Behrman House: About Us: 2002 Letter from the Publisher

Letter from the Publisher 2002

        Most of us still carry images of our own religious school experiences in our memories. For some they were joyful times, for others perhaps less so. But for each of us, whatever their nature, they were our first steps toward the profession we now practice.
        Each day that we come to work here at Behrman House, to develop books and other educational materials, we hold in our minds images of children attending religious school. They are from Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist congregations. They live in Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, and Dallas. Some come eagerly with anticipation, some come under duress, some come exhausted from a full day at secular school.
        But, as we think of these children and as we develop our books, we also remember that without you—without talented educators and teachers—our books would be little more than long strings of words and pretty piles of pictures. It is you who work with these students every day, you who create welcoming Jewish environments for them when they walk into school, you who use these books to create classroom experiences with the power to change lives.
        And change lives you do, For it is often a little a bit of magic that you work, molding the landscape of your students' lives. Every day, in many different ways, often bit by bit, you shape their values, their behavior, and their dreams. You help them find an anchor, a set of permanent reference points, you their rapidly changing lives. Sometimes you even reach their parents as well.
        Our job is to help you, whenever we can, however we can. This is how we spend our days. Hopefully, we help by providing books and materials that are rich in content, engaging, and even fun to use. When we succeed we do so by turning those words and pictures into dynamic books, filled with personality and punch, and with the promise of pleasure for children. When we succeed, we can help make what you teach come alive.
        But ultimately it is you, not we, who do the landscaping. You create the learning environment. You make the decisions of what to teach and how. You respond to the varied, and changing, needs of your students. And for that, we, and our entire community, are in your debt.

        With every best wish,

Sincerely,

David E. Behrman