News & Blogs Category: Featured Partner

The Jewish Emergent Network is comprised of the leaders of seven path‐breaking Jewish communities from across the country: IKAR in Los Angeles, Kavana in Seattle, The Kitchen in San Francisco, Mishkan in Chicago, Sixth & I in Washington, D.C., and Lab/Shul and Romemu in New York. They join in the spirit of collaboration to revitalize the field of Jewish engagement, with a commitment to both traditionally rooted and creative approaches that welcome people into rich and meaningful Jewish life.

Now the Network is preparing to gather with thought leaders from around North America June 1-3 for (RE)VISION: Experiments & Dreams From Emerging Jewish Communities, a dynamic, content-rich, Shabbat-based conference held at IKAR and co-hosted by the the Network organizations.

Registration for (RE)VISION is open to the public at at www.JewishEmergentNetwork.org.

The three full days of content will feature laboratories, galleries, interactive experiments, panels, guest speakers and other creative learning modules, with plenty of time built in for networking, davening, singing and creating community.

(RE)VISION will also be the official introduction of the Network’s second cohort of select, early career rabbinic fellows and the farewell sendoff for the first cohort. The goal of the Network’s hallmark Rabbinic Fellowship is to create the next generation of entrepreneurial, risk-taking change-makers, with the skills to initiate independent communities and who are valuable and valued inside existing Jewish institutions and synagogues.

Joining this incredible Fellowship of rabbis and innovators has been the best possible kickoff to my rabbinic career.
-Rabbi Lauren Henderson, currently the Network Fellow at Mishkan in Chicago

These rabbis who founded these emergent communities are my Jewish superheroes. They are redefining what is Jewish practice and Jewish life, and what Jewish community can really feel like. It can feel deeply welcoming and open but also, they are offering a Judaism that demands a lot of the people who walk in.
-Keilah Lebell, incoming second cohort Network Fellow at IKAR

Along with the Jim Joseph Foundation, additional support for the Network is provided by the William Davidson Foundation, the Crown Family, the Charles H. Revson Foundation, Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah, and Natan. Network members are continuing to secure additional program funding over the next two years.

Well-trained and supported teachers are integral to high quality and effective Jewish Day Schools. They deserve opportunities to continuously refine and improve their skills, and, equally as important, must have a desire to remain at their schools.

Now in its 15th year, the Jewish New Teacher Project (JNTP) addresses both of these areas, helping Day Schools offer support to new and veteran teachers in Jewish and general studies through their intensive mentoring and mentor training programs.

With full conviction I can say that I would not have stayed in teaching if not for the mentoring I received through JNTP!
– Tamar Kaplan Appel, Assistant Principal, Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls
former JNTP new teacher; current JNTP mentor

What began with a select group of Jewish Day Schools in Metropolitan New York, JNTP now engages mentors and new teachers elsewhere in the east coast and Midwest. Over the past 15 years, JNTP has worked with more than 1,000 educators in Jewish day schools across North America, helping schools achieve teaching excellence by increasing teacher effectiveness and teacher retention and by bringing the language of teaching standards, collaboration and professional development into school culture.

JNTP currently is training 154 mentors to work intensively with 174 new teachers from 69 schools across the country, with program hubs in New York, Baltimore, Chicago and Miami. JNTP also coaches early-career administrators and, between its Baltimore coaching cohort and one-on-one coaching work, has supported 47 new administrators in 25 schools. This year JNTP’s work is influencing the education experience of over 18,000 students in Jewish day schools.

JNTP’s model was adapted from the New Teacher Center in Santa Cruz, California, which trains veteran teachers to provide two years of intensive mentoring to support new teachers in public schools across the country. JNTP’s efforts elevate teaching and learning in the world of Jewish education and enable schools to have more effective educators and school leaders positioned to help every student meets his or her potential.

The Jewish New Teacher Project started as a pilot program of The AVI CHAI Foundation in 2003. The Jim Joseph Foundation continues to invest in JNTP today.

A growing base of knowledge is developing for Jewish education practitioners to turn to for insights and best practices so they engage learners in the most effective ways possible. This development is critical for the field of Jewish education. Just as other fields, such as medicine and law, have research that informs and improves practice, CASJE (Consortium for Applied Studies in Jewish Education)—a community of researchers, practitioners, and philanthropic leaders—is committed to sharing knowledge to improve Jewish education.

