News & Blogs Category: Featured Partner

In public and private schools across the country, millions of students each year learn about Judaism, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and other related areas. For these learning experiences to be both positive and grounded in fact, educators leading them need relevant professional development opportunities and support. With this guiding principle, the Institute for Curriculum Services works with social studies textbook publishers, develops curricular resources, and trains middle and high school social studies teachers around the country to improve the quality of education on Jewish subjects.

As an experienced educator, I can attest to the invaluable roles that accuracy and objectiveness play in the classroom, especially in discussion of sensitive, complex issues. In my personal experience, ICS’s detailed lesson plans, workshops, and conferences augmented my ability to provide a diverse community of students with a more impartial, open-minded, and global perspective on Jews, Judaism, and Israel.

– Michael Waxman, Social Studies Teacher, Stuyvesant High School, New York

Now, with its new National Professional Development Scale-up Initiative, ICS is poised to offer even more professional development to pre-service and in-service teachers. In particular, ICS will dramatically increase its offerings to educators and will begin hosting four regional Summer Institutes each year to provide in-depth education on the Arab-Israeli conflict and peace process. With three new regional trainers, ICS also will have a stronger presence at educator conferences, schools of education, and school districts

Honestly, this was one of the most comprehensive (Jewish history) and human (stories, psds, videos) presentations of content I have attended. Every lesson we had an opportunity to “try out” was an investment in my future practice and my familiarity with the content. The willingness of the presenters to be accessible via post session conversations or email was remarkable.

– Laura Keldorf, Language Arts/Social Studies Teacher, Riverdale High School

A national nonprofit initiative of the San Francisco-based Jewish Community Relations Council and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, ICS builds deep and lasting relationships with teachers in American classrooms and, ultimately, improves the accuracy and balance of their instruction about Jews, Judaism, and Israel. At scale, this initiative will engage over 2,000 teachers and potentially hundreds of thousands of high school students, Jewish and non-Jewish, each year.

More information about ICS is available at www.icsresources.org.

The Jim Joseph Foundation has awarded more than $660,000 to ICS.

As the only international Jewish fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) is uniquely positioned to engage young Jewish men during their formative college years. Its local chapters offer day-to-day opportunities for these individuals to connect with Jewish peers and to positively influence their communities. At the same time, AEPi’s international operations increasingly offer more substantial learning and development experiences to help support these future Jewish leaders.

Over the summer, AEPI’s 7th annual Hineni Conference for Jewish Identity Enrichment brought together 120 participants—double from the previous year—to focus on two core themes: Jewish Identity and Tikkun Olam. Elan Carr, an Iraq war veteran and AEPi alum who currently serves as the assistant District Attorney in Los Angeles, set the stage for the Jewish identity track by discussing the importance of not defining Jewish identity as being anti-BDS or anti-antisemitism. Rather, Carr implored the participants to gain a deeper understanding of why Jewish identity and Judaism is important to them.  He explained that AEPi can be a part of this journey with them, as the only fraternity to have an exclusive focus of Jewish identity and Israel, and to see philanthropy and ethics through a Jewish lens

My experience at Hineni grounded many values I hold to a set of morals and principles in Judaism, and makes me even prouder to stand up for Jewish values. I now feel a greater sense of obligation to help communities when I can. – Hineni participant

For the Tikkun Olam Track, AEPi staff led a Jewish philanthropy program that had participants run a phonathon/textathon for an hour with a goal of raising $1000 to show the ease in which fundraising can be done at a local level at each chapter).  The group exceeded the goal, and the program was immediately praised by many participants, some of whom had never before solicited a gift.

