Growing Jewish Education in Challenging Times

by David Bryfman Historically speaking there are many characteristics of a revolution. Archetypal revolutions involve transformation brought about by a major groundswell of people. Most revolutions have a central leader (or leaders), and almost all have a clear and articulated vision. The Jewish world has gone through several revolutions. Exemplars of Jewish revolutions include the establishment of Yavneh as a center of Jewish learning after … [Read more...] about The Revolution Before our Eyes

by Adam Gaynor Most American Jews choose to live, work, and socialize in modern, diverse communities; consequently, most Jewish teens attend schools, camps, and extracurricular activities that are ethnically and religiously diverse (even when their parents can afford the exorbitant tuitions of comparable Jewish options). Given that the peer groups of most Jewish teens are diverse, and that adolescence is a time of identity formation within the … [Read more...] about Bridging the Gap from Bar Mitzvah to Birthright

by Andrew Silow-Carroll Is it day school or nothing? Earlier this year, at a day school conference in New Jersey, one of its organizers suggested as much. “There is no alternative to day school,” he said. “There’s day school and there’s not day school. Day school is the most effective means of keeping the community vibrant. Other things will come along that will contribute to the perpetuity of the Jewish people, but they’re not [as good … [Read more...] about Day Schools or Nothing?

by Renee Rubin Ross, PhD It is a cliché in education, and in Jewish education as well, that we’d like to get parents more involved. We’d like to see more parents volunteering for our schools, more parents fundraising for our schools, more parents standing behind, and with, the important work that our schools are doing. But what factors actually contribute to parent involvement? I attempted to answer this question in my dissertation … [Read more...] about Parent Involvement or Parent Investment?

by Pat Bidol Padva Among all forms of Jewish education, early childhood education may provide the best opportunity for strengthening the viability of North American Jewry. Families of young Jewish children are in transition, looking for connection and open to new life paths. However, too often they either miss the opportunity to participate in Jewish early childhood programs; or, even when they do enroll, the schools fail to engage them in a … [Read more...] about Jewish Education Begins With Early Childhood