It is commonly understood that when Jewish educators collaborate, rich learning opportunities emerge — but we rarely consider collaboration across the Jewish educational ecosystem. A professional development partnership between IKAR and Sinai Akiba Academy — the former a Jewish community in Los Angeles with a supplementary religious school, the latter a local Jewish day school — began as an observation opportunity for part-time educators to witness experienced full-time educators in action. What it evolved into was a reciprocal learning experience with unexpected benefits for both institutions.

With support from the Builders of Jewish Education Los Angeles, 40 supplementary school teachers and directors, including IKAR educators, gathered during the summer of 2024 for a paid 8-hour workshop on teacher language facilitated by Responsive Classroom. While teachers had continued opportunities for learning and reflection, including during faculty meetings and following teacher observations, these experiences lacked real-time modeling in classroom settings, limiting the impact of their learning. 

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Illustrative.

As the lower school director of Sinai Akiba Academy and the senior director of education at IKAR (as well as former assistant educational director and Judaic studies teacher at the day school), we wondered: What might happen if supplementary school educators could observe veteran teachers in a Jewish day school setting? We designed a morning in which IKAR’s supplementary school teachers would observe four veteran Jewish day school teachers, specifically observing teacher language. We chose veteran teachers whom we knew were skilled at using the Responsive Classroom methodology and would be able to model these skills for novice teachers. Four of IKAR’s part-time supplementary teachers attended the observation at Sinai Akiba. Teachers who attended either had jobs with flexible schedules or took off work for the morning. Teachers were compensated for their time. 

We expected the primary takeaway from the observation to be the reward of seeing clear teacher language modeled in practice, increasing the impact of the initial Responsive Classroom training, and this was certainly the case. However, there were additional beneficial outcomes that we had not anticipated. 

One was that the part-time teachers left classrooms in awe. “It felt like a seamless ballet,” one teacher reflected, noting the beautiful way a teacher orchestrated learning and transitions in her first-grade classroom. Another teacher shared, “Through watching master teachers lead lessons and manage independent and group work, I learned how to put it all together. We observed how teacher language in combination with body language, classroom setup and tone pave the way for successful learning.” Part-time teachers observed common challenges and were able to see that even veteran teachers experience them. Observing many diverse and effective teacher language techniques throughout one morning proved to be particularly valuable, allowing the supplementary school educators to reflect on how language impacts classroom management, community building and depth of instruction. 

Many of the part-time teachers who attended the observation at Sinai Akiba Academy had never been in a Jewish day school. They were curious about Jewish day schools, asking questions about the number of students who attend and Sinai Akiba’s philosophies around Israel, tefillah and Hebrew education. As a result, though participation in tefillah was not originally part of the morning’s schedule, we adjusted the schedule on the spot to include tefillah. The morning debrief ended up including rich conversations about philosophies of Jewish education stemming from what teachers observed on the walls in classrooms and from what they observed during tefillah. Observing at Sinai Akiba helped part-time teachers think critically about philosophies of education as well as see themselves as part of a larger Jewish educational ecosystem. 

The collaboration between Sinai Akiba and IKAR teachers also yielded several meaningful outcomes for the day school educators, most of which were similarly unexpected. While Sinai Akiba teachers initially saw themselves primarily as hosts providing learning opportunities for IKAR colleagues, they discovered that the interaction sparked meaningful professional growth for them as well. 

The experience highlighted the value of connecting with the wider Jewish educational community. One teacher reflected, “It’s a reminder that there is a network of Jewish educators beyond our school that is available to us for collaborative purposes.” This recognition addressed a longstanding desire for expanded collegial relationships: “I’ve always wished to be able to connect with educators beyond this school. There is so much to learn from each other and so many directions to go to make life easier and be more effective in our instruction.” This experience offered a refreshing counterbalance to the isolation that often contributes to teacher burnout. 

The Sinai Akiba educators expressed hope that this experience will be the impetus for ongoing collaboration between the two organizations, and that they will find renewed strength and motivation in the sense of camaraderie between educators. It also revealed opportunities for more substantive professional exchange. They were also interested in participating in the debrief sessions with the visiting educators, noting that direct peer feedback would have enhanced the professional development value of the observations. Several educators suggested that a more structured dialogue following the observations would create a truly collaborative learning opportunity. 

