Faculty/Staff Social Justice Project During Staff Days
The Rashi School Faculty/Staff Create "Comfort" Backpacks for Third Grade Students
at the Woodrow Wilson School in Framingham
Rashi Faculty and Staff came together during our August Staff Days to bring a smile to third grade students from immigrant families at the Woodrow Wilson School in Framingham - a Tamchui recipient two years ago! We created "comfort backpacks" that include a fun book about feelings, activity pages, color pencils, silly putty and colorful cards of caring, hope and encouragement!
We set the stage for this project by earlier identifying a family/extended family member who had emigrated to the U.S. and then posted a one page sheet about some aspect of that person's experiences. It was clear how so many of us had family members emigrate to the US for a better life.
We welcomed Lucia Panichella, Director of Immigrant and Youth Services at Jewish Family Service of Metrowest, to update us on what is currently happening with immigration laws, policies and practices and how they are impacting the parents and children who attend the Wilson School.
Next we looked at a painting from 1909 (see below) to generate questions and observations about what we thought was happening at that very moment. See our responses below. What are YOU curious about? What do YOU observe from this painting?
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Welcoming of America, with golden
key. People are downtrodden and in
search of hope.
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Hope
●
Has to be better than what they
are leaving
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Sadness and concern of coming to
this country
●
Fear of being here and now what do
you do?
●
Gate: 2 opposites, barrier/vulnerability
but also welcoming/inclusion/longing
●
Coming in
●
Gate is not totally open, narrow,
“secure border”
●
Immigrant woman looking down,
sadness, hesitation, fear
●
Unknown
●
Lady Liberty, new world,
robust. She is bigger than the other
figures,
●
Commerce in background
●
Contrast between the old and new,
America is the new
●
Clasping hands hoping that they
can get in, want to step into the light but it isn’t a given. Gate isn’t all the way open, have to have the
right credentials.
●
Eagle and talons holding arrows
●
Children: so scared but also
resilient. Have no voice in this.
●
People have everything they own
with them in their hands.
●
They were our grandparents,
relatives, projecting that she is letting them in because that is what America
did for us.
● Lady Liberty can be stepping out of the way
letting them in or closing the gate on them
●
A huge change for them, a moment
of transition
●
Symbolism of eagle is imposing.
●
Not behind or in front of the
gate, in the midst of moving through.
●
Who is the family? Grandfather?
Mother and grandchildren? Why is
this the configuration?
●
Present day of who can come in and
who can’t, people from some part of the world allowed and others not.
●
Moment of pause. Lady Liberty is thoughtful and has not yet
made a decision.
●
Old man’s foot is up, he is ready
to go in.
●
Son holding on to mom - children so attached to their parents - especially at this moment
Faculty and Staff create beautiful heart-felt cards to accompany "comfort backpacks" for third grade students at the Wilson School whose families have been deeply impacted by immigration laws and challenges and who, themselves, now are experiencing worry and stress as a result.
