Dear Mr. Gatto,
I am deeply thankful to Jerry for his kindly relaying this message of thanks to you.
I come to you to lay at your feet my deep appreciation for your changing my life through your stalwart courage and clear thinking.
Allow me to briefly explain:
I recall as though it was yesterday when I read in the New York Times that you had taken on tremendous financial hardship to rent Carnegie Hall as place in which to speak on the content of your then new book, Dumbing Us Down. If your book was as a lightning bolt for me, your courage in how you gave your message forward was transformative.
At the time, I was a newly arrived immigrant from Germany and Holland- part Jewish, Dutch-born and German-educated in a Waldorf school from grade 3 on in Tuebingen Germany and a graduate of the Stuttgart (Germany) Waldorf teacher training. I had just come to the US to be a teacher, holding within myself high ideals and low levels of skills or knowledge – wanting to fight for justice by harnessing Waldorf education in the service of and as powerful option for traditionally marginalized communities.
Fresh off the boat, I made my start in a private Waldorf school. There, while thrilled to be in the ‘new world’ and at all the good I saw in my school community, I was bewildered by the exclusiveness surrounding this wonderful educational option that I felt should be available for all and especially for the ones who would most need it: the ones the system least served. I felt deeply troubled as I visited local public schools to witness far too many sterile white walls and far too much rote teaching offered up to those who most needed the invigorating nourishment to unleash their inner imagination and power.
I could not find the words to express what was wrong.
You gave them to me. Your words were my clarion call.
Not only did you give me words, you gave me the words, the problem analysis, and the example of Herculean courage that set me on my path.
After that I went on to dedicate my life to building public urban Waldorf schools and start – through various twists and turns – the country’s first urban intercultural Waldorf school . It is located in Oakland CA. Our effort is now 10 years old and the most diverse school in the city and county. And we are growing and learning.
Your words and courage were what set me on my path.
So, thank YOU.
I hope it would make you smile as small token of thanks to receive below:
– two of my school’s children, both 10, celebrating that they and our school are now 10 years. old and growing.
– a little flyer boasting a few of our accomplishments to date.
As you can imagine, there is so much more to tell. Please know: None of this would be if not for you.
Thank you thank you thank you,
Ida Oberman
