My Community Rocks -Hurricane Irma Couldn’t Stop Us!

December 1, 2017 by Debbi Ballard

Hurricane Irma hit South Florida hard. Not as hard as we initially feared, but hard enough that we all felt the aftermath – some of us more than others.

Needing to Help

Now, I was incredibly lucky….I had a bit of a mess and no electricity; but with the help of my family I cleaned up relatively quickly. Thankfully, my power was restored in a timely manner. I was lucky. So many others weren’t. And, as seems to be the norm, those who were hardest hit were the most vulnerable of our community, the elderly and the children. As I watched the news and scrolled through my Facebook feed (let me digress for a moment, what an amazing communication tool Facebook was during this difficult time), horrible stories of devastation and damage seemed to be everywhere. It made my heart hurt and immediately I wanted to help. No, I needed to help. And so it began…..

Innocently enough, I posted my desire to help on my Facebook page; and over the course of a few days I was able to pinpoint an organization in considerable need: Covenant House.

Who is Covenant House

Located in east Fort Lauderdale, Covenant House Florida is an organization that services runaways, homeless and at risk youth including teen parents and their babies. In addition, they provide aftercare, transitional housing and and crisis shelters, among other services and have locations in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. Locally, Covenant House provides shelter for a number of young people, and offers a broad range of services to many others. This organization provides housing, food and counsel to a segment of our young population that would otherwise be without help. As such, they are an invaluable resource to our community.

What happened

Hurricane Irma happened…..and she happened hard. Because of Covenant House’s location, east Fort Lauderdale, it was one of the last organizations to have power restored. However, they were still responsible for caring for the young people who relied upon them. I was contacted and asked to help with the coordination of food and supply delivery. They usually prepare their own food, but the lack of power left their kitchen inoperable. So, I put out a call on my FB, and my community responded.

Our Response

At my core I am a teacher; one whose focuses in my lessons and my life on giving back and doing good. I try to lead by example and have lead countless service projects in the past. Every time I reach out to my community they respond — I am never disappointed. I have to admit though, this time I could barely believe the response to my request. After all, times were difficult for us all. I questioned how much help I would receive.

The answer to my question was A LOT! Families of my Edjewcation Station students, to my bar and bat mitzvah families, to my Mitzvah Makers families and my Shema Koleinu families all offered their help. They donated food and supplies. Together we delivered car loads of water, canned goods, fresh fruit, dry goods and snacks. They donated money, which we were able to contribute to the organization to buy the items they needed. And, they donated their time. They volunteered to pick up and deliver hot meals to the kids at covenant house from the many restaurants that so generously provided food.

I did not need to ask for help twice. In fact, at times I had to “choose” who to send to help because so many different people offered their assistance. You know that old saying “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”? I now know my community is tough!

I am so proud of my families for once again stepping up. Community service is a large part of my life, and time and time again these wonderfully generous people step up and contribute their time and money and hearts. Their children are so blessed. They are learning from example from their parents, their community and their friends. In short, they simply are the best.

Join my community

Looking for more information on edjewcation station, Shema Koleinu or Cantor Debbi Ballard? Click the links displayed. I would love to welcome you into my community and share with you all that we do.

A Totally COOL Hebrew School!
Because Jewish learning should be FUN!

April 30, 2017 by Debbi Ballard

Begin Your Spiritual Journey Through Personalized Jewish Education Programs Across South Florida

Just what you were looking for — Small groups and personal attention in an inviting, educational setting. Make Jewish learning fun and rewarding for your child and family! No synagogue membership required. Convenient and affordable. Want to join us? Find out how you can get on the bus! Click here to request more information.

Interested in registering for the Fall session? Complete the form below.

A Message from Cantor Debbi Ballard

I can’t believe it’s time to send out enrollment forms for another fun & exciting year of Edjewcation Station™! To think it was 9 years ago this year that I began with my very first group – 5 4^th & 5^th graders, at the Schecter family’s dining room table. Back then, my B-Mitzvah families wanted a program for their younger children that could keep their families engaged and “Jewishly educated”, while the older children were working towards their B-Mitzvah.

Like today, those were very busy families. They wanted Jewish experience and education, but they didn’t want to spend 6 hours a week committed to classroom experiences that were, well….less than rewarding.

Those families wanted something – more personal, more accessible. They wanted it to feel better, all the way around. They wanted their children to come home feeling happy about being Jewish, and knowing that being Jewish was a privilege, as well as an obligation.

We’re still doing that today. With a much smaller “footprint” of time on your week, and WAY less of an investment, our students leave class with smiles on their faces, and they can’t WAIT to come back – in 2 weeks. Many wish it was sooner!

But that’s the secret to success at Edjewcation Station. We have fun. We leave them wanting “more”! With a commitment to a core curriculum of Jewish holidays, Food & Culture, Mitzvot & Ethics, Prayer, and Building a Relationship with God, we cover all the bases in just less than 1.5 hours every other week.

Interested? Click here to request more information.

How Is Edjewcation Station Different?

