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A Memoir of a Jewish Teacher in a Catholic School
Forgive Us Our Trespasses tells your personal story as the only Jewish person teaching in a Catholic school and shares memorable moments as well as your experiences with anti-Semitism. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Originally, I wasn’t going to try to have the book published. It was just going to be a documentation of my experiences to pass down to my children. I was encouraged by the publisher, the main student in the book, and my husband to share the story on a widespread basis. I believe that it is a story people from all walks of life can learn from. And it sends a positive message about diversity and inclusion in the world.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about teachers and teaching?
A common misconception I think people have about teachers and teaching is that they don’t realize the incredible amount of hours teachers put in to the job that they most likely aren’t even getting paid for. Most teachers teach because they love our children and want to make a difference in their lives. Instead, parents are often at odds with the teacher and don’t realize the teacher has the child’s best interest at heart. When I meet with any of my children’s teachers, I always say to them, “Thank you for teaching my child.”
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What is one thing you hope readers take away from your book?
I hope one thing the reader takes away from the book is that we should not hold preconceived notions about any person or group of people. Instead, we should get to know them. And we should educate our children to do the same.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you first started teaching?
The one piece of advice someone could have given me when I first started teaching was to make sure that I carve out time for myself because it’s easy to work around the clock and become all-consumed with your work.
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Forgive Us Our Trespasses
![Forgive Us Our Trespasses by [Diane Gensler]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41OgXjkchjL.jpg)
Diane Gensler couldn’t be more out of her element. She is Jewish and teaching in a Catholic school. The two worlds colliding around her are just the beginning of her experience educating the students of the parochial Baltimore school. Gensler finds herself facing anti-Semitism in addition to what can already be a challenging career path. While she has looked forward to being a teacher in her own classroom, she can only begin to guess what this particular position has in store for her. What Gensler finds out in her first days at the Catholic school is that even creating a welcoming atmosphere and being an eager teacher might not be enough to battle the preconceived notions of others.
Forgive Us Our Trespasses, by Diane Gensler, is the story of the author’s time spent teaching in a Catholic school in Baltimore. As a Jewish woman, she experienced biases and treatment to which her coworkers were immune. Her first year as a teacher should have been filled with joy and rewarding firsts, but she was subjected to prejudices–some veiled, others not so much.
As a teacher, I found so many truths in Gensler’s story. There is a seemingly endless number of things you are not told when you enter your first year, and she reveals them all plus more. I felt every one of her frustrations over losing instructional time to extra and unexpected duties. Nothing prepares you for all of the additional tasks, and Gensler explicitly lays out each and every one of them with all of the brutal honesty of a teacher eager to educate but overwhelmed by the magnitude of her job.
Gensler handles herself with a finesse not always known to first-year teachers. From dealing with attending Catholic church services to coping with parents who seem out to prove her incompetent, she persists and does so with much success. I was amazed at how well she dealt with coworkers who snubbed her without reason and the coldness of her principal. It takes a strong person to do this job and handle that kind of treatment.
I am giving Forgive Us Our Trespasses, by Diane Gensler, 5 out of 5 stars. If it were possible to give it more stars, I would do so enthusiastically. Gensler has put into writing what every teacher feels and given voice to some of the most challenging aspects of our jobs. Her words are not only relatable; they are filled with all the raw emotion of a woman experiencing the sting of prejudice while facing some of the most important work that can be done.
Pages: 188 | ASIN: B08BNPNP3J
LITERARY TITAN 