It is one thing to run a school, it is something else altogether to connect and transform its students. This principle, Akbar Cook, realized that more important than test scores and good grades was ensuring that the basic needs of his students be met so that they could feel confident and cared for. Akbar doesn’t refer to them as his students, but as his “kids” and that love and connection is something they not only feel but see in his words and actions. Jewish philosophy explains that education is called “chinuch” which comes from the Hebrew word “to inspire.” That when we truly educate another, we not only relay information but more importantly, we give that person the excitement, awareness and inspiration needed to affect all areas of his or her life. This is what Akbar Cook is accomplishing with his kids at West Side High School in Newark, New Jersey, and through them, he is likewise inspiring all those who hear of his tremendous work!
(Header Image: Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