One current long-term research project explores how Jewish early childhood education (ECE) can serve as a gateway for deeper and more sustained involvement in Jewish life. The study includes a focus on ways that ECE institutions can better engage interfaith families and families that are not currently involved in a synagogue or other Jewish institution.

We want to equip communities with the knowledge and skills to welcome in families of all Jewish backgrounds as effectively as possible.
– Lesley Matsa Said of The Crown Family, which is funding the research program

Another project, recently completed, was a three-part literature review series exploring what recent research about heritage, second, and foreign language learning means for the teaching and learning of Hebrew.

This research directly informs how educators teach Hebrew—plain and simple. We now have a clearer picture of what Hebrew language learners experience and we can apply this research to improve the outcomes in Hebrew language learning.
– Rabbi Mitchel Malkus, Head of School at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School of Greater Washington, D.C. and co-chair of the Board of Directors of CASJE

CASJE also is committed to developing the pipeline of future Jewish education scholars. As part of these efforts, an emerging scholar sits on CASJE’s Board and, each year, CASJE hosts an Emerging Scholars Seminar at the Network for Research in Jewish Education annual conference.

CASJE invited us—mentors and mentees all—to consult on its newly commissioned research project that investigates the extent to which Jewish early Childhood Education (ECE) may be a gateway to more meaningful Jewish educational experiences…There’s nothing like a good case study to animate thinking, to prod shareholders outside their comfort zones, and to advance “outside the box” rumination and reflection.
– Matt Williams, 2017 Emerging Scholars Seminar attendee

Visit CASJE.org to learn more about its areas of research and ongoing projects, including its recent Problem Formulation Convening (PFC) to explore the recruitment, retention, and development of Jewish educators, supported by the William Davidson Foundation. The day-long gathering brought together a small group of scholars, practitioners, and funders with a set of shared concerns. The primary question at this PFC was: what would it take to recruit significantly greater numbers of talented people to the field of Jewish education, and what would be needed to sustain and retain those personnel once they have launched careers in the field? Through carefully facilitated conversations, the day developed an applied research agenda that can shape understandings of the career trajectories of Jewish educators in North America.

Founded 17 years ago, Reboot affirms the value of Jewish traditions and creates new ways for people to make them their own. Inspired by Jewish ritual and embracing the arts, humor, food, philosophy, and social justice, Reboot produces creative projects that spark the interest of young Jews and the larger community. Among Reboot’s productions are events, exhibitions, recordings, books, films, Do-It-Yourself (DIY) activity toolkits, and digital apps. Reboot also collaborates with local and national community partner organizations to adapt the resources to enrich their programming offerings for their own constituents. Since Reboot’s inception, 542 network members, over 1,000 community organization partners, and hundreds of thousands of people have looked to them to rekindle connections and re-imagine Jewish lives full of meaning, creativity, and joy.

Sign up to be a part of the 2018 National Day of Unplugging.

Last year’s annual National Day of Unplugging—the 24-hour respite from technology from sundown to sundown on the first Shabbat of March—had a record-breaking year, engaging over 45,000 individuals, with 275 programs. Across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the National Day of Unplugging has reached over 136 million people (and has been covered by more than 930 online, broadcast and print media outlets). The 24 hours includes live events across the country – including yoga, indoor rock climbing, analog-only parties, and more – which all celebrate people’s commitment to be more thoughtful about unplugging with Reboot’s signature cell phone sleeping bags and “I Unplug To _ Signs.” Since its inception, the National Day of Unplugging has reached over 112,000 participants with more than 1,000 events.

It was so refreshing to spend an evening unplugged, and connecting with people. It was a great reminder that our technology can distract us from the wonderful people standing in front of us. After attending the unplugged party I made a point to tell my friends that we need to start putting our phones away when we are together. – UNPLUG LA participant, 20s, Venice

It’s not too late to sign up to host your own unplugging event in your community or take the personal pledge to unplug on the new website. As of this posting, there are already over 750 events set to take place around the world for this year’s National Day of Unplugging, a growth of over 275% from 2017. Reboot is also facilitating its own innovative unplugging experiences in the core cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Detroit – more information is available here.

Reboot is able to strike both a personal, communal and cultural chord through the do-it-yourself material it creates and distributes, and its tiered approach to programming. It produces signature events, such as large scale Unplugging parties or the construction of an experimental public “Sukkah City”, while also consulting with local and national community partner organizations to enrich their offerings with Reboot’s field-tested Jewish content. This includes everything from enhancing a local synagogue’s High Holiday program with an integrated 10Q experience, to helping a JCC launch a Jewish food festival that uses Beyond Bubbie’s programs of intergenerational exchange.

