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Education - Adult Education Methodology
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- Article: A Jewish Approach To Discipline
By Dr. Shoshana Silberman
Dr. Silberman present a progressive Jewish view of classroom discipline, stressing the concept of the individuality of each child and the importance of students feeling ownership. She gives examples of good and bad disciplinary techniques and connects them to themes in Jewish texts.
- Article: Boundaries and Identity: Discussing Where We Stand and Who We Are
By Rabbi Richard Hirsh
An article on how to discuss the "how" and "what" of setting boundaries around interfaith families and who is Jewish for the purpose of religious school attendance in your congregation. Why are these discussions important? What gets in the way of having them?
- Article: Educating Future Jews: Jewish Americans or American Jews?
By Sarah Rubin
A frank exploration of the purpose of religious school and how conflicting religious status and identy can be addressed within JRF congregations. Are we teaching our children to take on American culture and values from a Jewish perspective or are we teaching them to explore Jewish culture and values from an American perspective?
- Article: Educational Boundaries
By Rabbi Amy Joy Small
Rabbi Amy Small explores how children's Jewish identity (or lack thereof) affects their experience in Hebrew school and affirms the recommendation of the 1998 Boundaries and Opportunities on the Role of Non-Jews in JRF congregations that "children who receive formal instruction in another religion must not be enrolled in JRF religious schools."
- Article: Surviving In The One Room Schoolhouse
By Rabbi Julie Greenberg
An article exploring the benefits and difficulties of mixed-age religious school classes, including a case study.
- How to: Ten Things I Learned As The Education Director Of JRF Congregation Mishkan Shalom
By Rabbi Linda Holtzman
In this keynote address given at the November 2000 JRF Mid-Atlantic Regional Educators' Day, Rabbi Holtzman shares her wisdom from 5 years as Education Director in the form of 10 principles such as "Acknowledge children with non-Jewish parents as fully respected and accepted members of the community" and "Balance content and the sharing of thoughts and feelings.
- Listserve Thread: Hebrew In The Curriculum
By Rabbi Shai Gluskin
The record of two discussions that took place on EdTalk, the JRF listserve for Reconstructionist educators, from February, 2001 and November, 2001. The topic is the role of Hebrew within our religious schools. Is it for cultural literacy? Liturgical application? Just to get through the bar/bat mitzvah?
- Listserve Thread: Synagogue Membership as a Requirement for Religious School Enrollment
By Rabbi Shai Gluskin
A message on the edtalk listserv requested information about not requiring synagogue membership as a way to attract greater number of students to school with declining population. Four congregations responded. None of them have this policy past preschool classes. Consensus was that not requiring membership is generally discouraged as it doesn't serve the community building function of synagogue membership.
- Manual: Fundraising Through Grants
By Sharon Schwartz
In this grantwriting guide, Sharon pulls together the best information from several sites. In addition to the training materials, contact information for several specific foundations is given. Some emphaisis on Philadelphia area foundations and on school-related grants.
- Manual: Religious School Parent Handbook - Beth El, VT
By Rabbi Howard Cohen
An overview of the expectations, structure and philosophy of the Congregation Beth El Judaism School in Bennington, Vermont. The school charges no tuition and all costs are covered by general membership dues and pledges.
- Manual: Religious School Parent Handbook - Beth Israel, Media, PA
By Rabbi Linda Potemken
A description of the curriculum, philosophy and parent participation of the Congregation Beth Israel Religious School.
- Manual: Religious School Parent Handbook - Or Hadash, PA
By Lori Rubin
A guide to the Or Hadash Religious School that tells parents about the school in a question and answer format. Also includes a statement of purpose, goals and a curriculum outline by grade.
- Manual: Religious School Parent Handbook - Shir Hadash, IL
By Alice Bechtolsheim
A guide to formal and informal Jewish education at Shir Hadash in Northbrook, IL including curriculum guide by grade.
- Manual: Religious School Teacher Handbook - Mishkan Shalom, PA
By Rabbi Erin Hirsh
A comprehensive, alphabetical guide to being a teacher in Mishkan Shalom's religious school including everything from benefits and responsibilities to a note reminding teachers to be conscious that students come from a wide range of Jewish and family backgrounds.
- Policy: Recommendation on Membership and School Enrollment
By JRF Task Force On The Role Of Non-Jews In JRF Congregations
An excerpt from Boundaries and Opportunities report on the role of non-Jews in JRF congregations, which includes the commission's recommendations on membership and religious school enrollment. A summary of the report is also available in the Online Resource Library and the full report is available for purchase from the Reconstructionist Press.
- Policy: Religious School Mission Statements
By Rabbi Shai Gluskin
Mission statements from the religious schools of 4 Reconstructionist congregations across the United States.
- Policy: Special Education Policy
By Adat Shalom Board Of Education
This is Adat Shalom's special needs policy, developed by their education board under their then education director Mary Meyerson. The document balances the desire to be inclusive with the need to be practical about what the congregation can actually promise to provide.
- Program Description: Hebrew In The Curriculum Via Tutoring
By Aviva Levin
An innovative redesign of the Religious School program at Malibu Jewish Center & Synagogue changed the structure of Hebrew instruction from traditional group lessons to individual weekly tutoring sessions. MJCS was able to implement this program without a tuition increase.
- Program Description: Proposal For A Reconstructionist Day School
By Shira Stutman
Shira Stutman imagined this model of a Reconstructionist high school that she named Lab Yeshiva. She proposes block scheduling, integrated secular and Judaic studies and service learning to Jewishly educate students who are not being served by traditional college-prep academies.
- Small School Administration
- Special Education
- Teaching God
- Teaching Israel
- Teaching Liturgy
- Teaching Modern Hebrew
- Teaching Reconstructionism
- Teaching Text
- Text Study
- Youth Group
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