Page 114 - issue
P. 114
Center tions. Girls would ask me what I had for sup-
Stage per last night, and I couldn’t answer. I didn’t
know what pork and beans were. And they
with didn’t know what kartufel mit fleish was.
Mrs. Shaindel Cohen
One time a teacher was drilling us about
Wby Sara Wolf and as far away as England and Panama. dates of holidays. She asked me what she
e all know the squeaky Through her unique programs and tried- thought was the easiest one: December
wheel gets the grease. Or and-true methods, Mrs. Cohen works with 25th. I thought that was Chanukah, and the
the attention. Or the help. our community’s quietest members and class roared with laughter. After many such
What happens though, helps people of all ages reclaim their voic- incidents, I shut down. It was gradual, but
when the wheel is quiet? es…and their lives. by third grade, I stopped talking in school.
Painfully quiet. When I entered Bais Yaakov, I met girls
For selective mutes, Hi, Mrs. Cohen. Can you tell our readers a with my background, and I felt comfortable
childhood is a painful ex- little bit about your childhood? enough to begin talking again.
perience indeed. These children don’t talk
in school – not to their teachers and not to I grew up in a small coalmining town in Were your parents aware that you didn’t
their classmates. It’s so easy to gloss over Pennsylvania. I was the only shomer Shab- speak in school?
them. After all, they don’t squeak. But they bos girl in my small town. I went to a little
are hurting. And Mrs. Shaindel Cohen (nee Talmud Torah after public school. In ninth They were not aware. Because I was so
Kohn) has become their collective voice. grade, baruch Hashem, my father’s busi- bottled up in school, I became a chatter-
ness failed, and we moved to Harrisburg, box at home. That’s very common. When
Although Mrs. Cohen is a longtime Lake- Pennsylvania. I ended up going to Bais Yaa- I came home with a PTA note, my mother
wood teacher and moved to Eretz Yisrael kov for high school. would ask, “What’s this?” And I would say,
over two years ago – there is a Baltimore “Oh, it’s not important.” They never knew.
connection. She boarded in Baltimore to at- I’ve heard you say you were a selective
tend Bais Yaakov High School. She remains mute until tenth grade. What was that like? When did you begin working with selective
a well-known name in the States even in mutism?
her new home across the sea, continuing My parents were survivors, and we
to guide parents and teachers in Lakewood spoke Yiddish at home. I learned English in As a preschool teacher, I was given at
school, but I couldn’t answer simple ques- least one selective mute child every year.
I felt very comfortable helping them, and
I’d get them talking in two weeks or less. I
didn’t know at the time what a record that
was!
I fine-tuned my programs and started
giving teacher workshops. Finally, after 26
years of teaching, Rav Mattisyahu Solomon,
shlita, told me to stop teaching altogether
and do this work full-time.
Can you please explain the difference be-
tween a shy child and a Selective Mute?
Shyness is one of the three middos (qual-
ities) of klal Yisrael. It’s not a bad thing. The
question really is: When is shy too shy? A
recently published book claims that one
third to one half of all people are introverts,
so “quiet” is not a dirty word. Yet, when I
ask quiet people about the mailos (pros) of
being quiet, they can’t think of any. I think
there are tons of mailos!
Such as…
Quiet people are good observers and
good listeners. Their friendships are endur-
ing and meaningful. They’re loyal to fami-
ly and friends. They’re not superficial, and
they don’t need a lot of attention. They’re
106 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
Stage per last night, and I couldn’t answer. I didn’t
know what pork and beans were. And they
with didn’t know what kartufel mit fleish was.
Mrs. Shaindel Cohen
One time a teacher was drilling us about
Wby Sara Wolf and as far away as England and Panama. dates of holidays. She asked me what she
e all know the squeaky Through her unique programs and tried- thought was the easiest one: December
wheel gets the grease. Or and-true methods, Mrs. Cohen works with 25th. I thought that was Chanukah, and the
the attention. Or the help. our community’s quietest members and class roared with laughter. After many such
What happens though, helps people of all ages reclaim their voic- incidents, I shut down. It was gradual, but
when the wheel is quiet? es…and their lives. by third grade, I stopped talking in school.
Painfully quiet. When I entered Bais Yaakov, I met girls
For selective mutes, Hi, Mrs. Cohen. Can you tell our readers a with my background, and I felt comfortable
childhood is a painful ex- little bit about your childhood? enough to begin talking again.
perience indeed. These children don’t talk
in school – not to their teachers and not to I grew up in a small coalmining town in Were your parents aware that you didn’t
their classmates. It’s so easy to gloss over Pennsylvania. I was the only shomer Shab- speak in school?
them. After all, they don’t squeak. But they bos girl in my small town. I went to a little
are hurting. And Mrs. Shaindel Cohen (nee Talmud Torah after public school. In ninth They were not aware. Because I was so
Kohn) has become their collective voice. grade, baruch Hashem, my father’s busi- bottled up in school, I became a chatter-
ness failed, and we moved to Harrisburg, box at home. That’s very common. When
Although Mrs. Cohen is a longtime Lake- Pennsylvania. I ended up going to Bais Yaa- I came home with a PTA note, my mother
wood teacher and moved to Eretz Yisrael kov for high school. would ask, “What’s this?” And I would say,
over two years ago – there is a Baltimore “Oh, it’s not important.” They never knew.
connection. She boarded in Baltimore to at- I’ve heard you say you were a selective
tend Bais Yaakov High School. She remains mute until tenth grade. What was that like? When did you begin working with selective
a well-known name in the States even in mutism?
her new home across the sea, continuing My parents were survivors, and we
to guide parents and teachers in Lakewood spoke Yiddish at home. I learned English in As a preschool teacher, I was given at
school, but I couldn’t answer simple ques- least one selective mute child every year.
I felt very comfortable helping them, and
I’d get them talking in two weeks or less. I
didn’t know at the time what a record that
was!
I fine-tuned my programs and started
giving teacher workshops. Finally, after 26
years of teaching, Rav Mattisyahu Solomon,
shlita, told me to stop teaching altogether
and do this work full-time.
Can you please explain the difference be-
tween a shy child and a Selective Mute?
Shyness is one of the three middos (qual-
ities) of klal Yisrael. It’s not a bad thing. The
question really is: When is shy too shy? A
recently published book claims that one
third to one half of all people are introverts,
so “quiet” is not a dirty word. Yet, when I
ask quiet people about the mailos (pros) of
being quiet, they can’t think of any. I think
there are tons of mailos!
Such as…
Quiet people are good observers and
good listeners. Their friendships are endur-
ing and meaningful. They’re loyal to fami-
ly and friends. They’re not superficial, and
they don’t need a lot of attention. They’re
106 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
