Explore the crucial role of women in yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus from Egypt) with this engaging lesson plan for grades 6-12, developed by JEIC Managing Director Sharon Freundel. The plan examines both named and unnamed female figures who helped bring about this transformational moment in Jewish history. Through the use of text analysis, discussion questions, and a graphic organizer, students will gain a deeper understanding of women's contributions to this pivotal event.
JEIC Managing Director Sharon Freundel shares creative solutions for supporting Jewish educators without burdening parents with higher tuition in her latest eJewishPhilanthropy opinion piece.
Jewish Teachers Now (JTN), a partnership of JEIC and Touro University, is revolutionizing the recruitment and retention of Jewish educators through innovative community-wide benefits and engaging initiatives for the next generation. By fostering a supportive ecosystem for educators and inspiring young minds, JTN is shaping the future of Jewish education and ensuring a vibrant community for years to come.
The arba banim, the four children from the Passover Seder aren't just characters in an ancient story -- they're a surprisingly modern framework for understanding how students engage with learning. In this fascinating exploration, we'll see how these traditional archetypes align perfectly with contemporary educational psychology, especially when it comes to student motivation and engagement. Whether you're an educator or simply curious about the intersection of ancient wisdom and modern teaching, this piece offers a fresh perspective on an age-old challenge: how to truly inspire the next generation of learners.
How do we get Jewish day school educators, parents, and donors to understand that High-Quality Professional Development is not a cost, but an investment? Dr. David Farbman, project director of JEIC's DEEP Consortium project, offers his answer in this eJewish Philanthropy article. Read here
The JEIC team visited Seattle, touring five Jewish day schools and meeting with faculty to prepare for this year's Innovators Retreat, thanks to the partnership with the Samis Foundation. During these visits, JEIC also offered their Intrinsic Motivation workshop series, equipping educators with student-centered learning tools to enhance their teaching practices.
JEIC Managing Director Sharon Freundel explores creative ways to bring Midrash to life in the classroom, helping students connect deeply with Jewish texts in her Lookstein Center Jewish Educational Leadership article, Opening the Middle School Window to Midrash.
Rabbi Shmuel Lichtenstein, head of school at the Torah School of Greater Washington (TSGW), explains TSGW redefines Jewish day school education by blending timeless Torah values with modern, learner-centered teaching to best serve each learner's needs.
Last month, we explored an aspect of the dilemma of how we can do the best for each and every one of our students. This month, we will look at a totally different manifestation of the same question. That is the amount of time it takes to develop passionate, trained teachers.
Educators aspire to do what's best for their students. But what if something that is good for one student is terrible for another student? What’s the solution to the dilemma in which we are not serving all of our children in the best way possible?
Reuven Margrett, Associate Director (North America), Pardes Center for Jewish Educators asks the question: How do we support new and emerging tefillah coordinators?
He explains that the tefillah coordinator role needs to be about more than just focusing on the product (minyanim, curriculum, logistics), and shares ideas on how schools can consciously support, build, and grow a cadre of tefillah coordinators who can lead and inspire.
Author Elena Aguilar identifies six core human needs in her most recent book, "Arise: The Art of Transformational Coaching." Her list closely parallel's JEIC's list of the six pillars of intrinsic motivation. Her focus is on educator training, making the classroom teacher her "end user." But is that the right focus... especially in the field of Jewish education?
Rabbi Jeremy Bruce, director of programming at The Rabbi Sacks Legacy and Rabbi David Stein, the dean of academic affairs at Shalhevet High School and co-founder and managing director of Lahav Learning, explain the Torah V’Chochmah program. This program, inspired by Rabbi Sacks' teachings in Bible, Parashat Hashavua, and Jewish thought trains Jewish educators in curriculum development.
About two weeks before schools starts, the “what ifs” take over every teacher's mind. Gesher Jewish Day School Principal of Teaching and Learning Melanie Eisen shares the lessons she's learned over her 33-year career that have helped her calm the what ifs so she can focus on having a great school year.
This year, the Jewish calendar creates an oddity in that the first month or so of school is the month of Elul rather than Tishrei. What educational message can we glean from this unusual turn of the calendar?
Dr. Tal Grinfas-David, head of TGDConsulting, consultant to the Center for Israel Education (CIE), and DEEP Consortium member, shares key insights from years of coaching Jewish day schools to embrace transformative change, especially pertaining to teaching about Israel.
As we enter the Three Weeks, when we commemorate the most tragic periods in the national life of the Jewish people, JEIC Managing Director Sharon Freundel compares how the collective Jewish journey back to the Hold Land can mirror the journey of each child reaching their treasured destination.
Actively promoting faculty retention is a fundamental priority for Jewish day schools. Dr. Harry Bloom, Founder and President, Benchmarking for Good, Inc. delves into indications from the recent Prizmah/JEIC reports and recent faculty climate surveys conducted by Benchmarking for Good.
As educators prepare their yearly vision and units for the coming school year, JEIC Managing Director Sharon Freundel suggests that we use big ideas (BI) and essential questions (EQ) that focus on philosophical life statements and pertinent deep questions to frame the students’ learning.
Rabbi Shmuel Feld, founding director of the Jewish Education Innovation Challenge, discusses how the secret sauce in Jewish education is intrinsic motivation. He further examines this core concept in successful Jewish education that we delved into at this year’s Innovators Retreat.
