized online search engines to aid in their research; others, like Fleishman, preferred to go straight to the source.

“Rabbi Jacobson gave me some guidance on where to start looking,” Fleishman shared. “Then I opened the Gemara (Talmud) and Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) and found the sources that would back my position.”

On this particular Tuesday, the students are editing their position papers, which were previously submitted, reviewed and returned to them. In two weeks, they’ll be arguing in a debate that will be streamed live for the parents, grandparents and school community to enjoy. The boys are nervous about what to expect, yet they seem confident that they can hold their own and argue their positions convincingly.

Unlike previous years, when seats were grouped together to optimize collaborative learning, the students sit six feet apart, in desks surrounded by plexiglass. This doesn’t seem to faze them as they eagerly exchange ideas about debate strategy and ponder aloud what kind of questions moderator Rabbi Yossi New, Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beth Tefillah and Executive Director of Chabad of Georgia, might throw at them.

If you were to walk through the hallways and peek into other classrooms, you would notice a similar sight. The setup of each room prioritizes Covid safety, but an inviting atmosphere is sensed upon glancing in. Class discussions flow freely and students are engaged in various learning activities assigned to them.

Back in the ELA room, Fleishman shares that the skills he is picking up through this assignment extend far beyond academics. “I learned how to write a paper, find information and draw people in, but this project also prepares us for the real world. In life, people will say things against you, and you can’t just respond by saying they’re wrong — you have to give evidence and say, ‘That isn’t right, and this is why.’”

As it turns out, this kind of practical application is exactly what the teachers had in mind when they initiated this project. In fact, it’s what drives most of their innovative lesson planning.

“Our teachers challenge themselves daily to find meaningful ways to improve student engagement,” said Mrs. Leah Sollish, the Judaic Principal who was the driving force behind this project. “We are incredibly lucky to have master teachers who are driven by passion and determination to push the limits and deliver high-quality learning experiences.”

Pushing the limits comes naturally to this crew. Back in March, as most schools were slowly coming to terms with the new Covid-19 reality, it took only one day for CMCH to move all classes online. It was a mammoth effort, but in short order the students were learning and engaging socially in their new virtual classroom.

Now the school has opened for in-person learning, and somehow, they have managed to do it all — foster creativity, encourage enthusiastic learners and engage every single child — all while maintaining a safe environment. The resilience and resourcefulness of the faculty is on display, and the Atlanta community has taken notice.

Registration is climbing steadily and the office is fielding almost daily phone calls from parents around the city and out of state interested in enrolling their children in the school. Most notably, an additional first-grade class is being opened mid-year, and all but two spots have already been filled. There is a dynamic Jewish Studies and General Studies education to be had here, and parents are drawn by the safe, nurturing environment where their children can blossom and succeed.

“People see a school that is open at a time when many are struggling to operate, and we are not only surviving, we are thriving!” said Ms. Elaine Padron, who oversees the General Studies Department. “Despite the pressures and uncertainty that COVID has brought, the students and teachers are rising to the occasion.”

As for the latest middle school project, Ms. Padron believes it embodies many of the innovative things that are fueling the school’s rapid growth. Rabbi Isser New, who serves as the school’s executive director, agrees.

“Over the past two years, I have watched our principals weave together a multi-faceted curriculum that encompasses Judaic Studies, General Studies, development of character and social-emotional growth,” Rabbi New said. “The Rabbinic Debates project is a result of that integration. Mrs. Sollish and Mrs. Padron have put together a brilliant team of teachers, who in turn are inspiring and empowering tomorrow’s leaders.”

As for Matan Fleishman, he is back at work researching his topic and honing his arguments. The debate date is getting closer, and this future leader needs to be prepared.