2024
Community Wide Congregation Religious School
Faculty Development Day a Success

Nearly 40 faculty from area congregation religious school schools participated in a recent shared day of professional Jewish learning and networking. Teachers took part in an engaging and interactive workshop that focused on Social Emotional Learning in the Religious School Classroom: Competing Values in our Diverse Jewish Communities The program took place at host Congregation Beth Shalom.

Guest Presenter Rabbi Monica Kleinman, Assistant Director of Programs Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies discussed the many backgrounds our learners come from and the diverse experiences they bring to the classroom which can be a challenge when they ask questions that may not reflect the values or directives of our institutions. Rabbi Kleinman provided resources and tools for understanding our learners’ experiences and addressed the values underlying their comments and questions.

This program was coordinated by area religious school Education Directors including Morgan Fasbinder (Beth Torah), Dayna Gershon (The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah), Shelley Hedrick (New Reform Temple), Shelley Rissien (Kehilath Israel), Civia White (Beth Shalom), and Annette Fish (Rabbinical Association).

This workshop is an annual effort of the Rabbinical Association and area congregation religious schools and generously funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City.

Community Faculty Professional Day 2023

Nearly 40 faculty from area congregation religious school schools participated in a recent shared day of professional Jewish learning and networking as part of the community Day of Discovery. Teachers took part in an engaging and interactive workshop that focused on Understanding Identity, Character, and Mental Health in the Jewish world.

The workshop was facilitated by Dr. Betsy Stone, a well-known Psychologist and Jewish Educator from Connecticut who discussed identity and character characteristics that challenge today’s society.

This workshop is an annual effort of the Rabbinical Association and area congregation religious schools and generously funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City.

Faculty sat together by grade level/specialty area and had an opportunity to interact and get acquainted. Faculty engaged in a discussion and an activity that involved using an online app.

2022
Congregation faculty learning about teaching tough topics

Nearly 40 faculty from area congregation religious school schools participated in a recent shared day of professional Jewish learning and networking. Teachers took part in an engaging and interactive workshop that focused on TOUGH TOPICS: Teaching Israel and Antisemitism in the Classroom. The program took place at host congregation Kehilath Israel.

Noa Dovrat, Israel Shaliach addressed: Talking About Israel in the Classroom. Teachers explored the role of Israel in their own lives and discussed ways everyone can address and be respectful of different opinions and the news stories we hear.

Sarah Markowitz, Director of Education and Programs, JCRB|AJC led a session about Talking About Antisemitism in the Classroom. Teachers often find themselves in situations where they have to address tough topics related to antisemitism, intolerance, and discrimination. Faculty explored strategies about how to talk with students of all ages about antisemitism and how to respond to student’s questions, concerns, and the experiences that they share with regard to antisemitism.

Following remarks by Rabbi Moshe Grussgott who recognized and expressed appreciation to teachers for the invaluable work they do in our community, teachers had an opportunity over lunch to discuss what they learned over the morning and create an age-appropriate group lesson plan centered around one of the topics addressed.

This workshop is an annual effort of the Rabbinical Association and area congregation religious schools and generously funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City.