Additionally, the collaborative nature of the observation process helped Sinai Akiba teachers step back from daily challenges and recognize their strengths. One educator noted, “We are so narrowly focused on the minutiae of our day to day, and it’s so easy to fixate on what goes wrong. It was helpful to have others reflect on what is going smoothly to remind us that we are doing so much well.” The presence of outside observers created a mirror that reflected back the effectiveness of teaching practices that might otherwise go unacknowledged in the busy flow of school life. Much like the “seamless ballet” that IKAR teachers observed, Sinai Akiba educators gained new appreciation for their own choreography through fresh eyes.The observation offered them an opportunity to see themselves as experienced practitioners with valuable wisdom to offer, therefore increasing their confidence as educators. 

Finally, Sinai Akiba educators felt that being observed prompted increased awareness about teaching methods — and, perhaps surprisingly, not just for the duration of the observation. One teacher shared that “just knowing that they were observing teacher language has brought more awareness to me.” This awareness translated into concrete pedagogical reflection, as teachers have found themselves thinking more about how they can be intentional with their language as they teach, even weeks after the observation. 

This partnership between Sinai Akiba Academy and IKAR illustrates the untapped potential that exists when Jewish educational institutions cross traditional boundaries. What began as a straightforward observation opportunity revealed itself to be a catalyst for professional growth in both settings, enhancing teaching practice for supplementary school educators while simultaneously reinvigorating day school teachers through external validation and reflection. 

The experience suggests several important implications for the broader field of Jewish education: 

First, creating structured opportunities for cross-institutional collaboration addresses isolation experienced by educators in all settings, but particularly those in part-time roles who often lack access to a robust professional community. By establishing networks that span different Jewish educational contexts, the field can combat burnout and enhance retention of talented educators. 

Second, the mutual benefits realized by both day school and supplementary school educators challenge the assumption that such collaborations primarily benefit one party. The reflective practices inspired by this partnership demonstrate that even veteran educators gain new perspectives when engaging with colleagues from different settings. Having a specific prompt to anchor the observations (teacher language) led to generative reflections among both day school and supplementary school educators. 

Third, these types of partnerships create natural opportunities for educators to deepen their Jewish professional identities. For supplementary school teachers, exposure to day school environments provided insight into diverse models of Jewish education and their place within the broader ecosystem. Already, one of the supplementary school educators who participated in the observation has taken concrete steps to pursue a career in Jewish day school education—a powerful testament to the impact of this cross-institutional exposure. For day school teachers, articulating their pedagogical approaches to peers sparked renewed awareness of their own practices. 

Fourth, the logistical challenges of bringing together educators who work on different schedules and in different contexts are real but surmountable. Strategic planning, appropriate compensation and institutional commitment can overcome these barriers to create meaningful professional development experiences. 

As Jewish educational leaders consider how to strengthen their institutions, this type of partnership offers a powerful model for professional growth that builds capacity across the ecosystem while fostering a shared sense of purpose among Jewish educators. By intentionally creating opportunities that bridge different contexts, educational leaders can strengthen not only individual educators but the field as a whole. 

Lauren Dolinka is the lower school director at Sinai Akiba Academy. Lauren earned a master’s degree in education from Bar Ilan University. She is an alumna of the DeLeT program at Hebrew Union College, where she is currently an instructor of math methods and has also been a clinical educator. Lauren participated in the School Leadership Academy at University of Southern California, earning her preliminary administrative services credential. 

Rebecca Berger is the senior director of education at IKAR. She earned a master’s degree in Jewish education at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and is an alumna and clinical educator in the DeLeT program, a Jewish teacher credentialing program for Jewish day school teachers. She participated in the Institute for Experiential Jewish Education Senior Educators Cohort and is a current participant in the Mandel Educational Leadership Program. She is also the recipient of a Covenant Grant for her work in inclusive Jewish education.