Fran Rosen: A Teacher’s Creative Journey

Talking with Fran Rosen and hearing her enthusiasm for Judaism and love of Hebrew, one might think she was fully prepared to teach when she interviewed 25 years ago. “Although I had studied in Hebrew school when I was young, I didn’t have a degree in teaching,” Fran said.

But there was one area where she felt confident—the ability to creatively engage children in the classroom. “That was something I could do. After all,” Fran recalled smiling, “I had a background as a professional children’s entertainer.”

Soon her puppet Kof (monkey) was making regular appearances in her classroom to the glee of her students. “My goal was to make learning Hebrew fun—a joy that hopefully will be with children whenever they open a prayer book, wherever they are.”

As one of the many outstanding teachers at Temple, Fran continues to use creative approaches to make Judaic learning relevant and meaningful—a hallmark of Temple’s JEWL (Judaic Experiential Whole-person Learning) curriculum that she helped to develop.

“What I love about teaching at Temple are the amazing people I’m privileged to work with and the amount of resources that are devoted to Judaic education. From the get go, the clergy and staff were open to me bringing creative approaches into the classroom,” Fran said.

Fran finds that there is room to provide for everyone at Temple—one size does not fit all. “There are many different needs, many different children and different styles of learning. We are fortunate to have outstanding teachers from different observances who bring their own perspectives, gifts, and creativity into the classroom,” Fran said.

Fran’s aspiration for her students is that they won’t just learn Hebrew vocabulary—but that they will apply their Jewish learning creatively into their own lives. “Judaism has enriched my life, and for that I am enormously grateful. My hope for our students is that they also gain a sense of gratitude, and see how Judaism impacts their world in beautiful and meaningful ways.”

Fran's passion for Judaic education has touched a generation.

More than 60 OUTSTANDING TEACHERS AND TEACHING ASSISTANTS bring their talents and creativity to Temple through JEWL’s progressive, project-based and experiential curriculum.

More than 330 STUDENTS participate in JEWL each year and connect more deeply to their Jewish values, identity, and community.

THE ANNUAL FUND FOR TEMPLE ISRAEL helps make these special experiences possible—providing funding beyond the basics. For more information contact Rachel Schachter at rschachter@templeisrael.com or 612-374-0302.