The event [reBar – an opportunity to reflect back to a Bar/Bat Mitzvah] was spectacular, interesting, meaningful, edgy a bit. I thought it was inclusive in a way that was really interesting to me. It is rare for me to go to an event which is a Jewish event, but where non-Jews are included. – reBar participant, 20s, East Bay

Reboot continues to look for new opportunities to fill a void in Jewish life. Reboot also is currently piloting Death Over Dinner – Jewish Edition in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, with partners IKAR and Death Over Dinner founder Michael Hebb, which works to break the culture taboos around death conversations and activate meaningful connection for people around their dinner tables through a Jewish lens.

Learn more about the many ways to engage in Jewish life through Reboot at Rebooters.net.

The Pardes Center for Jewish Educators and Yeshivat Chovevei Torah announced the launch of a new and exciting collaboration. Beginning in fall 2018, the two institutions will join forces to begin training outstanding rabbis who are passionate about Jewish education.
The Pardes+YCT Joint Program will include two unique courses of study:

• Pardes Day School Educators Program+YCT: a five-year teacher training, Masters of Jewish Education (from Hebrew College in Boston), and rabbinical school program, which will train exceptional rabbinic educators who will become teachers and leaders in Jewish day schools.
• Pardes Experiential Educators Program+YCT: a five-year experiential education and rabbinical school program, with the option of a Masters of Jewish Education (from the Davidson School at JTS), which will train excellent rabbinic educators who will work in the field of experiential Jewish education.

Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School is proud of its ongoing relationship with Pardes. Our two institutions share a commitment to the study and teaching of Torah, along with imparting a deep commitment to the Jewish People in our students. This partnership is an exciting opportunity for us to work together to bring the best educational opportunities to our students and ultimately to impact the Jewish world through their chosen careers in the rabbinate.
– YCT Mashgiach and Director of Recruitment Rabbi Yonah Berman

Both of these options offer advanced text study with world-class faculty in the Pardes and YCT batei midrash; Jewish education studies at Pardes in Jerusalem; semikha from YCT rabbinical school; Masters in Jewish Education; advanced Clinical Pastoral Education; unique real-world internships with master mentors; and generous stipend packages.

We are so happy that this partnership has developed between our two institutions. Our common goals of deep Torah learning and concern for the whole Jewish world make us natural partners. We hope this will be the first of many partnerships with other rabbinical seminaries as well.
– Dean of Pardes, Dr. David I. Bernstein

The Pardes Center for Jewish Educators – a branch of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem – trains and empowers Jewish studies teachers and experiential Jewish educators and leaders to serve as knowledgeable, skilled, reflective and passionate professionals in diverse Jewish settings.
Yeshivat Chovevei Torah – the foremost Modern Orthodox rabbinical school in the United States – trains rabbis who are leaders of Klal Yisrael, build communities that are inclusive and welcoming, and teach a Torah that motivates and inspires.

For more information, contact PCJE Acting Director Aviva Golbert ([email protected]) or Rabbi Yonah Berman at YCT ([email protected]).

Engaging with arts and culture is an increasingly popular way for American Jews, particularly young adults, to experience Jewish life, learning, and community. Yet, for these experiences to have meaning and resonance, skilled educators are needed to help guide participants. The George Washington University’s groundbreaking Master’s in Experiential Education and Jewish Cultural Arts (EE/JCA)—the only of its kind in the U.S.—now training its fourth cohort, is a field leader in developing educators who create and implement these dynamic cultural offerings.

The EE/JCA program provided me with an immersive intellectual experience that was as intense as it was textured. It greatly expanded my ability to interpret and appreciate Jewish cultural life in ways that enhanced both my personal and professional worlds. As an experienced educator, I found that the program’s focus on Jewish experiential education reinforced and deepened my understanding of successfully engaging people of all ages in ways that are active, meaningful, and that have a lasting impact on their connection to Jewish life… The relationships I built with my cohort members inspired me to feel confident about my contributions to the landscape of our academic and professional worlds while supporting me during the busy days of reading, research, and writing. My cohort members became colleagues and friends, a crucial element of my experience in the program.
– Jennifer Fechter, cohort 3

The intensive 13-month, cross-disciplinary curriculum combines coursework in Jewish cultural arts and experiential education with elective courses tailored to students’ individual professional needs and interests. During the school year, students enjoy hands-on, supervised field placements at a broad range of Washington, DC-area Jewish arts, culture, social service, and educational organizations. This element of their training is followed by the Capstone Fellows course—a summer internship placement offering the opportunity to pursue full-time work at exemplary Jewish arts and education organizations around the country and abroad, among them the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco and Polin in Warsaw, Poland.

