Nothing stops everything in its tracks and kills the mood quite like a crying baby. That’s why when a baby began to cry in lecturer Sydney Engelberg’s class in Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, it could have caused a complete disruption. Engelberg, however, was more than prepared.
According to his daughter, Sarit Fishbaine, 67-year-old Engelberg encourages his students to bring their babies to class. Seeing students breast feeding during lectures is not uncommon. Engelberg’s lectures are part of a Masters program, so many of his students are older than college age.
Babies often cry, however, and that’s what happened during one lecture. The student picked up her distraught baby and started to leave, not wanting to disrupt the class. Engelberg, a father and grandfather, told her to stay, picked up the baby and soothed it, and calmly continued the lesson. And, because it’s 2015, of course someone captured the image on their phone and posted it on Imgur.
(via BuzzFeed)
Engelberg’s feat instantly went viral. People were thrilled that the professor was so caring about the needs of his students and so welcoming of their families.
The love poured in.
Engelberg was surprised by the attention. His daughter chalks that up to childcare being “so natural for him.” It’s also, she says, part of his teaching method. “The way he sees the concept of getting education is not only learning the dry facts that you need to learn in class, but also learning values,” she explained. “And that’s the very important message that my dad wants to endow to the world.”
