Pamela Goldner grew up on Milwaukee’s West Side and attended Hillel Academy for grade school. When it came time for high school, her parents moved to Glendale so she could attend Nicolet High School (at a time when there were no Jewish high schools in the area). After graduating from Nicolet, Goldner attended University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she met her husband, Phillip. Eager to start their life together, the couple moved back to Glendale, got married, and began raising their family. Goldner completed her undergraduate degree in psychology while at home with Phillip.
As her husband started his own business, Goldner worked as a legal secretary. Once they found out they were expecting their first child, she decided to help out with the family business to have a more flexible schedule for their growing family. Before she knew it, they had moved to Mequon and had three kids. Goldner loved her life but felt something was missing. She had always wanted to become a teacher, but it just hadn’t been the path her life took.
Finally, when her youngest daughter turned 10, Goldner’s best friend, Mia Belsky, sat her down and told her she wasn’t going to let her leave until she enrolled in school to get her teaching degree. That moment set her on the path to the career she’d always dreamed of. Four years later, she graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Education, which would allow her to teach preschool through third grade. Just before she graduated, she called B. Devorah Shmotkin at Jewish Beginnings to ask about a teaching position. Goldner’s long-awaited dream was finally becoming a reality.
Today, Goldner is in her ninth year of teaching at Jewish Beginnings Lubavitch Preschool and couldn’t be happier. She lit up when talking about working with the youngest learners. “I love watching them make connections, especially with books,” she said. “You can see their eyes light up, and they just want to share their stories. It empowers them to really become their own teachers.”
Goldner has spent about half of her time working with 2.5-year-olds and the other half with 1.5-year-olds. From the moment she began student teaching, she knew early childhood education was where she was meant to be. “I can’t point to one specific thing that sparked my interest in early childhood, I’ve just always had a natural desire to work with this age group,” she said.
Goldner is passionate about the impact of early childhood education on the youngest members of our community. “There is so much to what they are learning at this stage—so many social-emotional skills. Every little step we take builds to the next,” she explained.
She feels blessed to have spent the past nine years at Jewish Beginnings. “I have learned so much from the students, the educators and the leadership at JB,” she says. Watching her students grow from babbling babies to little people is one of the most rewarding aspects of her job. “Watching their progression is amazing. When I go to K4 graduation and see what they’ve accomplished — like writing books and writing their names in English and Hebrew — I can say, ‘I was part of that!’”
Goldner lives in Mequon with her husband. They have three grown children and are blessed with many grandchildren. While she cherishes her quiet time reading and watching TV, she also loves spending time with her family and taking her grandkids on adventures around town. Her favorite things about Milwaukee are the lakefront and, of course, Friendship Circle.
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MEET AN EDUCATOR
Writer Nicole Boico is the associate director of the Coalition for Jewish Learning of Milwaukee Jewish Federation. This regular feature, from the Coalition for Jewish Learning, is to celebrate local educators. To suggest someone for coverage, contact Boico at NicoleB@MilwaukeeJewish.org.
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