The EE/JCA program has fulfilled me academically, personally, and professionally in ways I never thought possible. I am valued as an individual, but also gain strength from my cohort and the professors who challenge and support me. The course material delves into a broad range of topics, from theory to cultural study to Jewish content, but most importantly, I am not confined to the four walls of the classroom. The content I learn in class and the discussions I have with my classmates enriches my fieldwork at the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington, an opportunity I have because of this program. All of these elements- experience, intellectual study, peer relationships, individual freedom- have been essential to my development as a Jewish educator. The EE/JCA program is the only one of its kind and I am privileged to be part of it.
– Erin Pirkle, cohort 4

Graduates are prepared to work in Jewish museums and arts institutions, community centers, college campus groups, social service organizations, and other innovative educational and cultural settings.

Since its launch in 2014, the EE/JCA Program has evolved to meet the needs and interests of its students and of the field. Today, students are especially interested in utilizing the arts and different methodologies of experiential education to address social justice issues and to help develop a heightened sense of civic responsibility. A track in the Master’s program focuses on teaching in social justice initiatives.  Additionally, in response to growing interest in cultural and heritage tourism, the program will soon offer a track that zeroes in on the relationship between travel and experiential education.

The program attracts a diverse group of students from various backgrounds, empowering them with the license to be creative. The GW faculty is proud of the large and welcoming tent the program creates, with room for different people and perspectives. Students leave with new knowledge, deeper skills, and innovative approaches to engage people in Jewish cultural arts.

The George Washington University’s Master’s in Experiential Education and Jewish Cultural Arts (EE/JCA) is accepting applications for cohort 5. Program faculty includes Michael Feuer, Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development and Professor of Education Policy; Jenna Weissman Joselit, the Charles E. Smith Professor of Judaic Studies & Professor of History; and Benjamin M. Jacobs, Visiting Associate Professor. Images featured here were graphically designed by Erik Mace and were included in the program’s “Mosaic” brochures.

The Foundation’s investment to GWU for educator training for the cultural arts is for $1.47 million.

BimBam’s digital storytelling sparks connections to Judaism for learners of all ages. Last year it released Shaboom!, a ten-part series designed for children ages 3-8 focusing on everyday Jewish values. Now, enjoy the latest Shaboom! episode, made especially for Chanukkah.

“We believe that Judaism has within it a blueprint through which one can become a better person,” says Jordan Gill, BimBam’s Executive Director. “I often articulate it as the formula V + C = M, values plus community equals mensch. If you teach people foundational values that inform how we should treat each other as human beings and then enable them to practice these values in community, the end result is someone who is making positive ripples in the world.”

The Foundation supports BimBam’s efforts to raise Jewish literacy by giving people opportunities, from childhood through adulthood, to use Jewish values, customs and rituals as a blueprint for becoming better and more involved citizens of the Jewish community, and the world. In addition to Shaboom!, the Foundation’s investment also supports BimBam’s Judaism 101, a digital series offering a baseline understanding of Jewish rituals and traditions to decrease discomfort as an obstacle for young adults looking to connect to Jewish life.

Learn more at BimBam.com

Learn more about Jewish educational technology in Smart Money: Recommendations for an Educational Technology and Digital Engagement Investment Strategy,

• Learn more about B’Yadenu here.
• Access an overview of the B’Yadenu toolkit here.
• Access the full toolkit here.

B’Yadenu is a collaboration between Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP), Gateways: Access to Jewish Education, select Boston-area and Washington, DC-area schools (with funding from the Jim Joseph Foundation and the Ruderman Family Foundation).

A new national project will explore the learning and growth outcomes of teen experiences offered by the largest organizations that engage Jewish teens in North America. The study, led by The Jewish Education Project (TJEP) and Rosov Consulting (RC), will seek to gather data from as many as 50,000 7^th-12^th graders across North America.

