Beloved Estabrook teacher inspires book donation

By Adrienne Ziegler
Feb. 15, 2010    ·    3:19 a.m.

Estabrook Elementary teacher Lenore Bernstein will be remembered as a woman who inspired children through reading.

“She always had to have a story related to the subject,” said friend and fellow Estabrook teacher, Jan Thompson. “Whatever concepts she was teaching, she’d find books and go from there.”

Bernstein, 62, died on Jan. 30 of breast cancer, but friends and family have found a way for her to live on through stories. They are collecting books to donate to the school in her name.

“It feels like the perfect way to honor her life,” said her husband, Jesse Bernstein. “Some things sound good in your head, and some things feel good in your heart. This is both.”

The idea started shortly after Bernstein’s funeral, when several teachers decided they wanted to do something in her memory. Each of them would bring their favorite book to the Shiva services, and donate it to the Estabrook Elementary school library in her name, Thompson said. The idea quickly took hold.

Since then, the books just keep on coming, and they expect more.

“When I first heard about it, I was astonished,” Jesse Bernstein said. “She would be thrilled.”

Bernstein worked at Estabrook for nearly 30 years, teaching both second and fifth grades, as well as reading.

“I think at birth she decided she was going to be a teacher,” Jesse Bernstein said. “It was her life-long commitment and passion.”

Friends remember her as a dedicated teacher who was known for having high expectations for her students, a hands-on approach to learning and teaching children about cultures from around the world.

“She was very focused,” Jesse Bernstein said. “There were always consequences if you didn’t do what you were supposed to. But there were also tremendous rewards if you accomplished what you were supposed to.”

Bernstein brought learning to the children in ways that were exciting and fun, other teachers said. She ensured that the children involved all their senses into each subject, whether it was math, science or social studies.

“She was very creative in a lot of ways,” said Terry Mull, another Estabrook teacher and long-time friend. “They were excited about what they were going to be doing next because it wasn’t the regular, traditional classroom.”

Thompson said each donated book will be affixed with a special nameplate to honor Bernstein’s memory.

“She’s still touching lives and children even though she’s gone,” she said.

To donate a book in Lenore Bernstein’s name, take a book of your choice to Estabrook Elementary School at 1555 West Cross Ave., Ypsilanti, MI 48197.