Masa Teaching Fellow Giselle Nissenbaum is deaf and relied on lip reading in her classes. But when COVID-19 forced people to wear masks, she started teaching sign language.
A young American-Jewish girl completely lost her hearing at the age of 10 and against all odds, she came to Israel to teach English, but the COVID-19 face masks prevented her from reading her students’ lips, so she decided to teach them sign language.
Twenty-three-year-old Giselle Nissenbaum, originally from Los Angeles, was only 10 when she tragically and suddenly lost her hearing. After studying for a bachelor’s degree in psychology, she decided to change direction, come to Israel and become a teacher as part of the Masa Teachers program with Israel Experience.
“Apart from the language challenges, cultural differences and character of the Israeli students, I had another challenge – I am completely deaf,” she told The Jerusalem Post.
Since she was not born deaf, she learned to speak fully and today she communicates through sign language. However, the coronavirus pandemic and mask requirement hindered her communication with the world.
“At the beginning of the school year, we all still had to wear face masks, which made it impossible to read anyone’s lips,” she said, “I wasn’t able to understand what my students were saying. But I had a drive to be here and be with the kids. I had a drive to make a difference.”
“At the beginning of the school year, we all still had to wear face masks, which made it impossible to read anyone’s lips. I wasn’t able to understand what my students were saying. But I had a drive to be here and be with the kids. I had a drive to make a difference.”
Giselle Nissenbaum
At first, Nissenbaum wanted to give up. But her desire to live her dream made her creative, so she simply decided to teach her students sign language. In addition to teaching in school, Nissenbaum volunteers twice a week at the community center for the deaf in Rishon Lezion.
“Twice a week I teach English as a second language to deaf seniors. They teach me sign language in Hebrew and I teach them sign language in American English. Some are older than my grandparents, but I really love the days I am there with them. I take off my cochlear transmitter and I feel like I’m 100% myself.”
This week, she will complete the Masa Israel Teaching Fellows Program, founded by the Jewish Agency and the Israeli government, along with about 150 other teaching Fellows from English-speaking countries who have come to Israel this year to support English language skills and build a bridge between Israel’s next generation and global Jewry in Israel’s periphery.
Nissenbaum recalls that she was initially apprehensive about the way she would be received by the students: “When I started teaching at school, the kids thought I was lying. I speak normally, so they did not believe I was deaf – I had to take out my transmitter and show them. Now they are used to it and they call my lip-reading ‘my superpower.’ I like the fact that they are not afraid to ask questions like most adults.”
Making dreams come true
Nissenbaum made her dream come true thanks to the fact that she was able to teach her students a lesson for life.
“Many times, children with disabilities are not considered cool, smart or achievers, ” Nissenbaum explained, “Children can be mean and shun them. But what I love is that they see for themselves how ‘cool’ I am, that I have friends and I am the fun teacher who came from the US. I have the opportunity to change the stigma. Yes, I can teach them English, but most importantly, I have the privilege to teach them empathy. I already see it – I see that they are more patient with the ‘other’ children in their class.”
“Every year, young, well-educated college graduates from English-speaking countries choose to pursue a meaningful chapter in their lives in Israel and come here as Masa Israel Teaching Fellows to experience Israeli society as locals,” Masa CEO Ofer Gutman added.
“Masa participants significantly contribute to reinforcing and making English studies more accessible in the country’s social and geographical periphery, through a great sense of mission.”