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Jewish Education
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Opening Books and Making Connections
Twice a month, a dedicated group of volunteers like Shelley Kahn (pictured) reads stories to JCC Early Childhood classes at the BJE Maurer Jewish Community Library. These storytimes have been fun for the little ones and a great way to bring new life into the library. Community members can visit the library on Mondays and Thursdays, 10 am-2 pm, or on Tuesdays, 1-4 pm.
JEdI (Jewish Educators of Indy) Council Day of Learning
On January 20, over 50 educators who work in Jewish settings statewide gathered for the inaugural JEdI Council Day of Learning, a day-long professional development conference organized by local Jewish educational leaders. The conference theme was Opening the Tent: Making Jewish Learning Accessible.
The morning started with educators working in teams to literally unlock barriers that block access to Jewish learning as part of a modified escape room exercise. Over the course of the day, participants chose among eight workshops that focused on multiple dimensions to making Judaism accessible to all, including meeting diverse learning needs, mobility needs, acceptance of cultural diversity, and awareness of varied levels of prior Jewish knowledge.
At the JEdI Council Day of Learning, educators connected with colleagues, invested in their own learning, and developed strategies for fostering inclusive learning environments.
Embracing Interfaith Families
JFGI hosted Rabbi Reni Dickman from InterfaithFamily for a series of workshops focused on making the greater Indianapolis Jewish community accessible and welcoming to all families interested in Jewish life.
At the JEdI (Jewish Educators of Indy) Council Day of Learning, Rabbi Reni facilitated two workshops for educators, and the following day she ran a workshop for Jewish communal professionals that focused on the language used to speak with and about interfaith families. Rabbi Reni’s visit provided the community with many provocative questions and a readiness to more deeply explore how doors and tents can be opened further.
Rabbi Reni Dickman also facilitated a community-wide conversation about engaging with interfaith families sensitively. A panel of local interfaith families shared their stories. Pictured L-R: Cindy Ginsberg, Cyle Ginsberg, Jared Schaffer, Stefani Schaffer, Becca Christensen, Renny Silver, Mary Gorden, Rabbi Reni Dickman
Generation to Generation: Sharing Jewish Tradition with Your Interfaith Grandchildren
Tuesdays in March | 7–8:30 pm
Grandparents with interfaith grandchildren can gather to prepare for Passover and more broadly explore ways that they can share their Jewish traditions. For more information and to register, please email interfaithfamily@jfgi.org.
This program is made possible through a grant from the National Center to Encourage Judaism.
Sharing History Through the Story of Anne Frank
Community volunteers like Andrea Burnett (right) led students through the Anne Frank: A History for Today exhibit.
The Indiana Repertory Theatre’s production of The Diary of Anne Frank reached nearly 10,000 students at weekday matinee performances. Thanks to the incredible generosity of Glick Philanthropies, the Indianapolis Jewish community was able to provide an educational component to the play's run: In addition to seeing a magnificent performance, students had the opportunity to learn more about the life of Anne Frank through the exhibit Anne Frank: A History for Today, on loan from The Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect. Thank you to the Alberta and Sherman Weinstein Cultural Arts Fund at the Jewish Community Center for supporting this exhibit.
It was inspiring to see the students take an interest in learning more about the historical events surrounding the performance and knowing that the volunteers who helped run the exhibit made a positive contribution to their education of the Holocaust. The Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis (JFGI) will be able to follow up with schools for continued Holocaust education through the work of its new Holocaust Education and Program Coordinator, Amber Maze.
(L-R): Teens Cyle Ginsberg, Chloe Meinert, Vincentia Sandy, and Rachel Morrison spoke at a post-show panel discussion.
JFGI’s Commitment to Educational Innovation
One of the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis (JFGI)’s primary strategic focus areas is Jewish Learning and Experience. Some of the ways that JFGI is investing in this space include JFGI Education Grants and support for the Grinspoon Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. Special thanks to JFGI's Jewish Learning Committee and the BJE Endowment Committee for taking a leadership role in these intiatives.
JFGI Education Grants
JFGI's Jewish Learning Committee is excited to announce that the JFGI Education Innovation and Collaboration Grants for 2019-2020 are now receiving applications!
• JFGI Education Innovation Grants focus on geographic innovation and programming that reaches beyond the buildings in which educational programming has traditionally taken place.
• JFGI Collaboration Grants encourage community members and Jewish organizations to partner to develop new programming ideas that engage the unaffiliated and enrich Jewish learning throughout the community.
To learn more about the JFGI Education Grants, which are due on Friday, April 12, visit jewishindianapolis.org/education-grants.
Grinspoon Award for Excellence in Jewish Education
Under the leadership of the BJE Endowment Committee, the community will again honor an excellent Jewish educator with the Grinspoon Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. This national program recognizes outstanding individuals making a difference through their work in Jewish education.
This year’s award will go to a stellar local educator who excels in innovative ways of bringing Torah and Jewish stories to life. Information about how organizations can submit an award nomination, due by Friday, March 29, can be found at jewishindinaapolis.org/education/grinspoon-award.
