by Marcia P. Neeley for Hidden Sparks New York, September 14, 2011: This is a story of passion, provoking thought, and pushing ideas beyond the usual boundaries. Driven by passion and proudly citing her participation as a marcher with Martin Luther King, Laurel Shashani, a 3rd Grade teacher, explained, "I'm saving lives. I want to give all children the opportunity to growth, and I need to grow, too. " Unraveling the problems of struggling children, passionate teachers looked below the surface of classroom behaviors and troubled kids. Questioning and challenging, Hidden Sparks' educators probe the different reasons children struggle to succeed in the classroom. Recognizing that children struggle for different reasons, Hidden Sparks convened a series of pilot workshops for educators - … Continue Reading
Jewish Girls Look to Role Models (Next Door)
by H. Glenn Rosenkrantz St. Louis, July 12, 2011 - For an 11-year-old girl, Jasmine Ford is as sure-footed as they come. But she knows there’s a bit of a curve up ahead, and she has to navigate it carefully. So for the past three years, the soon-to-be sixth grader at the Truman Middle School here has been hanging out with some older girls. Some older Jewish girls, that is. Together, they’ve performed mitzvah projects throughout the community. And they’ve taken on other activities tackling issues like self-confidence and other growing-up challenges, all through a particularly Jewish lens. “It’s good to be learning and talking with older girls about some of the things that I’ll be going through,” she said. “I’ve really learned from them.” It’s all within the … Continue Reading
The Art Of Questioning In The 21st Century
by H. Glenn Rosenkrantz San Francisco, California, June 16, 2011 - Take the ages-old Jewish impulse to question and challenge. Add 21st century technology. And mix it up a bit with educators’ emerging embrace of new media. The result is potent. And it’s poised to change approaches and outcomes in Jewish educational settings. Out here, capital of Google, Facebook, Apple and countless other cyber heavies - and with an open-eyed Jewish educational community to boot - an experiment is taking place, just blocks from Twitter headquarters, at the Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM). In the Yud Gallery, with its 60-foot ceilings, 36 skylights and embracing whiteness atop the Daniel Libeskind-designed building, a multi-media exhibit landed this spring. It is corralling new media forms, robotics, … Continue Reading
Covenant Foundation Names 2011 Award Recipients for Excellence in Jewish Education
Three exceptional educators from across the spectrum of Jewish life are 2011 recipients of the Covenant Award for committing to excellence in Jewish education and pursuing innovative approaches that inspire and empower students, colleagues and community. Rabbi Eve Ben-Ora, Jewish Educator at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco; Amy Skopp Cooper, Director of Ramah Day Camp in Nyack (New York) and Assistant Director of the National Ramah Commission; and Rabbi Shai Held, Dean, and Chair in Jewish Thought at Mechon Hadar in New York City are the 2011 recipients. The three recipients join 60 other Jewish educators honored with a Covenant Award since the Foundation established the citation in 1991. Each will receive $36,000, and each of their institutions will receive $5,000. The … Continue Reading
Striving to Understand Struggling Learners
by Marcia P. Neeley Every day, in almost every school, a student is labeled as ADD/ADHD, lazy or defiant, sent to the principal, ignored or misunderstood because he/she has a learning or behavioral challenge. In Jewish day schools and yeshivas, where some teachers have little formal training, where there are few and insufficient pupil support services, and where students have a dual curriculum, this problem is often more pronounced and the skills of classroom teachers become even more critical. To help children with learning differences reach their full potential in school and life, Hidden Sparks, a non-profit fund, develops and supports professional development programs for Jewish day schools to help increase understanding and support for teaching to diverse learners. Celebrating its 5th … Continue Reading
At Oakland Hebrew Day School, Art Class is More Than Smocks and Brushes
by H. Glenn Rosenkrantz To walk the halls of Oakland Hebrew Day School, nestled in the hills overlooking the Bay, is to be immersed in an ambitious show of Jewish artistic expression. Here is a display - made of wire hangers, newspapers, paper bags and paint - reflecting students’ homage to Jews lost in the 1942 Vel d’Hiv roundup in Paris. Over there is an installation of colorful doll-like figurines representing the broad cross-section of modern Israeli society. And down the corridor a bit is a mizrach collection, each beautifully stenciled with geometric form, design and personality. Despite the student-made art consuming visitors at nearly every turn - and in the stairwells too - it’s easy to be lured into the place where this is all being generated - the first-floor art studio … Continue Reading
Gender Balance in the Jewish Spotlight
by Naomi Less My fans and readers are familiar with inspiring pieces I share that are written by others about gender, sexuality and girl empowerment. But recently, I have been blogging with discouragement about women’s under-representation in Jewish communal endeavors and initiatives. (Click here for the original blog post). Based on four events in the last six months, and the unsatisfactory responses I have received, I am committed to working on this, even as my speaking out comes at some risk to my own musical career. Here is a round-up of recent communal lapses of judgment on the gender front, the suggestions I offered, and the lack of follow-up from some of our communal leaders. Episode 1: November’s Jewish Futures Conference (sponsored by The Jewish Education Project, JESNA's … Continue Reading
North American Jewish Day School Conference Opens
Hungry to examine issues and approaches changing the face and direction of Jewish day school education in the new decade, more than 600 leaders and educators at Jewish day schools across the spectrum of Jewish practice opened the North American Jewish Day School Conference in Los Angeles yesterday afternoon. From making special education a priority within the Jewish day school framework, to harnessing technology to enhance and strengthen curricula and classrooms, to maintaining financially sustainable institutions of quality, the conference is addressing issues relevant to a day school movement committed to transmitting knowledge, enhancing practice, ensuring a vibrant future and solidifying its place on the educational landscape. The conference is a joint initiative of the Solomon Schechter … Continue Reading
Upcoming Conference Explores the Jewish Day School of the Future
More than 600 leaders and educators at Jewish day schools across the spectrum of Jewish practice will convene Feb. 6th to 8th in Los Angeles for the North American Jewish Day School Conference, exploring issues and approaches changing the face and direction of Jewish day school education for the new decade. From making special education a priority within the Jewish day school framework, to harnessing technology to enhance and strengthen curricula and classrooms, to maintaining financially sustainable institutions of quality, the conference will address issues relevant to a day school movement committed to transmitting knowledge, enhancing practice, ensuring a vibrant future and solidifying its place on the educational landscape. The conference is a joint initiative of the Solomon Schechter Day … Continue Reading
Covenant Foundation Announces New Grants
From an environmental curriculum based on Jewish values and real-time gardening, to Jewish educators immersed in cutting-edge digital tools and approaches, a new set of innovative and trailblazing initiatives are recipients of Covenant Foundation grants. As part of approximately $1.6 million to be distributed this year, the Foundation announced today nearly $800,000 in new grants as part of its mission to support, advance and recognize excellence and impact in Jewish educational settings. This new round of grants highlights a commitment to initiatives across the landscape of Jewish educational experiences, settings and audiences. Grantees include organizations dedicated to Jewish learning through technology, empowerment of students and teachers in environmental and other community issues, new … Continue Reading
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