metro >> on the cover
Hebrew's Cool!
You can think about it;
or for $9,99 learn how to do it
A blend of enthusiasm, teamwork
and student engagement brings
congregational schools into focus.
Keri Guten Cohen I Story Development Editor
So your income goes in the bank
and not to the bank.
•
KEN GROSS
-
mik show :iost and 1..vackil- in The Law
It's your life and future
Rather than hear from a teacher reading a book, "Noah" personally told his
story about the flood to Adat Shalom kindergartners.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
grant for $150,000 over three years
from the New York-based Partnership
for Effective Learning and Innovative
Education (PELIE), whose mission is
to substantially improve congregational
Jewish education in America.
With this generous funding comes
involvement in the Congregational
School Improvement Initiative (CSI2),
a comprehensive systemic approach to
improve the outcomes of education in
synagogue settings. CSI2 is a three-year
enhancement program that includes
organization development, curriculum
development, teacher training and lead-
ership development for school directors.
In Detroit, nine congregations are
participating. Those starting the third
year are Adat Shalom Synagogue
in Farmington Hills; Temple Israel,
Temple Kol Ami and Congregation
B'nai Moshe, all in West Bloomfield;
Congregations Shir Tikvah in. Troy and
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. Starting
the second year are Congregation Beth
Shalom and Temple Emanu-El, both
in Oak Park, and Temple Shir Shalom
in West Bloomfield. They represent
Conservative, Reform and Renewal-
Reform congregations.
In Pittsburgh, six synagogues are
involved in CSI2. Participants from the
two cities met to share progress and
ideas during Moreh L'Morim, a four-day
annual Jewish educators conference,
this year held in mid-July at Shaarey
Zedek. Many of the ideas revolved
around experiential learning and tech-
nology use.
Philadelphia and San Francisco pilot-
ed these types of educational enhance-
ment programs. Currently, Pittsburgh
and Detroit are the only two involved
in CSI2, mainly because they were
ready for such a rigorous path and also
because they could secure local funding.
"The grant from Federation is unique
and signifies the importance of Jewish
education here; nowhere else in the
country does this [at this level];' AJE's
Lasday said. "In New York, they get $1
million for 250 schools':
How It Works
The ultimate goal of CSI2, Lasday said
smiling, is "Jewish grandchildren."
"We want more engaged, self-
identifying, more highly literate Jewish
students:' he said.
To get there, synagogues and their
schools need to work together toward
jointly held goals. Outcomes will vary
depending on the goals and visions of
each congregation, and each congrega-
tion is guided by AJE experts and its
trained facilitators.
Participants include the main stake-
holders — rabbis, education direc-
tors, teachers, lay leaders, parents and
some students. Each congregation
creates a Program for Organizational
Development (POD) group to set its
vision and work on a mission statement.
Then subcommittees are formed as the
need to drill deeper evolves.
First steps include an ongoing assess-
ment process facilitated by PELIE's
Jewish School Assessment School
Improvement Process (JSASIP). Used
Attorney, Leader in the Law and Talk Show Host, Ken Gross, provides
detailed steps in his new book on using the right mix of available tools
to shed your debt – quick and at the least possible cost – so that your
future income goes in the bank and not to the bank! It's a different world
– so live by the new rules!
Order today - $9.99
www.dump-your-debt.com • www.amazon.com
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Hebrew's Cool! on page 16
JN
September 6 * 2012
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