Yocheved Sidof is an inspiration to many, knowing no boundaries or limitations to what she wants to achieve
By JOSEPH SCUTTSYocheved Sidof: Lamplighters represents the power of the individual, of challenging the status quo(photo credit: Courtesy)
An Orthodox Jewish mother of five, Yocheved Sidof is an inspiration to many, knowing no boundaries or limitations to what she wants to achieve. A pioneering woman of many talents, Sidof founded Lamplighters Yeshivah in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where she held the role of CEO for nearly a decade. Lamplighters is an internationally recognized school that has cultivated a unique model of personalized education. Before starting Lamplighters (a Jewish Montessori day school), she was a photographer, filmmaker and educator, always with a passion to connect people and uplift communities. I recently had the opportunity to speak to Sidof to discover where her drive and unique love for education originated.What was the main source of inspiration that made you want to create such a groundbreaking Jewish school in Brooklyn?I was raised with a deep knowledge and awareness that every person is an individual, charged with a unique mission in this world. Over the years, I met so many people – from all types of Jewish communities! – that became disillusioned through their Jewish schooling. I was struck, again and again, with a sort of cognitive dissonance: if God creates each one of us unique, why do our schools mostly offer one-size-fits-all solutions? I believe we can do better. We need to do better.Where did the idea for the name Lamplighters come from and do you think it symbolizes a source of light and hope with everything that is happening to the Jewish community these days?The Lubavitcher Rebbe taught that every Hasid is a lamplighter – our mission is to bring light to the darkest places. Before you can share light you need to be “lit” as they say – a whole person, in touch with your deepest self. That’s the true purpose of Jewish education. Even though we are a relatively small school in Brooklyn (150 students and counting), we have fulfilled a hope for so many people across so many communities. Lamplighters represents the power of the individual, of challenging the status quo. I’m just one mother who gathered a group of courageous people and committed to provide our children with someone better. Change is possible.What does education mean to you when it comes to building the Jewish leaders of tomorrow?We live in a world where we are constantly inundated, forced to make hard choices of where to place our attention. Becoming a whole person and Jew is not just about learning facts, Jewish history and content. It’s not about passing tests. We need to build the mental, emotional and spiritual capacity of our children to be resilient, make hard choices and stand for something that bigger than ourselves. To build the Jewish leaders of tomorrow and the next generation is to build people who think deeply, with curiosity, about the world and feel empowered make a difference.Lastly, what is your vision of the school five, 10, 20 years down the road as Lamplighters continues to grow, fueled by your vision as the founder?Thank God, over the last decade, our lab school has become a place of learning and sharing with Jewish educators across the world, from diverse communities, who are curious about our responsive, personalized model of education. The forward vision is to take our proof-of-concept and share it out more widely, through deeper, continued teacher training, consulting and model development. We are seeking fellow innovative educators, school leaders and visionary funders to partner with us to harness the learning of our school community and create ripples of change throughout Jewish schools of all kinds. The world is ready. Our children are waiting.Joseph Scutts is a financial adviser who resides in New York City and involved in more than 10 Israel-based and Jewish advocacy organizations
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