Supported by the Jim Joseph Foundation, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, and Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah, the study builds on the previous and ongoing work of the Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Funder Collaborative, a group of national and local funders that develops new approaches to engaging teens in Jewish experiences. The study also utilizes the Teen Jewish Learning and Engagement Scales (TJLES), which focus on understanding the whole Jewish teen and ask the key question, “How can being Jewish make Jewish teenagers more likely to flourish in today’s world?”

The new learning and growth outcomes for Jewish teens, together with the TJLES, are critical tools for measuring success. By using them, youth organizations can help communities more deeply understand how their programs influence Jewish teenagers in ways that are meaningful and that add genuine value to teens’ lives. We are committed to working with lay and professional leadership of youth organizations, at the national and local levels, to implement changes they identify in relation to these outcomes. Together, we can all improve and add even more meaning into the lives of the tens of thousands of Jewish teens whom these organizations engage.
–David Bryfman, Chief Innovation Officer of The Jewish Education Project

The project will afford each organization the opportunity to measure itself against combined data from all other organizations in the study and to track improvement in their own outcomes over time, if they use the TJLES repeatedly. Data gathered for the study also will enable organizations to design and implement better programs aligned with the Jewish learning and growth outcomes; to more effectively share stories about their teen programs; and to attract resources to advance their programmatic reach and impact.

This is a comprehensive and uniform approach to measuring how the largest youth-serving organizations are changing lives. We’ve been fortunate to be a part of this wave of Jewish teen engagement efforts, research, and program evaluation since it began more than five years ago. It’s especially exciting to see that this new paradigm for understanding Jewish teens and for measuring these programs is leading to action across the country.
– Wendy Rosov, Principal of Rosov Consulting

The TJLES, currently utilized by the Funder Collaborative, continue a meaningful shift in how Jewish teen engagement is measured—away from a focus on attendance and a simplistic understanding of whether a community is “making teens more Jewish.” The TJLES will measure whether:

• Jewish teens have a strong sense of self;
• Jewish teens establish strong friendships; and
• Jewish teens develop strong and healthy relationships with their families.

Other outcomes more Jewishly-focused, but still concerned with the teen’s development include whether:

• Jewish teens learn about and positively experience Jewish holidays and Shabbat;
• Jewish teens can express their values and ethics in relation to Jewish principles and wisdom; and
• Jewish teens develop a positive relationship to the people, land, and state of Israel.

Using a common evaluative tool like TJLES across organizations provides an unprecedented opportunity for learning and collaboration among organizations most capable of reaching and inspiring Jewish teens.
–Matt Grossman, CEO of BBYO

The Rosov Consulting team will lead the research design, implementation, and analysis of the project. TJEP will work directly with the youth-serving organizations to understand the findings and share the research widely.

This ambitious study shows that the Jewish community is serious about addressing the whole teen, which we believe is critical to ensuring the health and well-being of individual teens, their families, and the future of Jewish life. As a result of participating in this project, we believe that Moving Traditions and the field of Jewish teen education will improve the efficacy of our evaluation efforts—leading to better outcomes for the teens we seek to grow into confident, compassionate, and connected Jewish adults.
– Deborah Meyer, Founder and CEO of Moving Traditions

 

With more and more young adults engaging in Jewish life through meaningful service, Repair the World—the only organization devoted exclusively to this cause—launched its year-long campaign, “Act Now,” offering opportunities during the High Holidays, Thanksgiving, MLK Day, Purim, and Passover in 2018 to address immediate issues and engage in critical conversations.

Learn about the High Holidays portion of the campaign—Act Now for a Different Kind of Service—at https://werepair.org/high-holidays/

 As we reflect on the past year, we think about the changes we wish to see in the new one. Volunteering, done right, moves us towards repairing the world. How will you act now with your friends, neighbors, and across diverse communities?
– Repair the World

Each element of Act Now will drive people to take action through service/volunteering, engaging in dialogue, skill building, and organizing their greater networks to get involved. Utilizing its highly collaborative model, Repair the World will work in partnership with local organizations around the country to help address pressing needs specific to each community, expanding the capacity of organizations and bringing a Jewish lens to the volunteering experience. Visit http://werepair.org/high-holidays/ to find or organize local service opportunities, as well as to pick up resources delving into the root causes of injustice, the guiding Jewish values, and discussion guides for tackling these difficult issues.

Repair the World’s new materials for Act Now, include:

• Women Fighting for Sustainability – Learn from three powerful women organizing their communities around land ownership and food sustainability.
• Who Belongs in Places of Learning? – Is education available to everyone? Should it be? Dig into education justice as you prepare for your service.
• Role of Love in Service – Add some love into your service experience.

As Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education (JOFEE) continues to grow and thrive around the country, more individuals are gaining the skills to create and deliver JOFEE programs infused with rich meaning and learning. And with an estimated hundreds of thousands of participants now engaging in JOFEE annually, there is a need for even more talented leaders and educators in the field.

To meet this demand, the year-long JOFEE Fellowship run by Hazon develops a cadre of outstanding educators through professional placements at host institutions, along with intensive training, mentorship, and support from leading educators and other professionals. The first cohort of 17 JOFEE Fellows completed their year at the end of spring, working at 16 organizations and creating over 500 JOFEE programs in their communities. Throughout the year, Fellows developed deep relationships with each other and with mentors, culminating in a closing seminar at Pearlstone Center outside Baltimore, MD. Enjoy some of the Fellows’ video and presentation recaps of their year.

The JOFEE Fellowship is an invaluable experience that stewarded me into professionalism and leadership. JOFEE has given me the tools, resources and connections to help me become the confident and passionate leader that I always knew was possible but did not have the platform for which to share my gifts. I am forever grateful for the investment made in me–in each of us fellows–as quality outdoor Jewish educators, community builders and true leaders.

Just a sampling of some of the programs created by Fellows include “Havdallah & Moon Celebration at the Farm,” “Israel Hike & Bike Trip for Young Professionals,” “Avodat Lev (morning prayers) and Jewish text study at San Quentin Prison,” and over 20 Sukkot-related programs and Tu Bishvat seders for youth, teens, young adults, and families. Many Fellows from Cohort 1 still work in JOFEE, continuing to create programming and often times taking on greater leadership roles within their organizations.

Earth-based Judaism and Jewish Environmentalism are topics I have been curious about for years, but it wasn’t until I participated in the JOFEE Fellowship that I truly understood the impact these experiences can have. I feel truly lucky to have been given a year to dive so deeply into this world and learn as much as I possibly can along the way. I view myself, my community, and my world differently because of the experiences I have had as a JOFEE Fellow.

Cohort 2 of the JOFEE Fellowship is underway now. Already there’s been new programs, such as Passover in the Desert Youth Seders, Shavuot Farm Festival, Jewish Farm-based Education Professional Development Workshop for Preschool teachers, and Natural Torah Art Explorah & Havdalah Besamim Table Gardening for Seniors, among others.

The Fellows continue to help people dive into Jewish tradition steeped in deep cultural and spiritual connection with the earth, with place, with human communities and the surrounding ecosystems, with food, and with each other.

The application for future Fellows is available here, and the application for future host organizations is available here. Registration also is open for the 2nd Annual JOFEE Network Gathering: September 14-17 at Pearlstone Center. 

The Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Funder Collaborative—a network of national and local funders who develop, fund, support and grow Jewish teen initiatives in ten communities—unveiled a new website that shares key lessons, specific program models, and research about Jewish teen education and engagement. Teenfundercollaborative.com is accessible to anyone and is designed to help advance a robust conversation about engaging teens in meaningful Jewish experiences that add value to their lives.

The website is a vehicle to share relevant and helpful information with anyone who cares about Jewish teen education and engagement. We want to offer tangible resources to help communities think strategically and creatively about their approach to teen Jewish experiences. By sharing our lessons learned through the last four years in the Collaborative, we hope to help others.
– Sara Allen, Director of the Funder Collaborative

 

New Resources

In addition to information about each community initiative within the Collaborative, extensive research on teens, and reflections from practitioners on the ground, the website shares two new items: the Year 2 Cross-community Evaluation that looks at outcomes across four of the community initiatives, and Preparing to Deepen Action: A Funder Collaborative Finds Its Way—the second installment in a series of case studies documenting the collaborative (the first released in 2015) and the result of 15 months of observations and interviews.

The communities in the Funder Collaborative are Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, and San Francisco. Teen initiatives that have been launched by Funder Collaborative communities include a range of Jewish experiences—from volunteer service to professional internships to surfing and more. Nearly all communities attribute early programmatic successes to their participation in the collaborative and its steadfast commitment to knowledge-sharing.  The evolution of the collaborative itself is central to creating an environment that fosters risk-taking, experimentation and ongoing reflection.

The Jim Joseph Foundation has invested more than $29,298,784 in teen initiatives and evaluations within the framework of the Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Funder Collaborative.