Dr. Phyllis Kramer

Purposes, Ethics
Boca Raton, Florida

Phyllis Kramer

"prepared and competent"

Dr. Phyllis Kramer loves the look of discovery on a student's face when he or she recognizes the reason for something they have been doing all their life or have heard of since childhood. "I take pleasure in watching the beginning apprehension of 'I do not know anything' or 'I have no background' change subtly month by month to 'I have learned so much and I want to continue learning'," says Phyllis.

With a BA in English Literature, an MA in Counseling in higher education, and a PH.D in Judaic Studies, Phyllis knows what it's like being a mature student as a learner rather than a teacher. She began teaching at the Mini-School five years ago when she relocated to Florida, took the Ethics curriculum home with her and became enthralled and challenged with the material.

The greatest challenge she finds is trying to convey the multiplicity of views from the bible to the rabbinical tradition to the responsa. "The fact that there is no 'absolute' answer to many [dare I say few if any] questions," she says, "becomes one of the greatest challenges itself."

"Dr. Kramer is one of the most prepared and competent instructors that I have personally come across," says Mimi Seltzer, Boca Raton Mini-School Director. "It is obvious that she takes her teaching responsibilities seriously. Besides preparing diligently for each class, she is also able to establish a camaraderie with her students who all express deep respect for her wealth of knowledge and for her teaching abilities."

Preparation is one of Phyllis's pieces of advice for other Mini-School teachers. "Be prepared in what you will teach, be prepared to expect anything in the way of the students sharing of their own history," she says, "and enjoy the true satisfaction of teaching at the FMAMS." Students arrive earlier and earlier for the classes before they begin and are eager to be at FMAMS. "When they say good-bye at the end of any class, they let me know that they look forward eagerly to the subsequent week," adds Phyllis. "I think this attitude reflects how happy and comfortable they are and how the learning process has awakened them on many levels."

One of Phyllis's best teaching moments occurred this year when explaining the sheva brachot to the class. She decided to sing part of the seventh bracha to them, and as she was singing and looking around, realized that Florence Melton was seated next to her singing along!

Being a mother and grandmother gives her tremendous pleasure and watching the new generation being inculcated with the traditional ethical values is a poignant experience for her. "As I watch them," she says, " I am similarly catapulted into my teaching of the Ethics course to focus on my students on their role as teacher to their children and grandchildren." Phyllis feels they are becoming role models for the next generations and that sharing their knowledge within the inter-generational setting is an important by-product of the Melton experience.

Besides teaching at the Mini-School, Phyllis has founded her own Rosh Hodesh Havurah which provides a venue for Judaic knowledge and camaraderie among the women, and designs needlepoint incorporating Hebrew calligraphy. In a Montreal synagogue there is a set of 12 Torah covers she designed and worked on with several synagogue members. In addition, she is also singularly spearheading a petition campaign designed to address the biased reporting about Israel in the Middle East situation in a major local newspaper. "Teaching the FMAMS course in Ethics has led me to comprehend that passivity may be a safe road to follow," she says, "but when ethical values are at stake, one must not "Shave V'al ta'aseh" - sit and do nothing. Engaging in this project is a personal example of how I can continue to grow and reach out and be challenged by life around me."

Phyllis can be reached by e-mail at drpcsk@aol.com.

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