 

I now have new ideas and tools to make this world a better place for the Jewish people and for everyone else. Attending the conference left a lasting impact on my connection to the Jewish community at-large through AEPi and has reinvigorated my will to give back in a meaningful and effective way during my lifetime. – Hineni participant

In addition to the increased number of participants, AEPi also enhanced pluralist learning at the conference. This year, for the first time, Rabbi Stanley Jacobs of HUC-JIR, Rabbi Howard Tilman of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, and Rabbi Yitz Greenberg of the modern Orthodox Yeshiva Beis Yosef complemented a cadre of internal and subject area presenters. Rabbi Stanley Davids discussed the general idea of Jewish identity, as well as sexual assault and sexual harassment prevention both from an ethical and from a Jewish perspective. Rabbi Shalom Denbo (Aish trained) led a program inspired by Tisha B’av in which participants bonded through sharing their own vulnerabilities with fellow brothers. Among many other sessions, AEPi student participants discussed what new Jewish education programs they could bring back to their individual chapters.

Along with the Hineni Conference, AEPi’s other recent gatherings—the Michael A. Leven Advanced Institute for Leadership (3rd Year), and the Civics: How to Run a Campaign Conference (2nd Year)—in total engaged more than 700 participants. AEPi continues to grow and to offer even more meaningful ways for students to grow and develop as Jewish leaders of today and tomorrow.

The Jim Joseph Foundation has awarded $250,000 to support Alpha Epsilon Pi.

Since 2004, the Summer Institute for Israel Studies (SIIS)—the flagship program of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University—has prepared 269 professors from approximately 200 institutions across the U.S. and the world to teach Israel Studies in an array of disciplines, ranging from literature and the arts to politics, history, international relations, sociology, and more. Enriched by the scholarship, pedagogical insights, and experiential learning that the Institute provides, SIIS fellows have taught over 22,000 students at small liberal arts colleges, large research universities, Jewish and Christian academic institutions, historically black colleges, all four U.S. military academies, and the Ivy League, with courses developed at SIIS imbued with the nuance and sophistication that this complex area of study necessitates.

During the Summer Institute’s intensive two-week seminar at Brandeis University, world-class faculty from Israel and the U.S. share their expertise in a broad spectrum of fields and engage the fellows in discussion on a deep intellectual level. Through a multidisciplinary, rigorous examination of the complexities of Israel, fellows acquire the crucial tools they need to teach about Israel in a meaningful, balanced, and thoughtful manner. Fellows also receive valuable feedback from the group and from key Summer Institute faculty members as they develop and “workshop” syllabi for courses they will teach. Through this process, fellows are able to integrate their new knowledge with the pedagogical practices vital not only to teaching effectively, but to truly educating their students.

I found the entire program to be incredibly rich, both informationally and experientially. The fulsome slate of academic content was one of the most comprehensive that I have ever experienced. Our access to some of Israel’s leading scholars, topical authorities, and politicians is unmatched and to be commended
– Randall Rogan, Wake Forest University

Following the immersive Brandeis seminar, fellows spend ten days on a study tour of Israel—an opportunity to see, to meet, to interact with, and to hear for themselves the diverse voices and peoples that constitute modern Israel. Fellows get rare access to government officials, politicians, public intellectuals, community leaders, think tank experts and important cultural figures from Jewish, Arab, religious, secular, military, and civil, sectors of Israeli society. A vital component of the Summer Institute, the study tour transforms what they have studied in the classroom into authentic experiences that ground and illuminate their understanding of Israel, enabling these faculty to breathe life and substance into their teaching.

The Schusterman Center for Israel Studies maintains a life-long relationship with fellows, offering opportunities for continued professional development through conferences, workshops and webinars, and access to a trove of online resources—syllabi, articles, archives, podcasts—and an ever-growing network of Institute alumni that spans the globe. These scholars now are deeply invested in promoting good teaching about Israel in the classroom and responsible and serious scholarship relating to Israel in the Academy.

