The CJPE is proud to introduce the Toolkit for Jewish Peoplehood Education. Building on its efforts to encourage debate about the nature of Jewish Peoplehood – what is it? – and its significance– why is it important? – the Toolkit takes the discussion one step further. Designed for educators and policy planners in a wide range of Jewish educational settings, it offers resources for dealing with the big questions of What? And Why?, as well as the very practical question of How?
The Toolkit contains practical tools for educators who want to answer these questions, and more:
How do I start a conversation with my students about Jewish Peoplehood?
How can I maximize the potential of the upcoming mifgash (encounter) with Israelis?
What else can I do if I don’t have access to a group of Israelis?
What are the best methods for instilling a Peoplehood consciousness in my students?
Where are there usable resources (texts, movies and more) that I can bring to my classroom/camp/synagogue?
What else can I read to give me more perspectives on Jewish Peoplehood?
The answers to these questions are found in the Toolkit, in the mix of materials that are practical and conceptual. There are short articles on the five key areas of Jewish Peoplehood – Collective Belonging, Mutual Responsibility, Israel, Universalism vs Particularism and Contemporary Challenges, and for each of these chapters we also offer concrete tools, including texts with programmatic ideas, trigger activities and media resources.
In addition the Toolkit contains lots of good tips for effective Peoplehood Practices, such as facilitating a mifgash or incorporating Hebrew. And there are suggestions for how to build a Peoplehood-focused educational program and lots of links to more reading in the Virtual Library. New materials are being added on an ongoing basis, so keep checking back periodically to find new texts and activities. There are also plans to translate the Toolkit into Hebrew for our Israeli educator counterparts.
The Toolkit is not a curriculum. It doesn’t present the materials in any pre-determined order, nor do we define how the materials could, or should be used, or in which setting. Rather we invite educators in all settings to dive into the resources from the point that most interests them and find something – an insight, a text, an article, an idea – that will work for them. And, of course, we invite comments, feedback and suggestions about how to serve the field more effectively.
In the coming blog postings we will feature specific components of the Toolkit. 
