Naomi Prawer Kadar, Ph.D., (1949-2010) was an inspiring educator, devoted researcher and scholar, and a true visionary. With her personal charm, captivating personality, and radiant energy, Naomi successfully imparted the beauty of studying languages and cultures to future generations, and transformed every classroom into a fascinating communal learning experience.
To the many students she taught, being in the classroom with Naomi was a tremendously enriching and exceptional gift. As she exuded a love for the beauty of Yiddish language and culture, her classroom became a second home for many of her students, where they were inspired, challenged, and encouraged to reconnect with their heritage. Each student who walked through her door entered a sacred space, filled with new words and worlds, beautiful songs, rich stories, engaging activities, and engrossing discussions; each lesson was vibrant and unique. With endless enthusiasm, even during her struggle with cancer, she invested all of her energy in her classroom and touched the lives of thousands of students of all ages.
The daughter of Holocaust survivors, Naomi was born in New York. Naomi understood the importance of Jewish and Yiddish culture from a very early age. Her parents valued their children’s education above all else, and Naomi appreciated to her core the privilege of the opportunities she received from her schooling. After graduating from the City College of New York, she decided to begin a life in Israel, where she married and started a family. In the early 1970s, Naomi received a teaching certificate from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Naomi spent her years in Israel teaching English as a Second Language to a spectrum of students from all backgrounds and academic levels, including those with learning disabilities. From her early teaching years, Naomi’s special educational approach was evident, as was her unique way of viewing the world and her distinctive professionalism. In the various programs in which she was involved, she was appointed to supervise younger teachers.
When she returned with her family to the United States, Naomi refocused her language instruction on Yiddish, understanding the importance of preserving language and culture. Naomi later became the National Director for the Workmen’s Circle (Arbeter Ring) Schools. She devoted herself to creating new schools, developing curricula, and training teachers, ensuring that her beloved Yiddish language and yidishkayt would be cherished by future generations. Despite her extensive professional obligations, she always found time to teach and to build relationships with students. She held teaching positions at academic institutions including Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary. Naomi taught at several summer programs at Tel Aviv University, the Free University of Brussels, and at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research/Columbia University.
As an outgrowth of her passion for Yiddish language and culture, Naomi went on to earn her Ph.D. in Yiddish Literature from Columbia University. Her research focused on American Yiddish children’s magazines from 1917 to 1950. As a scholar of Yiddish children’s literature, Naomi was invited to present her research at various conferences including the Association for Jewish Studies. She was part of the Yiddish Committee of the Modern Language Association and was a frequent contributor to the online Mendele Review: Yiddish Language and Literature. She published articles on the subject, even months before she passed away, most recently in Afn Shvel. Throughout her battle with cancer, she remained committed to language education and Yiddish cultural literacy.
Naomi is the spirit and inspiration behind BrainPOP – an online educational product that continues to transform learning for millions of students worldwide. As she continuously produced rigorous scholarship in her academic life, Naomi conceived, founded, and created a brand-new online English as a Second Language program, BrainPOP ESL.
Naomi continues to make a profound impact posthumously through her imagination and sophisticated pedagogy. BrainPOP ESL allows students to access and learn the English language in a fun and entertaining way, and brings the joys of Naomi’s classroom to students around the world. Naomi’s love for language shines in the eyes of every student who laughs as he learns, who delights in his new and wondrous understanding.
Her support of educational initiatives, of Yiddish language and culture, of training teachers, of maintaining values of social justice never flagged, and Naomi lived every day of her life with infinite passion and belief in her ideals. She was fiercely devoted to what she cared about most deeply: love of Yiddish, love of Israel, family and community values, tradition, and excellence in education.
On February 23, 2010, when Naomi passed away, the world lost an exemplary person, a woman of valor, and an extraordinary educator. Although humble and understated in her demeanor, her inspiration and her legacy ripple through the world in ways she never imagined; Naomi’s legacy will live on in the hearts of many students and educators for generations to come.