The Summer Institute gave me the courage and confidence to teach my first course in Modern Israeli History, which succeeded beyond my expectations. The Brandeis seminar taught me the range of major topics and debates in the field, and the unforgettable week in Israel enabled me to meet with the widest variety of experts and cultural figures. One of the most important lessons of the SIIS was that the field of Israel Studies encompasses much more than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and that contemporary Israeli society is even more vibrant, diverse, and complicated than I thought it was.
– Bruce Thompson, University of California, Santa Cruz

The Jim Joseph Foundation has awarded six grants totaling more than $2.4 million over ten years to Brandeis University’s Schusterman Center for Israel Studies for the Summer Institute for Israel Studies.

Across North America, Jewish day schools now can turn to Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools  to support their efforts to educate students and engage families in lifelong Jewish learning and living. Prizmah is an unprecedented integration of five of the leading day school organizations—PARDeS (Day Schools of Reform Judaism), PEJE (the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education), RAVSAK (Jewish Community Day School Network, Schechter, and Yeshiva University School Partnership—designed to leverage proven models of success to meet the diverse needs of Jewish day schools today.

Prizmah will serve close to four hundred day schools across denominations—and in turn their nearly 100,000 students—through services that:

• Advance excellence in education;
• Promote greater affordability and more effective student recruitment; and
• Address the diverse needs of different denominations, geographic areas, school size, and other points-of-distinction.

A critical benefit of Prizmah is its integrated structure that will more easily allow for scaling of programs and services within the day school network. A full catalog of Prizmah’s offerings is now available, focusing on areas such as educational excellence and leadership; governance, affordability, and development; and other opportunities to help schools improve. On an ongoing basis, through donor convenings and field-building activities promoting research and innovation, Prizmah will elevate the place of day schools within the Jewish communal agenda and beyond.  And in February, the Prizmah North American Jewish Day School Conference will harness the “Power of Story”— as participants will learn about crafting, telling, listening, and responding to the powerful stories in their work and community in order to be more effective and to lead their schools forward.

Led by Founding CEO Paul Bernstein, Board Chair Kathy E. Manning, and other professionals with vast experience in the day school field, Prizmah is determined to make day school education the first choice for Jewish families. It envisions a thriving, passionate, engaged, and committed Jewish community nurtured by Jewish day schools for generations to come.

The Jim Joseph Foundation has awarded up to $2 million to Prizmah.

Celebrating its fourth year, JCC Manhattan’s Jewish Journey Project (JJP) is an innovative supplemental Jewish education program for 3rd – 7th graders based on  four visionary pillars: flexibility, innovation, collaboration and community. Together with congregational partners from around the area, JJP has engaged more than 800 children and their families by using the rich and diverse history of New York City as an experiential “classroom.” Some of its most popular courses are Architecture: DIY Jewish Building, In the Footsteps of American Jewish History: A Walking Course, JJP NYC Museum Hop, and FoodCraft: The Jewish Culinary Tradition.

In addition, JJP’s innovative Hebrew Homepage is an internet-based, one-on-one video conferencing Hebrew-language learning model with college students as tutors. Each student engages in a weekly 30 minute online session with their tutor (that they both schedule), choosing from a Learn to Read Hebrew track for beginners, a Reading Fluency for Prayerbook Hebrew, and soon a Modern Hebrew track.

Hebrew Homepage was a wonderful experience for our family. While I was initially unsure about “virtual” teaching, the kids were actually more engaged than they ever seemed to be in the classroom setting. The secret ingredients in this approach are the wonderful tutors who are knowledgeable and great with kids. This was especially true for my son with special needs. Not only did he get 1:1 support that matched his pace but his tutor was highly sensitized to his unique learning style and flexible with lesson plans.

—Lisa Fleisher, parent of JJP student

Synagogues and families tell JJP they are interested in the benefits that the Hebrew Homepage can offer all students, whether or not they are enrolled in JJP. Responding to this demand, JJP will roll out the Hebrew Homepage as a stand-alone service that any congregation or student can subscribe to, to strengthen their Hebrew acquisition. As a way of becoming a sustainable venture beyond the pilot funding phase, Hebrew Homepage will become a fee-for-service program that will help offset the philanthropic contributions that launched JJP.

