professional learning
Networking and Conference Opportunities
Sharing educational practices, trends and strategies with colleagues is a cornerstone for ongoing professional growth. SAJES offers a variety of local networking opportunities for educators as well as local conferences. We also encourage and support participation in broader-based networking opportunities and conferences.
Local Networking Opportunities
The SAJES Teachers Chevra: Morasha alumni and all interested novice and veteran teachers can participate in ongoing discussions of important issues in Jewish teaching at monthly teachers chevra (fellowship) sessions.
The Jewish Early Childhood Directors Network meets monthly at SAJES. They share resources and keep one another up to date on best practices in the field. They also plan the Annual Simchat Morim conference for Early Childhood Educators.
JTLC – The Jewish Teen Leadership Council of Long Island. SAJES facilitates this teen initiative that involves ambassadors from every Jewish youth movement (USY, NFTY, NCSY, BBYO, Young Judaea) and JCCs on Long Island. They meet one Sunday each month to network, plan community-wide teen programs, receive leadership training and learn about the organized American Jewish Community. For more information contact Beth Finger at bfinger@sajes.org.
Youth Chairs Network - This group of lay leaders and volunteers from synagogues and JCCs convene several times a year to network, gain knowledge in supervision and learn how best to partner with their Youth Directors to create the best possible programs for teens in their institutions. They also learn to become more effective advocates for teens and the youth programs they represent. For more information contact Beth Finger at bfinger@sajes.org.
Youth Directors Network - Local and regional directors of all the youth groups and JCCs meet regularly to network, share best practices, discuss challenges and act as a ‘think tank’ for teen programming on Long Island. This network is in collaboration with the Sid Jacobson JCC. For more information contact Beth Finger at bfinger@sajes.org.
The Conservative Principals Council of Long Island (CPC) provides networking opportunities for principals of Conservative congregational schools in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens and organizes an annual Yom Limud for their member congregations. CPC is part of the Jewish Educators Assembly (www.jewisheducators.org), the organization for Conservative Jewish Educators.
The Long Island Temple Educators (LITE) provides networking opportunities for principals of Reform congregational schools in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens and organizes an annual Yom Limud for their member congregations. LITE is part of the National Association of Temple Educators (nate.rj.org), the organization for Reform Jewish Educators.
National Membership Organizations and Networking Opportunities
The National Association of Temple Educators (www.nate.rj.org) is the professional organization of Jewish educators of the Reform movement.
The Jewish Educators Assembly www.jewisheducators.org is the professional organization representing Jewish educators who teach in Conservative congregational schools.
CAJE, the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education, promotes excellence in Jewish education across the spectrum of Jewish life. They maintain active networks of Jewish educators matched to their interests and expertise – music/arts, early childhood, day school, special needs, and more. Go to www.caje.org for more information.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children www.naeyc.org promotes excellence in early childhood education and serves as an international resource for EC educators.
The Consortium for the Jewish Family (formerly known as Whizin) offers an intensive seminar on Family Education as part of the summer CAJE conference providing its expertise and insights into the role of Jewish family education. Check www.caje.org for more information.
Local Conference Opportunities
SAJES Simchat Morim: A Celebration of Jewish Early Childhood Educators is our annual professional day of learning for early childhood educators from twenty synagogue and JCC early childhood programs on Long Island. Simchat Morim 2008 will be held on April 3 at the Dix Hills Jewish Center. Contact Susan Remick Topek at srtopek@sajes.org for more information.
The Annual Yom Iyun of The Conservative Principals Council of Long Island (CPC) will take place on Sunday, December 16, 2007. The theme is “Israel at 60!” Check back here for further details.
The Annual LITE Conference will take place on Sunday, November 11, 2007. The theme is "Building Community". Check back here for further details.
SAJES Atideynu: Our Future is our annual conference for teen educators, youth workers,and all professionals and lay leaders who work with teens. The Third Annual Atideynu Conference takes place on Monday, September 22 from 5:45 - 9:15 pm at Temple Beth Torah in Melville. The title of Atideynu 2008 is 'EcoJudaism to Inspire Green Teens'. Contact Beth Finger for further information.
Other Conference Opportunities
The Annual CAJE Conference, the largest conference for Jewish educators in North America, will be held August 10 – 14 in Vermont. For further information visit www.caje.org.
The Annual JEA Conference (Jewish Educators Assembly) will be held January 27 - Wednesday January 30, 2008 at the Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center in Skokie, Illinois. For further information visit www.jewisheducators.org.
Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations (www.csjo.org) hosts an annual conference offering secular and humanistic educational resources for schools and communities throughout North America.
