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Diana Yacobi is beginning her fifth year as Educational Director of Temple Emanu-El in Closter, New Jersey. She oversees programs, procedures, and curriculum development at the congregational school. Yacobi, who received her MA in Jewish Education from The Davidson School, said, “The goal of my master’s, and the thesis in particular, was to figure out how to do a better job of working with young adolescents,” so that teachers receive training in the teaching techniques suited to this age group. Since she began to work in the field, Yacobi’s interest in Hebrew has become stronger. “A lot of time and effort goes into teaching children to read Hebrew in the Conservative synagogue school,” she observed. Yacobi and her daughter Lily created Sarah and David Interactive, a Hebrew reading, writing, and language-media company. The company’s curriculum introduces new teaching techniques and cartoon characters. A CD and website offer resource materials. The goals of the curriculum “are to make learning letters fun and memorable and [to make] learning to read easier and more successful the first time around” for the primary-grade or late-start student. Yacobi’s interest in Jewish education is based on a “lifelong connection,” she said. “As a product of the system, it became a professional goal to improve the model, the educational experience for students, and the teaching experience for teachers, “she said. “Temple Emanu-El is blessed with a growing faculty of experienced, committed, and accomplished teachers,” added Yacobi. “By sharing the teachers’ experience and expertise, we can build and improve education in the synagogue school system.” About Diana Yacobi:
One-year foreign-student program, Hebrew University; 1969-1970
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