Her Story
About Ora
Ora Kurland is the founder of Mora Ora Products, where she creates and distributes hands-on Jewish educational materials designed to help students learn the letters of the Hebrew alphabet and begin reading. She has worked in Jewish education for many years, including a teaching position at a dual curriculum school in New York that inspired her product line, which has been available for purchase for 15 to 20 years. Ora holds a bachelor's degree in Anthropology from Barnard College at Columbia University and a master's degree in elementary childhood education from Teachers College at Columbia University. She has earned multiple certifications, including as a family educator, special education reading specialist, and director of preschool, and she led a Hebrew immersion program at the Jewish Theological Seminary. In addition to her professional work, she started a Jewish social group in her area 11 years ago and remains actively involved in her synagogue community.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Ora
01What do you attribute your success to?
I'm very motivated in terms of Hebrew. It's a strong family value passed down from my parents. And I do really love the language. And it's very exciting to me when a student feels that same excitement and is able to start reading and to understand and appreciate the value of it.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
It was very helpful for me to hear that I work best when I have colleagues around me, and I'm not the absolute person in charge. And always to just be very patient. To see how things play out. Whether it's watching a student develop, watching a job change and transform into something else. And always be very open to new possibilities.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Engage students in small groups or one-on-one. Always be open to different ways that students have to learn. The whole idea of multiple intelligences makes a lot of sense. All of us learn in various ways, have different strengths. And not to get frustrated initially, but to rethink it and try to reconfigure methods of learning.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
A really big challenge in education is that children are using screens too much, whether it's a smart board, a tablet, and they're not doing enough of hands-on tactile, manipulative activities. My products are hands-on. They engage the child in many different ways... the move should really be away from screens so much and back to activities that involve real engagement of the senses.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Pulling back from trying to maneuver and manipulate so many different moving parts. Just sort of let it unfold on its own.
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