Along with Hebrew Homepage, JJP, in partnership with Behrman House, continues to offer Shalom Hebrew, a free app that teaches the alef-bet and basic Hebrew decoding skills through a variety of modalities, including animation, images, slideshows, texts, sound cues, customized flash cards, interactive readings, activities and games, and recordings. And, since JJP engages many families with little or no previous involvement in Jewish institutional and synagogue life, it developed an alternative B’nai Mitzvah ceremony—a Brit Atid. Over the course of a year, 7th grade students and parents meet six times for family learning, and students meet weekly in their own class, Judaism On One Foot: Bring It Home and Making It Your Own. Students also study individually with a teacher to read and discuss their Torah portion, and develop a response to this portion that might be a video, musical performance, or an interactive experience for guests. The actual Brit Atid is a communal celebration where families and friends gather to share their presentations on their Torah portions.

In just four years, JJP has demonstrated how innovative educational experiences—with New York as its “classroom”—engage all kinds of families in Jewish life. Now, with JJP’s new sustainable Hebrew language instruction model, even more families will be able to access meaningful Jewish learning.

The Jim Joseph Foundation has awarded two grants to the Jewish Journey Project totaling $500,000.

This fall, Repair the World will make the case that a Jewish community united in service will strengthen itself as well as the world.

Service Matters: A Summit on Jewish Service

When: Thursday, September 15, 2016 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Where: 237 Park Avenue; Entrance on Lexington Avenue ,New York, New York 10017

The Summit will bring together a diverse group of professionals, social entrepreneurs, current and prospective funders, Jewish educators, and others working to engage people—especially Jewish millennials—in meaningful service through a Jewish lens.

Join Service Matters if you are looking for solutions to build meaningful Jewish connections with young Jews who care about social justice; leading, innovating or thinking about Jewish engagement effectiveness as a professional, social entrepreneur, philanthropist, educator; or eager to learn (or share!) where and why service through a Jewish lens is engaging tens of thousands and keeping them engaged, building new forms of Jewish community.

Learn more about the confirmed speakers and breakout sessions, and register here

The Wexner Field Fellowship is a leadership learning opportunity for high potential full-time Jewish communal professionals to deepen their leadership skills and develop a rich network of colleagues.  Up to 15 exceptional professionals will be selected for a three-year program with a cohort of lifelong professional learners that is focused on enriching their ability to exercise leadership as Jewish professionals.

Wexner Field Fellows are matched one-on-one with an executive coach, as well as a Jewish educator to expand their leadership skills and Jewish knowledge respectively based on their individual needs. Additionally, Wexner Field Fellows can also receive financial reimbursement towards individualized professional development.  Fellows join a diverse professional community that encourages learning about one’s self as a leader though interactions with people of varying backgrounds and viewpoints. Wexner Field Fellows benefit from the mentorship of staff and faculty at The Wexner Foundation, as well as the connections to our extensive alumni network which serve as a professional community throughout fellows’ careers. To learn more about the eligibility requirements and awards, and to submit a pre-application for the Field Fellowship, please click here.  This program is initiated in partnership with the Jim Joseph Foundation.

Bonded by a shared passion for Jewish Outdoor, Food, and Environmental Education (JOFEE), more than 160 professionals from federations, JCCs, camps, independent Jewish organizations, and secular institutions, along with
emerging leaders, funders, and many more community stakeholders, came together at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center earlier this month for the first-ever JOFEE Network Gathering.

