The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh will honor Jewish day school educator Sara London with one of the North American Grinspoon Awards for Excellence in Jewish Education. London will receive the award at a ceremony at the Jewish Federation offices on June 5, 2019.

London teaches middle school and high school language arts at Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh.

School administrators nominated London for her teaching excellence and for her use of literature to help her students to establish a stronger Jewish identity. She seamlessly integrates Judaic ideas into both Jewish and non-Jewish lessons, giving her students a more complex view of Judaism that is transferable to all aspects of their lives.

Jewish Federation Director of Jewish Life and Learning Rabbi Amy Bardack acknowledges London for her achievements: “We are so pleased to be recognizing the dedication and skill of Sara London. Jewish educators are central to transmitting our traditions and values, and Sara is well deserving of this honor.”

London was overjoyed to hear that she had been selected to receive a 2019 Grinspoon Award for Excellence in Jewish Education.

“As a teacher for the past 25 years, I have felt thanked and appreciated by students on an almost daily basis. But to be appreciated by the larger world outside of my school is a new experience. It’s really nice, and it will fuel me for a long time to come.”

Sara London

The Pittsburgh Jewish community has been participating in and supporting this national award since its inception, in 2000.  The Grinspoon Award nominations rotate each year among part-time congregational schools, day schools and early childhood schools, with this year focusing on the day schools.

The Harold Grinspoon Award for Excellence in Jewish Education recognizes skilled, innovative educators in Jewish day schools, religious schools and Jewish early childhood centers. This year marks the 19th year that the Harold Grinspoon Foundation has presented an award to a Jewish educator. Since 2000, the program has grown to 80 North American communities and has recognized hundreds of outstanding educators in the United States and Canada.

Honorees are nominated by the organizations they serve. In Pittsburgh, the award is supported by the Barbara and Lester Parker Fund for a Jewish Future Endowment. This endowment is part of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Jewish Community Foundation.

For details or questions about the award ceremony, contact Cheryl Johnson at 412-992-5249 or cjohnson@jfedpgh.org or register online to attend.

Light refreshments will be served. (Kosher dietary laws observed.) The event is free; registration is requested.