What Jewish Educators Should Teach

from The Jerusalem Post:

Rosner’s Domain: Al Levitt on what Jewish educators should teach

You’ve probably heard about the “big news coming out of The Jim Joseph Foundation“: $33 million is being given to The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC), and Yeshiva University (YU) to increase the number of future Jewish educators and to improve the quality of professional preparation they receive. … And – Al Levitt, president of Jim Joseph Foundation, had agreed to answer my nugging questions. Here we go:

1. Wow, that’s a lot of money? Why so much for this cause?

The grants are part of a $45 million grant commitment that JJF has made to these 3 institutions. The initial $12 million dollars (divided almost equally among the three institutions) was awarded in September of last year. JJF has now granted an additional $33 million dollars. JJF and the seminaries have worked closely together for two years in the design of these education initiatives. We share a common vision: greater numbers of credentialed and degreed Jewish educators teaching and leading day schools; directing camps; serving as Hillel Jewish educators on campuses throughout the United States; staffing established communal organizations as full-time Jewish educators; and creative, innovative enterprises for which Jewish education is core to mission.

The complete interview is available here.