• Smaller, more personalized classes

• Curriculum that presents on their level

• Patient teachers that truly listen to your children

• Respectful for all belief systems, including “questioning” children

• Fun, effective teaching methods

• And let’s not forget – 5 cooking classes each year! (we love latkes!)

We are just getting started with registration for another year, and classes are open in Davie, Boca, and Wellington. We can’t wait to have you!

For more information, call Cantor Debbi Ballard at (954) 646-1326 or email debbi@mypersonalcantor.com

Interested? Click here to request more information.

About Edjewcation Station

Founded by Cantor Debbi Ballard, founder of My Personal Cantor and Shema Koleinu, Cantor Debbi saw firsthand how today’s students were over committed, stressed, and had no time or inclination to embrace their 4 hour per week Jewish education program. Similarly, today’s Jewish parents want more value from their Jewish affiliation, more personalized options, and creativity and passion behind their family’s Jewish connection.

In 2008, Cantor Debbi began teaching her first class of 5^th graders. Five students gathered twice a month, to learn about being Jewish, in a very hands-on, engaging environment. We would focus on Jewish culture, foods, holidays, Torah, prayer, G-d, Mitzvoth/Ethics and Tikkun Olam. Word quickly spread, and in five short years, Cantor Debbi now has over 120 students in classes all over South Florida!

That led her to a challenging situation. How do you serve 120 students, in four major South Florida cities? Unable to utilize a single-location solution, the idea of a mobile classroom was born.

Today, Edjewcation Station has become a reality! A classroom installed in a remodeled city bus, and designed to hold 10-14 students and a teacher, we now have the world’s FIRST EVER Jewish mobile classroom!

Edjewcation Station® will serve unaffiliated populations across South Florida, with many engaging, exciting programs. We will not only serve as a “totally cool Hebrew School”, but we will hold adult education programs, conversion classes, Intro to Judaism programs, book study, and any other programs our community desires.

Why don’t you come along – and get on the bus? Jewish education should be fun, and we firmly believe that we are taking the driver’s seat for the future of Jewish education!

Click here to request more information.

We love our Hamentashen!

March 4, 2015 by Debbi Ballard

Just had to share some current photos from our awesome hamentashen baking classes this year!

Our students LOVE their cooking classes, they just can’t get enough. We make the recipes easy enough that everyone gets a job in the kitchen and we love to eat our yummy foods when they are done. For me- it is such a great time to bond and connect with my kids in a collaborative way. This really helps build an incredible relationship with them – and their parents!

So here you go – and just for stopping by – be sure to grab the recipe below the photos!

Making Jewish education fun for South Florida families

Happy Hamentashen Happening Here!

edjewcation station makes Jewish education fun for South Florida unaffiliated families

Our awesome 3rd grade enjoying their Hamentashen!

Hamentashen Recipe

1 cup unsalted butter or unsalted margarine
l ¼ cups sugar
3 eggs
¼ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
Egg Wash of whole egg & milk or cream

Fillings:

Apricot preserves
Hershey’s kisses
Raspberry preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

Cream the shortening and sugar. Add eggs and blend until smooth. *Add a tsp. of flour at a time, if needed because the batter looks curdled. Stir in milk and vanilla, then in flour mixture until a firm (but soft) dough forms. Form into a smooth disk, cover and allow to let rest ten minutes. Roll out dough on lightly floured board to a thickness of 1/8th inch. (do this in dough sections if needed.) Cut dough into 3-inch rounds. Fill with a heaping teaspoon of filling., and fold three sides towards into center. Brush pastries with egg wash. Bake 18-25 minutes, or until golden brown. (Makes 48-60 cookies, depending on size)

Our favorite B-Mitzvah DJ’s EVER!

November 24, 2014 by Debbi Ballard

The mitzvah business can be tough to get around – competition is stiff, and you have to work really hard to set yourself apart from the competition. Here at edjewcation station, we have NO doubt who is the BEST Bar Mitzvah DJ this side of the Mississippi – and it’s no doubt – our friends at Pure Energy Entertainment.

When we went to Mike & David at Pure Energy to tell them about this crazy idea we had for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the “roll out” of the edjewcation station mobile classroom, they were very enthusiastic! I was so excited for their response – not only because these guys are the real deal – but because they are very discerning in the industry. They work exceptionally hard to maintain a positive image in all they do, and that goes along with the professionals they affiliate with. They won’t partner with just anyone – and to pass the Pure Energy “test” meant so much to me.

I could have chosen anyone to be a headliner for that ribbon cutting, but I wanted the best of the best – guys who I could build a relationship with throughout the years – who could be friends, business mentors, and colleagues whose integrity matched mine, as I work very hard to maintain that same standard.

Pure Energy brought so much to the table – and so much to ReJEWveNation – that our event was a huge success, and I couldn’t be more thankful for how things turned out. Our connection is so strong, that I took the bus back to the wrap shop – to add a new wrap to 2 windows – in order to convey our gratitude for their support and enthusiasm for the edjewcation station mission. We brought the bus to the PE team last week, and here’s a little snippet of the fun we all had together – bet you can’t resist the urge to dance through this video!

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