Sue Keitelman, Preschool Director
Sue Keitelman’s three C’s are “caring, community, and communication.” Her life has focused around those three elements. Sue grew up in New Jersey where Judaism was a large part of her identity. Growing up in a Reform Jewish household, she became very active in NFTY, the reform youth movement, where she studied song leading and Israeli dance, attended Jewish camps, and became hooked to Jewish music. She also began teaching Sunday School there and was a volunteer teacher assistant at her temple’s religious school and also taught music to grades K-5. Later, Sue attended and graduated from Bennington College in Vermont, where she majored in anthropology and psychology.
Sue married her husband Ed and they moved to Holland for Ed’s job with Exxon Mobil. There she completed her master’s in Marketing. Sue studied Dutch while there, and can still understand and speak it a little. Ed was transferred to Texas, where Sue began editing a newspaper and did public relations for the school district. While Sue was assistant to the director of public relations for the Clear Creek Independent School District in League City, Texas, she interviewed a 7th grade class about the Greek Fair they had been involved in planning, and this experience inspired her to want to teach. Ed’s job led to another transfer, and they moved to New Jersey, where they both grew up. Sue began helping out at her children’s schools and loved it. They moved again, to Northern Virginia in 2000, and now live in Lorton, where they are members of Temple B’nai Shalom. Sue and Ed have four children, ranging in age from 14 to 20: Jordan, Rebecca, Paul, and Matthew.
Sue felt a strong need to make a difference in Jewish lives, starting with children and decided to enroll in another master’s program at George Washington University to help her achieve that goal. She began teaching at the preschool at Adat Reyim, and also at Beth El Hebrew Congregation, where she taught second and fourth grades. She became the lead teacher for the four-year-olds at Adat Reyim and also worked at Gan Israel summer camp. And during this time, Sue continued her Jewish studies, including the Melton program.
Communication, one of the three C’s, is very important to Sue. Her door will always be open to talk with parents and staff. She cares passionately about all things Jewish. And Sue cares about animals – all kinds. Her father was a veterinarian, so she learned to love animals at an early age. Her pets include two dogs, three cats, a ferret, and many fish and snails. Sue plans to bring in some of her fish to the preschool. “It’s an interesting household,” remarks Sue. The Jewish community is especially important to her. “I hope to be here for a long time and to make a difference in the Agudas Achim community,” she concludes.
