Section archive - Conferences & Events

In June 2016, a seminar for kindergarten teachers from the Jewish kindergarten system in Pittsburgh was held at The MOFET Institute in collaboration with Classrooms without Borders. During the seminar, the participants experienced a variety of learning settings: visiting and observing Israeli kindergartens as well as other educational institutions serving kindergartens (A House in Nature, Bible House, museums, Ne'ot Kedumim); lectures and workshops on topics such as early childhood education in Israel, early childhood education throughout Jewish history in the Diaspora, Jewish identity in early childhood and the History of the State of Israel and its people. All of the above were accompanied by study-tours around the Land of Israel.

The inaugural “Service Matters: A Summit on Jewish Service” will be held in New York September 15, 2016, bringing together a diverse group of professionals, social entrepreneurs, current and prospective funders, Jewish educators, and others working to engage people – especially Jewish millennials – in meaningful service through a Jewish lens. Speakers and sessions will explore innovations in service, how service relates to justice, how service relates to faith, the funding of service initiatives, and the overall state of the Jewish service field today. Presenters and session facilitators will include both Jewish and non-Jewish educators, nonprofit leaders, social entrepreneurs, politicians, actors, and others who are both committed to service and have successes and challenges to share. The Summit will be followed the next day with a day of Service opportunities.

8We are pleased to announce that the World Zionist Organization is holding another professional development seminar in Israel in the area of Israel Education for educators from abroad who wish to enhance their expertise in the field and deepen their personal understanding of contemporary Israel. The seminar will run from July 18-27, 2016 (9 nights) and is aimed at educators committed to the importance of Israel in the development of Jewish identity who are working with ages 13 and up in both formal and experiential settings. The itinerary will incorporate a rich variety of interactive field experiences around the country, engagement with colorful Israeli personalities, and practical workshops during which particpants will have the opportunity to conceptualize curricula and develop lesson plans taking advantage of the wealth of materials available at the Herzl Museum and Educational Center and other lsrael-based educational institutions.

Now is the time to seize the momentum of Jewish early engagement and provide consistent programming for Jewish families across the nation. Many of our young adults have benefited from national Jewish camping initiatives and the national Taglit Birthright program, and have started to solidify their Jewish identity. As our young adults marry and start to raise families, we must continue to help them using a national approach with the task of creating a Jewish home and raising Jewishly identifying children if we want to ensure the future of the American Jewish community. One possibility for the Jewish community today is to determine how best to share our locally successful strategies of Jewish early engagement to even out the field so that regions that are not as successful can benefit from localized success in early engagement. The Jewish Early Engagement Forum (JEEF) has been established by Rachel Raz of the Early Childhood Institute of Hebrew College. JEEF builds upon conversations spanning two years about how to enable the architecture of a nationally uniform early engagement strategy for the American Jewish Community.