Profile: Assistant Library Media Specialist Mirele Kessous

Irit Skulnik, Assistant Style Editor

Mirele Kessous left her job at CESJDS as the Upper School Librarian in 2016. Flash forward two years, and she is back as the Assistant Library Media Specialist. In that time, Kessous had two children and worked a part-time job as a first grade teacher at Leo Bernstein Jewish Academy. LBJA was as a first-grade teacher at Leo Bernstein Jewish Academy. LBJA was close to her house, which enabled her to spend more time with her children.

Kessous decided to leave her part-time job at LBJA because she needed full-time work and because she wanted to be a librarian rather than a first-grade teacher, since a librarian job is closer to her degree. Kessous chose to come back to JDS specifically as she likes the environment and knows many of the people.

Coming back to JDS after two years, though, she has noticed some changes.

“It’s much more crowded, there’s a lot of sixth graders here,” Kessous said. “The building is different, I keep trying to walk through doors that don’t exist anymore or hallways that don’t exist. And I think the staff is much bigger because now we have a lot of middle school staff. But, I think in a lot of the ways it’s pretty much the same.”

The transition of coming back to JDS has been fairly easy for Kessous. She said her job is like a vacation because it is much easier than being home all the time with two kids.

Kessous finds being a working mother at JDS and LBJA very different experiences. While LBJA was convenient as it right around the corner from her house and her son was in daycare in the same building, JDS has a bigger staff and systems in place to help if she needs to take time off if her child is sick, for example.

Kessous is still learning to be a full time working mom. She has learned that the transition is still a work in progress, but her new job has made it easier. Assistant Library Media Specialist, she says that she has “less responsibility” which has helped her transition.

Being a full time working mom Kessous is learning how to balance her lifestyle. She offered some advice for other working moms.

“Make sleep a priority and when you’re at work just be in work mode, and when you’re with your kids just be in kid mode,” Kessous said. “And that way you’ll just be able to give 100 percent at both jobs. It’s kind of like having a split personality, but most women do it.”