By Dr. Bill Robinson [This is the twelfth in a weekly series of posts from a coalition of institutions across the continent devoted to nurturing the emerging transformation of congregational and part-time Jewish education. The series is curated by the Leadership Commons at the William Davidson Graduate School of Education of The Jewish Theological Seminary.] “The future is already here - it's just not very evenly distributed.” William Gibson This quote began our eJP series. Looking back in reflection, what does this future look like? And, how do we evenly distribute it (bring it to scale)? THE FUTURE In a recent issue of Gleanings, Barry Holtz observed that since the 1990s, concerned and committed philanthropists have lavished funding on Jewish education to ensure our “continuity.” … [Read more...]
Part-Time Jewish Education: Harnessing the Power of Social-Emotional Spiritual Learning
By Dr. Evie Rotstein [This is the eleventh in a weekly series of posts from a coalition of institutions across the continent devoted to nurturing the emerging transformation of congregational and part-time Jewish education. The series is curated by the Leadership Commons at the William Davidson Graduate School of Education of The Jewish Theological Seminary.] Education in the socio-affective realm is not a new idea. The past two decades, however, have seen quite an increase in well-articulated theories and supporting research with rigorous outcomes, demonstrating that educators in schools can have an impact on student growth in the intra- and inter-personal realms. Further, this growth is linked to a variety of positive academic and behavioral outcomes. Neuroscience is adding concrete evidence … [Read more...]
Building Capacity for Change in Congregational Education through Communities of Practice
By Julie Lambert, RJE [This is the tenth in a weekly series of posts from a coalition of institutions across the continent devoted to nurturing the emerging transformation of congregational and part-time Jewish education. The series is curated by the Leadership Commons at the William Davidson Graduate School of Education of The Jewish Theological Seminary.] How does a national organization harness the power of individual and autonomous congregations to support each other as they experiment within the field of congregational Jewish education? The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) has found a strong and meaningful vehicle in the Community of Practice (CoP) strategy, which convenes cohorts of congregational leaders for long-term, innovative learning about a topic of shared interest. Participating … [Read more...]
It’s Time to Invest in Part-Time Jewish Education
By Anna Marx [This is the ninth in a weekly series of posts from a coalition of institutions across the continent devoted to nurturing the emerging transformation of congregational and part-time Jewish education. The series is curated by the Leadership Commons at the William Davidson Graduate School of Education of The Jewish Theological Seminary.] We are sitting on a goldmine of opportunity. Right now, there are hundreds of thousands of families across North America who are signed up, ready, and eager for meaningful, life-changing Jewish education. Hundreds of thousands of kids are enrolled in part-time Jewish education programs across North America. Right now. In the 21st century, a time of infinite choice and unlimited demands on their attention, these families have made an incredible … [Read more...]
Portraits of Part-Time Jewish Learning That Works
By Susan Wyner [This is the eighth in a weekly series of posts from a coalition of institutions across the continent devoted to nurturing the emerging transformation of congregational and part-time Jewish education. The series is curated by the Leadership Commons at the William Davidson Graduate School of Education of The Jewish Theological Seminary.] David and Rachel jump out of their car at 4:00 p.m. and make a run for the synagogue’s school entrance. They march directly to the large room where learning takes place Monday through Thursday afternoons. Both students pick up their binders, which have been preloaded according to their personalized goals. They make a beeline to their respective tables and are greeted by their teachers and by students of diverse ages. David and a decoding buddy … [Read more...]
WOW!: Broadening the Landscape of Jewish Learning Programs
By Dvora Goodman, Ed Segalowitz, and Natalie Walden, in partnership with Michael Miloff [This is the seventh in a weekly series of posts from a coalition of institutions across the continent devoted to nurturing the emerging transformation of congregational and part-time Jewish education. The series is curated by the Leadership Commons at the William Davidson Graduate School of Education of The Jewish Theological Seminary.] Walk into Toronto’s Schwartz-Reisman Jewish Community Centre (JCC) on a Sunday morning and you will see over 450 parents and their children flowing into the building. The lobby is bustling with children wearing brightly colored t-shirts identifying them as students of one of the two JCC supplementary schools. You will hear English, Russian, Spanish, and Hebrew being … [Read more...]
The Shelf Life of Innovative Educational Models: A Cautionary Tale
By Dr. Lesley Litman [This is the sixth in a weekly series of posts from a coalition of institutions across the continent devoted to nurturing the emerging transformation of congregational and part-time Jewish education. The series is curated by the Leadership Commons at the William Davidson Graduate School of Education of The Jewish Theological Seminary.] In the world of curriculum design, common wisdom is that most curricula have a limited shelf life - usually about five years, maybe a little more. In Jewish education, we know that programs, such as family education or youth group events, also have a shelf life. After a number of years they need to be totally revamped or done away with as issues and realities change, especially at the breakneck pace of the 21st century. In Boston, we are … [Read more...]
A Snapshot of How Legacy Organizations and Innovative Startups Can Work Together to Create Powerful Jewish Teen Engagement
By Rachel Fine and Jeffrey Lasday [This is the fifth in a weekly series of posts from a coalition of institutions across the continent devoted to nurturing the emerging transformation of congregational and part-time Jewish education. The series is curated by the Leadership Commons at the William Davidson Graduate School of Education of The Jewish Theological Seminary.] Our Challenge and Working Hypothesis A few years ago, we recognized that, like many communities in North America, metropolitan Detroit was suffering from a significant dropout rate of teens from Jewish life. Following their bar/bat mitzvah, over 50 percent of Jewish teens stopped participating in organized Jewish activities. This reflected a national trend. According to the 2010 BBYO Impact study, commissioned by the Charles … [Read more...]