tips for educators
A Complex Answer Framing the issue In recent months two important articles by Yehuda Kurtzer and Gidi Grinstein opened a conversation that is no less than crucial to the Jewish future. I would like to humbly add my perspective to this conversation. While agreeing with most of their analysis and recommendations I would like to…
The CJPE is proud to launch "A Deep Dive into Jewish Peoplehood Education"; a new seminar series for educators interested in understanding the principles and practices of excellent education for Jewish Peoplehood. Join a select number of your educational colleagues in this series of six webinars designed to help you do the following: achieve deeper…
I love my nuclear family. I also love my extended family. And I particularly love the way they celebrate Thanksgiving. When I was living in New York, our family of five would go to our first-cousins home every year. It was just about as “Americana” as you could get, with the traditional Thanksgiving foods, the…
We have chosen some ready-to-use educational resources from the Peoplehood Education Toolkit that bring together themes of Jewish Peoplehood and the High Holiday season. Check them out: Collective Prayer – A text study and activity based on the Vidui (Confession) liturgy of the High Holidays. How do we understand the language of "we" in relation to our…
Check out the new media resources in the CJPE Toolkit for Jewish Educators. We are curating and organizing selections of short video clips that educators can use to explore the themes of Jewish Peoplehood. With each video clip we also offer you suggestions for activities to use with those clips, and all part of our interconnected…
Six months ago, I began teaching a premarital class to intrafaith and interfaith couples being married by clergy at my synagogue. The impetus for the class was the increasing disaffiliation and disconnection of Jewish young adults from Jewish life. Regardless of whether couples were endogamous or interfaith, we believed that marriage presented an opportunity to…
Check out the latest resources in the Toolkit focusing on the theme of Collective Identity. We have some great new activities for you. They include activities using debate and discussion, reflection and some creative arts, as well as those based around stimulating texts and movies. And for a great Passover-themed activity, check out "Collective Memory…
Relationships define and strengthen Jewish Peoplehood. Relationships such as those between God and Israel, parent and child, and rabbi and student are all central to our tradition. For Judaism to thrive in the future, however, Jews must focus on building relationships with other Jews. We must transcend traditional boundaries such as background, education, or…
Continuing our series of resources for educators based on films from the students at the Ma'aleh Film School in Jerusalem, check out our discussion guide for the short drama, "The Divide", a film by Tzvi Yehuda Herling. The movie tells the story of Kobi, who has defied his parents wishes by joining the Israeli army. Now…
We are delighted to share a new movie resource, a discussion guide for the documentary film "Addes", made by Avital Livneh Levy at the Ma'aleh Film School in Jerusalem. Synopsis of the Movie The famous Addes synagogue in the Nachlaot neighborhood of Jerusalem is celebrating its 100th anniversary. And the synagogue’s long-time gabbai (the volunteer…
Check out our new ideas and discussion guide for a clip from the movie "Keeping the Faith". Synopsis of the Movie: In this 2000 movie, directed by Ed Norton, a comedic romantic triangle is created, when childhood friends, Jake and Brian, both fall in love with the same girl, their childhood friend, Anna. But things…
In this talk from the JDov series, Rabbi Rachel Sabath Beit-HaLachmi argues that the future of Jewish Peoplehood depends on three questions that are being discussed in contemporary Israeli society, and beyond. Watch the 15-minute talk here. Discuss the following questions: Discuss each of the questions raised here. How does each one address or reflect…
As a kick-off to our new series of movie resources, based on the engaging and stimulating short films from the Ma'aleh Film School in Jerusalem, we are excited to share with you a link to the movie "House no. 103", a story of a community and family struggling with crisis. Movie: House no. 103 – a…
The current crisis in Israel has educational ramifications for Jewish educators everywhere. We encourage you to explore some of the big issues with your students and constituents, from a Peoplehood perspective. Here are some topic ideas, based on some reflections in our recent blog posts: 1. Big Questions. Read Shlomi Ravid's recent blog post about…
Big Questions and Hard Questions For whom are we responsible?” is a different question than “What does it mean to be responsible?” or “Do we have a responsibility to our particular heritage?” The latter questions are examples of what I’ve come to call Hard Questions: they matter to everyone, but they invite a response only…
I really appreciate Josh Feigelson's distinction between Big Questions and Hard Questions. I think it is so rich and helpful, and can provide us with a roadmap to more effective Peoplehood education. As he says so eloquently "If we are to renew a sense of peoplehood, we have to renew a language and ethic of responsibility.…
The Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education is delighted to welcome Tova Garr to the team. Tova is taking a new position for the Center; the Greater New York Peoplehood Educator. In this role she will be working with institutions and organizations in the New York area, introducing them to the resources of the Center for…
At this time of year, following Passover, the Jewish calendar is full of celebrations and commemorations that highlight the national aspects of being Jewish. Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day), Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) and Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day) are powerful and rich expressions of Jewish Peoplehood, and offer many educational opportunities to explore…
In the aftermath of Purim take a look at the new Worldwide Purim Album from Beit Hatfutsot . Here are some ideas for using the album to connect your students to Jews across time and space. These ideas would work well with younger children and teens. Have your students bring pictures of themselves in Purim…
One of the most effective, and widespread, tools for Peoplehood Education is the Mifgash – an encounter between two different populations. Interacting in a positive way with people who are different from ourselves is a powerful educational tool that helps us expand our horizons, and reflect on our own identities. But not all mifgashim are…