Testimonies

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"When does our school end, Miss?"

I was standing at the board one day in the fall, several years ago,
in my English class. I teach English grammar to nonnative speakers.
This particular group of adult students was from a country in Asia.

"Oh! Yes, good question! It ends the second week of December."

I wrote the date of our last school day on the board, and underlined it.

"For Christmas, right?" One of the students nodded, and wrote dutifully
in his notebook.

"Yeah. In America, Christmas is a very busy season." I laughed, and
waved my hands in the air. "Everybody shops! Everyone is shopping!"

"Yes, for Christmas." Another student repeated, and smiled.

"Shopping, shopping everywhere!" I laughed again. Then, I shook my
head in a disgusted manner. "And, the traffic! The traffic is very
bad this time of year! People are all driving in their cars! Cars and
people everywhere! Nothing but cars, and people, and everyone shopping!"

"Christmas. Christmas is for Jesus?" A quiet lady in the front row looked
at me questioningly.

I stopped laughing. Oy vey. Immediately, I started to sweat a little.
I adjusted my watch, and cleared my throat.

"Uh. Yes. That's right. Jesus. Christmas. Yes, that's correct."

Smiling, I turned back to the board, and began wiping off the dates about December.

"Okay, guys! Let's turn to page 35 in our grammar book!"

"Teacher, what about Jesus?"

Inwardly, I rolled my eyes. Oy, how was I going to get out of this one?
How could I talk about this - this topic - neutrally?

"Well, yes. Christmas is about - uh - Jesus. Christians celebrate it. It's
uh - a holiday. A religious holiday."

"Do you celebrate it, Miss?"

"Well, not really. Not exactly. I'm - uh - I'm Jewish."

I picked up the Star of David laying on my blouse, and held it up.

The students all squinted at my hand. Some pushed their glasses
up further on their noses.

Oy, please! Lord! Get me out of this!

"Jewish? Not Christian? Jewish is like Christian?"

"Well, sort of. Hm, Jewish is part of the story. I guess."

I was really feeling uncomfortable. I didn't like talking
about Judaism at all. I readjusted my watch.

"I mean, everybody celebrates Christmas in
the States. It's just a.........a big holiday."

"About Jesus." Another student repeated.

I sighed, and picked up a marker. My palm was moist, and the cap of my
pen fell to the tile floor.

"Yes, that's right. Christmas is a holiday about Jesus.
His birth. The birth of Jesus."

I wrote JESUS on the board. The students all wrote in their notebooks.

"Christians believe in Jesus."

I wrote CHRISTIANS on the board. The students wrote again in their books. Somebody sneezed.
Without thinking, I said "God bless you."

"Believe?"

It was my turn to squint. Nonaction verbs are tough, particularly when
the teacher can't speak the students' native language.

"Think. Think about God." I wrote on the board. I touched my forehead.
I put my fingers under my chin, and one hand on my waist, looking pensive.
"Think. To think. Believe."

"Jesus?"

I turned to write on the board, again. "BIRTH. JESUS. SAVIOR. CHRISTIANS.
PRAY. SAVIOR."

I turned back to the class, and looked up at the ceiling. I pressed my
palms together, and pointed them upwards.

"Ah! Jesus! The Savior!" Everyone nodded, and smiled at each other.

Oy, vey. Whew! A little trickle of sweat dripped down my back.

"Okay, guys! Page 35! Exercises on the present participle!"

Turning to the board, I shook my head a little. Lord! You have quite a sense of humor!
Here I am, a Yiddish lady, teaching this class about Jesus! Oy, vey!
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[Today, the teacher is a very curious student of the Gospel of Jesus.
Sometimes, she wonders who was teaching that day: the English teacher,
the students.......or the Master Teacher?]

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