our mission/our story
In the late 1970’s, a grassroots group of Jewish community leaders from synagogues and schools in Suffolk County, Long Island, came together to address the shortage of available teachers for their congregational schools. In 1981, this group founded SAJS, the Suffolk Association for Jewish Schools, as an organization to recruit and prepare Jewish adults interested in teaching in area religious schools. Rabbi Chaim Cohenson z'l worked with local leadership to create the groundbreaking Morasha Teacher Preparation Institute to teach interested Jewish adults the skills and knowledge necessary to become qualified, dynamic Jewish educators, regardless of prior Judaic knowledge or pedagogic skills.
The past quarter century has seen substantial changes in the Jewish community. Jewish education within the classroom, and beyond, has evolved - as we have as well. And now, 25 years later, we are SAJES, a central agency for Jewish education, and the central address for Jewish education in this region and beyond.
As pacesetters for professional learning,we also provide pathways to Jewish learning for every member of the community and we support and partner with communal institutions, schools and congregations as they re-envision themselves for the 21st century.
