Farber Hebrew Day School 
has been in-person for the 
Early Childhood Center 
and Elementary Divisions, 
with a hybrid of alternating 
in-person and virtual days 
for middle school and high 
school. 
According to Naomi 
Gardin and Jenny Schwartz, 
co-PTO presidents at 
Farber, teachers had to 
tweak their teaching 
style in order to engage 
students simultaneously in 
the classroom and on the 
computer, and get used to 
new technology such as 
webcams, doc cams and 
microphones. Plastic desk 
dividers now separate all 
desks in the elementary 
school. Some teachers even 
create special learning 
packets and personally drop 
off supplies and coursework 
at their students’ homes. 
Hardest of all, according 
to Gardin, is that there’s no 
in-person interaction with 
or feedback from parents 
because they’re not allowed 
in the school yet — another 
COVID precaution. 
“Gone are the daily 
interactions with teachers 
in the hallways as parents 
are now absent from the 
building. Gone are hot lunch 
volunteers. Many of our 
standard yearly programs 
have become logistically 
impossible,” Gardin said. 
To raise the spirits of the 
staff and to help parents get 
to know the staff virtually, 
the school launched 
Farber Fabulous Faculty in 
November. 
Staff members were sent a 
Google form questionnaire. 

Then, Schwartz said, “We 
highlight one or two staff 
members on social media 
weekly, share their bios and 
pictures, celebrate them and 
learn more about them.”
Parents comment with 
appreciative messages, “likes” 
and share these Facebook 
posts, which have reached as 
many as 1,700 people. 
Mearyl Diskin, first grade 
general studies and eighth 
grade algebra teacher, has 
been a much-loved teacher 
at Farber for eight years; her 
students even concocted a 
cheer in her honor complete 
with Jazz Hands (“Disky 
Disky Disky wooooo!”). 
Her profile said she loves 
Korean food, would love 
to visit the Maldives, has a 
beloved pet dog called Snoop, 
and was especially touched 
when the school put on 
simchah music and danced 
with her at a pre-Shabbat 
assembly to celebrate her 
engagement. 
After her profile was 
shared on social media, 
Diskin said, “This was such 
a nice way to connect with 
families and for them to see 
me without my mask on! 
It was also so uplifting to 
hear the positive comments 
written on Facebook and 
passed on through the halls 
… It really brightened my 
day.”
Diskin was not the only 
one who felt this way; others 
teared up while reading the 
heartfelt comments. 
Schwartz said, “Seeing 
how touched the staff is by 
this initiative has shown us 
just how truly powerful our 
positive words can be.”

PHOTOS BY ARIELLA SHAFFREN

“WE HIGHLIGHT ONE OR TWO 
STAFF MEMBERS ON SOCIAL 
MEDIA WEEKLY AND

CELEBRATE THEM.”

— JENNY SCHWARTZ, FARBER PTO CO-PRESIDENT

‘Fabulous’ at Farber

Mearyl Diskin 
and Judah 
Khodorkovsky

Mearyl Diskin reads to 
students Ben Idler, Ezra 
Hazan and Leora Doppelt.

Farber co-PTO 
presidents 
Naomi Gardin 
and Jenny 
Schwartz

continued from page 13

14 | MARCH 4 • 2021 

