Lauren D’Orazio, the preschool administration coordinator at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel, says she’s been part of the Elkins Park synagogue all her life, and even a little bit before.
The Huntingdon Valley resident said that her mother started teaching religious school at the congregation while pregnant with her. She then worked alongside her mother at the temple as a high schooler and beyond.
“While I was in college, I was subbing in and out for the religious school when I was home on breaks or whatever, and then starting in 2017, my summer job was working in the preschool,” D’Orazio said.
She said she worked at the preschool during the summers of 2017 to 2019 before moving to Florida. D’Orazio said she came back from Florida after the COVID-19 pandemic and taught as a substitute teacher for a year before she learned about the job opening at Keneseth Israel’s preschool.
“[I initially thought] I can’t go back to the preschool. I spent so much time there. It’s too easy. I spent my life here, I’m too comfortable, I need to branch out,” D’Orazio said.
She explained that the preschool’s former director, Liz Sussman, someone D’Orazio has known her whole life at Keneseth Israel, convinced her that it made sense to return because of the familiarity she had with the people and the preschool.
So, D’Orazio returned at the start of 2023 and is approaching the three-year anniversary of her time in the role.
D’Orazio said at one time, she wanted to pursue a corporate career but has changed her stance since starting her work in education, where she has so much fun with the students every day.
On top of that, she spoke highly of her coworkers at the preschool and the great relationships the team has.
“[It] definitely feels like a family here, which I know sounds kind of cliche, but it totally rings true. And that’s definitely just a testament to our amazing teachers and families and director, Kelly Sussman, and I guess me too,” D’Orazio said.
She said that it is incredible to see the kids as they develop and seeing former students come back to the classroom to greet their old teachers.
“I definitely just love watching the kids grow, getting to teach them, even though I’m not even with them all the time, I still feel like I get to be with them and teach them here. And it’s amazing [from] when they start in the infant center, and now the infants that I started with are turning 3 now,” she explained.
D’Orazio reflected on the vital role that preschool teachers have in shaping the next generation. She added that the school is around 50% Jewish, meaning that task includes both Jewish and non-Jewish students.
“Religion notwithstanding, you are working hard to raise this generation and turn them into good people and hard-working humans, because the world is scary,” D’Orazio said. “We live in a scary world, and if we can make these kids feel a little bit better about themselves, to spread kindness and spread joy to others, that’s all I wish for them to do.”
D’Orazio said that her Jewish identity has played an important part in her life and her connection to that identity is part of what brought her back to Philadelphia from Florida.
She said she only really had one close Jewish friend while in college and felt disconnected from the community, a feeling that continued when she went to Florida. D’Orazio said that returning home was very important to her.
“I’ve always said, KI is my home. KI is my synagogue. It feels like an extension of my house. This is my home for so many reasons, in the preschool, in the synagogue. [When I came back] it really felt like a homecoming,” D’Orazio said.