Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
On a recent school day at Palisades Elementary, teacher’s assistant Bobbie Farberow helped third-graders Georgia Clay and Alex Bird think of scenes for their imaginary stories. Georgia wanted her story to take place on a candy plant with a root beer ocean, while Alex envisioned his story unfolding in San Francisco. Farberow provides emotional and educational support for children who need a little extra attention on any given day. ’She’s really comforting for the kids in this class,’ third-grade teacher Julie Wasserman said. ‘She has such a great attitude.’ A longtime Pacific Palisades resident, Farberow helped her husband, Mort, with his business, Mort’s Deli (now the Village Pantry and the Oak Room) from 1974 until his death in 2002. She continued to operate the restaurant for another five years before retiring. Farberow decided to take the teacher’s assistant job this school year because she wanted to stay active. She works Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. ’I don’t play cards; I don’t like book clubs; I’m not a women’s group joiner,’ she said. ‘The thing that makes me happy is kids.’ Farberow says she is also a huge supporter of the public school system, and she thinks Palisades Elementary is an exemplary school. She is impressed by the parental involvement and with Principal Joan Ingle, who stands outside to greet the students every morning. ’The teacher I’m working with is just wonderful,’ Farberow said of Wasserman. ‘I am learning from her.’ In the late 1950s and early ’60s, Farberow worked as an elementary school teacher at Riverside Drive Elementary in Sherman Oaks and Kittridge Street Elementary in Van Nuys. Her sister and brother-in-law were both teachers, and they inspired her to choose the profession. Farberow had earned her undergraduate degree from Cal State Northridge (which was then called San Fernando Valley State College), and she was a member of the first graduating class in 1958. She married her high school sweetheart, Mort, that same year. While Farberow loved teaching, she left the career after five years to spend more time with her young children, Karen and Stuart. Throughout the years, she remained active at her children’s schools. She volunteered at Marquez Elementary School in the perceptual lab, working with students with learning disabilities, and at Paul Revere Middle School, helping students who struggled with English. Last year, she worked with second- and third-graders at Marquez Elementary. Farberow also volunteers at the Palisades Branch Library on Tuesdays from 2 to 4 p.m., reading to children as part of the Grandparents and Books program. ’I can’t believe how smart they are,’ Farberow said of the kids. ‘One four-year-old knows the names of every shark.’ In addition to working at Pali Elementary and volunteering, Farberow also spends time with her children. Karen lives in Long Beach and is a facilities director for Romano’s Macaroni Grill, and Stuart is a policeman in Lahaina on the island of Maui. She is especially proud of her 13-year-old granddaughter, Kalee, who has operated a retirement stable for old or infirm horses in Maui since 2007. Farberow thinks it’s important that retirees pursue their interests. ‘The worst thing in the world to do is sit at home,’ she said. Wasserman is certainly grateful that Farberow has decided to use her spare time to help out in the classroom. ’Whenever I am tired and I think the kids aren’t getting this, I see her in the back of the class smiling, and I feel better,’ said Wasserman, who just started working at Pali Elementary this fall, but has 15 years of teaching experience. ‘She’s a real positive influence for all of us.’
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
