The NewCAJE conference is a vibrant gathering that unites Jewish educators and professionals to strengthen the Jewish community through education. Rooted in the legacy of CAJE, NewCAJE fosters innovation, collaboration, and inspiration. The conference offers space for sharing best practices, exploring new ideas, and deepening Jewish and educational learning. Committed to inclusivity and pluralism, it welcomes educators from all backgrounds, creating a supportive network that empowers them to make a lasting impact.
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Learn how to transform grandparents from an untapped asset into powerful catalysts for Jewish identity and family engagement. Discover ways to strengthen the vital bond between grandparents and their grandchildren (whether in person or at a distance) thereby ensuring a vibrant and enduring Jewish heritage for all families. This session offers a quick self-assessment of grandparent engagement in your program, as well as 10 ideas for engaging grandparents including intergenerational holiday programs.
Ilene has extensive professional and volunteer experience in the Jewish community. Ilene conducted the first survey on the state of Jewish preschools in America (2000). She was the Coordinator of the Early Childhood Education Department at Baltimore Hebrew University and was adjunct... Read More →
We will begin by talking about why Jewish education must include the whole family to be effective. Teaching parents and other family members makes a difference in every aspect of a child's Jewish education. We will learn about the framework of family education, and how it connects to the holiday cycle, the life-cycle, and Mitzvot. Finally, we will talk about planning with the parents and the importance of spiraling the curriculum over at least seven years. Please plan to come back for the second session if you want practical advice and support.
In this session, we will plan a family event or two together and how to build on family education from year to year. We will share ideas for appropriate crafts, cooking, music, field trips and adult education and give you the tools to be able to plan the next steps for your community. You will be able to join a monthly support group that will help you through the first year of implementing the ideas, inspired by these sessions and tailored for your own community. You can attend this session if you have been to the first one or taken a class from me previously on family ed. We won't be able to go into depth on the material of the first session if you only attend this one.