Participants were welcomed by Hazon President & CEO Nigel Savage, conference organizer Julie Botnick, and Steven Green of the Jim Joseph Foundation and learned from each other and from leading educators who are pushing the boundaries of dynamic JOFEE programming, both inside and outside of the classroom. JOFEE Fellows—young, talented leaders receiving year-long training and placements at JCC’s and JOFEE organizations across the country—met one-on-one with mentors during the Gathering, which was the culmination for them of three weeks of intensive training. There was hands-on learning about topics from wild edibles to indigenous peoples to shechita; a visioning session where any participant could share thoughts on the future of JOFEE; and a moving presentation from 87-year-old Rabbi Everett Gendler on modern practices of counting the Omer (the Gendler family generously supports the Gendler Grapevine grants; many of the grantees were at the conference). In addition to stalwart organizations such as Hazon, Pearlstone Center, Urban Adamah, and Wilderness Torah, new ventures such as the Jewish Initiative for Animals were introduced to the broader community.

I felt that the most powerful component of the event was the fact that every interaction that I had was full of positivity and mindfulness. I was so impressed and inspired by the number of people who are together on this journey.

– Meg Mastroianni, JOFEE Network Gathering participant

 

The 2014 report, Seeds of Opportunity: A National Study of Immersive JOFEE Education, demonstrated the growing demand for Jewish learning experiences grounded in the relationship between Jewish tradition and the natural world. The report showed that JOFEE programming breathes fresh life into Jewish organizations and fosters an emerging group of leaders and community members who may not have otherwise found connections to the broader Jewish community. As Jewish communities discover the power of JOFEE, the need for skilled leaders and educators increases as well.

This gathering, along with JOFEE Fellowship, are the result of collaborative, cross-organizational efforts to create more professional pathways and to help communities deliver the highest-quality JOFEE programming. Participants left inspired about the growing interest and innovations in JOFEE, and with a commitment to each other to maintain ongoing and impactful relationships to strengthen their growing network.

 

The JOFEE Fellowship training program was one of the most phenomenal training experiences I have been a part of. I feel deeply fortunate to have spent the last three weeks learning, challenging myself, and deepening my connection to Judaism and the natural world — and even more fortunate to have spent this time in a supportive, passionate community of JOFEE educators… Before starting this training, I was unsure of how the program would go, or how committed I felt to the JOFEE world. After three weeks of a wonderfully planned, well-funded, and inspiring program, I can safely say that I have fallen in love with the JOFEE field and plan to stay in it for a long time. This work is essential to the modern Jewish community here in the U.S.

– Bailey Lininger, Tamarack JOFEE Fellow

With an increasingly strong network, field leaders are poised to bring JOFEE to more participants and communities, and to support individuals, organizations, and institutions who care deeply about this vibrant form of Jewish life and learning.

The Jim Joseph Foundation has awarded multiple grants to support the research that led to the JOFEE report (Seeds of Opportunity: A National Study of Immersive Jewish Outdoor, Food, and Environmental Education (JOFEE) and to support the JOFEE Fellowship, including grants to Hazon, Pearlstone Center (MD), Urban Adamah, and Wilderness Torah (CA).

Earlier this year, the first-ever national CEO Onboarding program for chief executive-level organizational leaders in the American Jewish community launched with its initial cohort. The eleven members of cohort one—a diverse representation of federations, service agencies, and other organizations that connect Jewish individuals and families to contemporary Jewish life experiences—already have held virtual convenings and begun one-on-one coaching and mentorship with experienced CEOs, thought leaders, and expert consultants. One of the most compelling parts of CEO Onboarding is the strength of our cohort.

One of the most compelling parts of CEO Onboarding is the strength of our cohort. We come from different backgrounds and experiences, but we now are growing together as a powerful network. I know these colleagues will be resources to whom I can reach out long after the program officially concludes. And it is incredibly gratifying to know we are being invested in in this way, given the opportunity to learn together and to learn from veteran leaders both inside and outside of our field.

