Who Owns Knowledge?

Today, Lena presented to classmates, teachers, and parents for the International Baccalaureate (IB) exhibition at her High School. Lena was invited to join the IB program her freshman year. The program was founded in Switzerland a little more than 50 years ago and is offered at only two schools in our district. It's essentially a college prep program offered to little smarty-pants-types like Alena Mae.

She has thrived in this environment: made some great friends; loves (most of) her teachers; works really hard. She seems to have found the first of her people. 

Lena wrote three essays for the exhibition, all on one theme. For one essay, she used my Hebrew conversation documentation and explored my study of Judaism, my conversion, and the beit din who approved it. (A beit din is a rabbinical court, usually made up of three rabbis but sometimes it consists of one just one rabbi and two members of the community. I was really lucky to have what my rabbi referred to as an "all-pro beit din." That is to say, I had three amazing rabbis who are well-known in our community and much loved by me, but I digress...) 

The topic she chose was Who Owns Knowledge? In our family, apparently she does.