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The Talmud teaches: “Who is wise? One who learns from every person.” Sometimes wisdom can come from an unlikely source. Right out of graduate school, my husband was hired by a large New England department store called Jordan Marsh. Even though he had earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, my husband was asked to […]

The “friends” to whom I’m dedicating this post are wonderful colleagues in Jewish education who support, motivate, model, inspire, and teach – colleagues from whom I’ve learned so many valued skills and worthy insights. Sharing and learning with our colleagues strengthens and enlightens us as a professional community. We need as many opportunities as possible […]

Once upon a time, when the grandchildren of my students were, like myself, in Classical Reform “Sunday Schools,” children learned “Bible Stories” – the adventures of Adam and Eve, Noah and Family, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and, of course, God. To young learners God, as portrayed in Bible stories, seemed to be a distant, […]

Finding exactly the right mix of oral and written exercises, experiential activities, frontal teaching, hands-on projects, and individualized learning is a never-ending challenge in Jewish education.Sometimes, an unexpected element can make or break a lesson. “Classroom picks” as described in this and future posts are selected strategies, learning activities, techniques, ideas, and resources which I’ve […]

For future Hanukkah celebrations, here is a quick, fun activity that requires only a little simple preparation. Students of all ages will enjoy transforming themselves into a “Living Menorah.” Set-up:Make nine “candles” by rolling a piece of colored construction paper around a cardboard paper towel roll. Tape the construction paper along the seam and tuck […]