–  Stefanie Rhodes, Slingshot Fund, member of CEO Onboarding Cohort One

From June 5 – 7, CEO Onboarding will bring the entire cohort together for the program’s first in-person convening in Chicago. This gathering includes some sessions geared specifically to leaders of Jewish organizations and other sessions on leadership strategies and approaches relevant to any field. Among the areas of focus and skill building is one on Adaptive Leadership led by Marty Linsky, Co-Founder, Cambridge Leadership Associates, and Karen Lehman, Principal, Adaptive Leadership LLC; a session on the Psychology of Giving led by Marian Stern, Principal, Projects in Philanthropy; a session on critical work in Financial Planning and Fiduciary Responsibility led by Hilda Polanco CPA, CCSA, Founder and Managing Director, Fiscal Management Associates; and a discussion on Israel and the American Jewish Community led by Ariel Roth, Ph.D., CEO, The Israel Institute and John Ruskay, Ph.D., CEO, Emeritus, UJA Federation of New York; among others. The convening was originally scheduled to be in North Carolina, but has been moved after the state passed its anti-LGBTQ law.

Over the next decade, literally hundreds of Jewish 501c3 organizations in the United States will hire new CEOs—creating both significant organizational uncertainty, but also unique windows of opportunity to equip incoming leaders with enhanced skills to achieve and to maintain organizational excellence. CEO Onboarding invests in new CEOs within their critical first 18 months in their new position to capitalize on this opportunity. The program incorporates executive coaching, in-person convenings, and a unique on-the-ground Israel experience in a holistic approach to professional development for a distinguished group of communal organization CEOs.

Cohort one members are:

CEO Onboarding is stewarded by TBF Consulting, a management consulting practice that emphasizes leadership development and transformational change. CEO Onboarding is funded by the Jim Joseph Foundation and other funders and is being operated in partnership with Leading Edge.

It’s not that the Jewish piece makes me like volunteering more, the volunteering makes me like my Judaism more.
– Volunteer with Repair the World

Since 2009, Repair the World has worked to make volunteer service a defining element of American Jewish life. Through Repair, tens of thousands of young adults engage in meaningful service opportunities infused with Jewish values and learning that help make the world a better place.

Repair the World’s flagship Communities program, launched in 2013, is a driving force behind this national Jewish service movement. Focused on food and education justice, the program places full-time fellows in cities (Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and New York City) to build volunteer initiatives alongside local non-profit organizations. As fellows and volunteers help communities in need, they also engage in Jewish and civic learning about personal reflection about their service work.

Building Jewish Community through Volunteer Service—a summary of an independent evaluation of the first two years of the program—shows that the Communities’ model is bearing fruit. The program’s efforts to connect Jewish volunteers with pressing local needs drives positive outcomes both for Jewish engagement and for serving communities. An especially critical finding is that these service opportunities are highly attractive to young Jewish adults who have had little or no previous engagement in Jewish life. Other important findings from the summary report are that:

• Service through a Jewish lens can be “sticky” and keep participants engaged.
• Participants build new forms of Jewish communities around their service.
• Service connects meaningfully to Jewish identity formation and Jewish values.
• One-time and ongoing volunteers positively impact each other.

Repair’s program in Pittsburgh is empowering young adults to help others, to organize, to learn and to connect with peers. We like seeing these young adults feel more connected to Jewish values, and we really like knowing that these activities are turning into deeper, more ongoing forms of connection and community.
– Jeff Finkelstein, President/CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh

Part of the Slingshot Class of 2016 in recognition of its innovative approach to Jewish life and engagement, Repair the World is the only organization devoted exclusively to engaging young Jewish adults as volunteers. Repair will hold a Jewish Service Summit September 15^th in New York to bring people together to further explore volunteer service infused with Jewish values. Stay tuned for more information.

The Jim Joseph Foundation has awarded $10 million to Repair the World. Read Building Jewish Community through Volunteer Service.

Building on the success of Specialty Camps Incubator I and II, Foundation for Jewish Camp and the Jim Joseph Foundation announced Incubator III, which will create four new Jewish specialty camps and continue the effort to achieve the joint vision of both foundations: to increase experiential Jewish learning, strengthen Jewish continuity, and foster strong Jewish social networks among Jewish children and teens.

