Word to the Wise

Illustrations: Marion Bellina

As told by Shuly Zuckerman to Sandy Eller

As the assistant middle school principal at Bnos Malka Academy, I was initially disconcerted to be so far away, in Chicago for my nephew’s wedding, when the world crashed to a halt. But the distance proved insignificant as we transitioned the entire school body from our Forest Hills, New York, campus to cyberspace.

Zoom classes were a big adjustment for both teachers and students. Our morning community meetings, where the girls gathered to start off the day with Tehillim and the Pledge of Allegiance, were one of Covid’s many casualties, and I found myself looking for another way to engage with them. I decided to do a morning video message for the students, taking turns each day with our menahel, Rabbi Michael Weichselbaum.

I’d heard that Rav Chaim Kanievsky had said we should focus on vatranus and shemiras halashon during the pandemic, and while I spoke about the former in my first video, I focused on shemiras halashon in my subsequent videos. I spent considerable time putting together videos that would draw the girls in, making sure there was always some kind of follow-up to keep them engaged — and it worked. The feedback was enthusiastic, both from students and their parents, which was gratifying for me.