COMMUNITIES

In each of our agencies, we spark, nurture, and spread innovation in our local communities. By networking together, we incorporate learning from colleagues to further strengthen programs that offer part-time Jewish education.

JUF Education of the Jewish United Fund of Chicago serves as JUF's department of Jewish Education. JUF Education’s mission is to advance imaginative, compelling, collaborative, and experiential Jewish education. Working in partnership with the other departments of JUF as well as Jewish educational institutions throughout Chicagoland, JUF Education seeks to serve the community as a convener of networks of education professionals; a research and development laboratory for new and innovative ideas for supporting Jewish education in Chicago; a thought leader across the broad spectrum of Jewish education; a facilitator of professional development and learning for Jewish educators, and a catalyst for systemic improvement of Jewish education in Chicago through strategic investment.

The Jewish Education Center of Cleveland presents innovative models of Jewish education to local congregations through presentations and webinars. For those congregations interested in deeper explorations, JECC connects educators in Cleveland with educators in other communities.

The Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit works in close partnership with the Jewish Federation to provide financial, programmatic and professional development support for congregational education. In addition, the Jewish Community Center encourages innovation in congregational education through; the sharing of innovative practices from around the country, supporting educator networks, providing professional development opportunities for educators and serving as a catalyst for the creation of new collaborative educational initiatives such as Camp Sababa.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston works in collaboration with Congregational School Principals’ Network to connect educators across communities to foster deeper exploration of innovative educational models.

BJE convenes the Religious School Educators Network, focused on religious school innovation, best practices implementation, and collaboration. In addition, the Network hosts JEDCamp sessions, based on the international EdCamp model, which empowers educators as both teachers and learners.

Every Jewish child has a right to a meaningful Jewish education. That means all ages (newborns to teens), learning environments (synagogues to summer programs), and backgrounds (cultural Jews to Satmar Hasidim). Through leadership training and support for educators, The Jewish Education Project is ensuring that the most innovative educational approaches are applied to the transmission of Jewish values, establishing a lifelong foundation for being good people. Today in North America, congregational learning is where the largest number of Jewish children receive their Jewish education. Through leadership coaching, peer networks and microgrants, our work helps local clergy and education directors respond to some of the greatest challenges facing today’s learners and families. Together, we’re ensuring that Jewish learning remains relevant and meaningful in the 21st century.

Jewish Learning Venture empowers families raising children from birth through high school to make Judaism more meaningful and relevant for themselves. Our innovative programs guide families and leaders of Jewish organizations to see Judaism as a means to a thriving life. Throughout the year, we offer a variety of "intentional interruptions" - opportunities for Education Directors to separate from their day-to-day work to refresh, renew, and rejuvenate. Our cohort, Nefesh Kol Chai: Caring for Every Learners Soul offers a unique intensive experience, intended to support a small group of educators to explore a new paradigm for Jewish education, which will focus on helping learners to thrive.

Jewish LearningWorks elevates the field of Jewish education by nurturing educators, inspiring innovation, and promoting Jewish literacy. We do this through our Professional Learning initiative and through sponsorship of the Jewish Community Library. Our Professional Learning initiative offers year-round support to educators in congregations, JCCs, youth programs, and social service organizations, designed to build both the skills and relationships needed to advance educational excellence. Our primary strategies include leadership coaching, training, mentoring and networking. Current cornerstone efforts include the Bay Area Teen Initiative, the Voices for Good women's leadership initiative, a menu of resources to support learners with special needs, and a new digital learning initiative.