Specialty Camps Incubator offers a forum to pilot new educational models by integrating Jewish learning with activities that kids are passionate about – the environment, performing arts, sports, and outdoor adventure.  The Incubator also successfully establishes new sustainable business models for Jewish camps by not requiring burdensome capital investment since the camps are required to rent existing properties.

Incubator III will launch four new Jewish specialty camps, provide funding to the new camps during their planning, start-up and first three years of operation, and evaluate the progress of each camp’s development.  Each new camp will receive start-up investment and operational funding for three years of up to $1.4 million, pegged to performance goals.

The first two Specialty Camps Incubators, funded initially by the Jim Joseph Foundation and then later joined by The AVI CHAI Foundation, was modeled on a business incubator, formed to accelerate the launch of entrepreneurial ventures.  The camps launched through Incubator I and II have already served more than 5,000 unique campers in six years.

“The Specialty Camps Incubators have raised the profile of Jewish camp and has allowed the field to continue to expand, grow, and attract children and teens from all backgrounds,” explains Jeremy J. Fingerman, CEO, FJC.  “We are grateful for the Jim Joseph Foundation’s incredible investment in our field.”

FJC expects these four new specialty camps will serve annually, in aggregate, 1,200 campers and 160 college-aged counselors by the conclusion of the grant period (December 2020, after three summers).  The experienced Incubator team will provide expert training and mentoring to support the Specialty Camp Incubator III cohort as they plan and implement their vision for new models of Jewish specialty camps.

“Specialty camps continue to gain in popularity and have proven to be a very worthy investment,” adds Al Levitt, President of the Board of Directors of the Jim Joseph Foundation. “Now, we can apply previous lessons learned as we launch four new specialty camps with innovative ideas in underserved areas. With FJC’s leadership and expertise in the field, these camps will be positioned to incorporate experiential Jewish learning along with excellence in programming.”

FJC is now accepting proposals for four new specialty camps. The RFP can be found at:  www.JewishCamp.org/incubator.  

The Jim Joseph Foundation grant supporting Specialty Camps Incubator III is for up to $10 million.

A new resource from the Yiddish Book Center helps teachers make Jewish literature and culture more accessible for students of nearly all ages. Developed after the Center’s Great Jewish Books Teacher Workshop in 2015, the website www.teachgreatjewishbooks.org is an ever-growing collection of textual, audio, and visual materials designed to support those who teach modern Jewish literature and culture.

The resource kits were created by elementary, middle, and high school teachers, and by college professors, from across the U.S. and Canada. Each kit explores a thought-provoking text or theme and includes primary and secondary sources—poems, photographs, audio recordings, film excerpts, and songs—as well as a guide to using them in the classroom, making it easy for teachers to enrich and expand their curricula.

 The Yiddish Book Center also is accepting applications now through April 15, 2016 for its summer workshop, taking place July 17-22, 2016 in Amherst, Massachusetts. Join other teachers of Jewish secondary and supplementary schools interested in enriching their curricula with materials that reflect the variety and depth of modern Jewish literature and culture. Participants come from a wide range of schools and educational programs around the country and teach literature, history, Jewish studies, theater, film, and other subjects. The Workshop is fully subsidized for participants.

Before this program, I was feeling uninspired and not at all excited about teaching American Literature this coming year. I came away with a million new ideas and ways to present them! I will plan a short story unit, a poetry unit, and a research unit based on what I covered at this program. I will incorporate important Jewish literature into my curricula at every level and I also learned new ways to present multi­media and guide my students to present in a variety of formats.
                                                                                                                                                                       –   Educator after the 2015 Workshop

 The Jim Joseph Foundation grant to the Great Jewish Books Teacher Workshop was awarded in 2014 to support workshops in 2015 and 2016, along with follow-up programs.