We got this question from an educator just recently:
Hebrew homework or no Hebrew homework? That is the question. For the congregational school, it’s often a tricky subject. Yet as time with students decreases, and educators look for ways to spend the time they do have with students fostering connections and building relationships, the opportunity to use technology to encourage students to practice at home can be a welcome solution.
Trained madrichim can help your educational program feel more like camp by offering opportunities for older students to mentor younger students and to step into authentic roles as young Jewish role models.
Engage students in prayer with Visual Tefillah, a series of beautiful and thought-provoking PowerPoint slideshows to supplement Kol Yisrael and Hineni. Prayers are broken down line-by-line with text in Hebrew and English alongside dramatic photographs illustrating the meaning/intention of the words.
Enrich your students’ exploration of modern Israel with articles and videos developed by professional journalists. Behrman House has teamed up with ISRAEL21c to adapt selected ISRAEL21c content for use in Jewish religious schools as a series of downloadable lesson plans for grades 4-7 focusing on modern Israel. The first five installments of the ISRAEL21c Teacher's Edition are now available in the Behrman House Resource Libraries.
What do cherry tomatoes, Soda Stream, the game Rummikub, and a cardboard bicycle all have in common? They all have roots in Israel. And although Israel may seem far away to your students, you can help them see how Israel is alive in their everyday lives through innovations and inventions that come as close as their own kitchens.
After piloting the Online Learning Center this year in one grade at the Santa Monica Synagogue in Santa Monica, CA, Director of Education Lori Daitch is now planning to implement the OLC in all Hebrew grades. “It helps students reinforce skills and is a way for us to integrate technology into the school.” Nine Santa Monica Synagogue fourth grade students used Alef Bet Quest, OLC Edition this year, led by teacher Rae Antonoff who asked students to do the at-home exercises and games once a week to reinforce their efforts in class.
Get 50% off certificates between May 1st and May 8th, 2013*. Get ready for this year's graduating class or stock up for next year! Sale ends midnight 5/8/13. View and purchase certificates in the Behrman House online store (50% off will be automatically applied online) or mention this sale when you order by phone (800-221-2755). Presentation envelopes also available for $.50 each.
We’ve Improved the OLC! The OLC is just one year old, yet already we are upgrading, thanks to your feedback. You asked for easier, faster, simpler, and we responded with new features that are available now (with more to come on a regular basis).
Self-doubt kills happiness. This is true for any of us—and so much more so for our kids struggling with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or learning disabilities (LD). This is one of the things I learned from a recent talk by Dr. Jerome P. Shultz, neuropsychologist and author of No Where to Hide: Why Kids with ADHD and LD Hate School and What We Can Do about It.
I was in Boston last weekend at Rick Recht and Sheldon Low’s two-day Songleader Boot Camp (SLBC). I’m no song leader nor a musician, so why go? A couple of reasons:
The best thing we can do for kids with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities (LD) is to help them find ways to manage stress, according to Dr. Jerome Schultz, neuropsychologist and author of No Where to Hide: Why Kids with ADHD and LD Hate School and What We Can Do about It. In listening to Dr. Schultz speak recently, it occurred to me that the Jewish educational environment may be uniquely suited to help all kids manage stress in their lives.
The metaphor of our educational community as an ecosystem is quite powerful. And it’s useful: it helps us understand that what each of us does is a part of a larger whole, that the pieces fit together, and that we need to understand the relationships between those pieces. But there’s a critical question few ask: is it healthy? Biologists tell us that a healthy ecosystem is sustainable. Like the circulation of rainwater, or the cycling of oxygen and carbon dioxide, an ecosystem is self-sustaining. That’s what makes it healthy. No subsidies required.
This week, Behrman House is launching a prototype of an innovative comic strip designed to teach the core values of each Torah portion. The comic series, which is called “The Amazing Torah Tablet,” follows the exploits of Micah and Mollie, a brother and sister who face the daily dilemmas of middle school with the help of a magical Torah Tablet.
Download this exclusive interview FREE through March 8 with the coupon included here.
We recently asked fans of the Behrman House Facebook page "How do you get parents involved in Jewish education and reinforce Jewish life at home?" George Kelley, Education Director at Congregation Beth El-Zedek in Indiana, joined the conversation and offered some great family education ideas. We asked him to expand on his comment here so other educators can learn from Beth El-Zedek's success.
Judaism teaches us to seek justice. Judaism also teaches us to act with compassion. What happens when someone commits a crime? Should we act with compassion or seek justice through punishment? How does Judaism guide us then?
Comedian Sarah Silverman tweeted last week that she was proud of her sister, Rabbi Susan Silverman, and her niece, 18-year-old Hallel Abramowitz-Silverman, for wearing tallitot while praying at the Kotel. Mother and daughter were arrested with 8 other women during the monthly prayer service held by Women of the Wall, a human rights group that has waged a long legal battle to secure religious rights for women in Israel.
Have you ordered from the Behrman House online store (behrman.powerwebbook.com A.K.A. "the blue site") in the past? The Behrman House online store has now been moved to BehrmanHouse.com (A.K.A. "the brown site") for a fully-integrated, more powerful, and easier to use online shopping experience. You can now browse products and place orders at www.behrmanhouse.com/store - Don't forget to update your bookmarks!
How do we involve families in meaningful ways? This is a challenge cited by educators across the country as one of their most frustrating. Families are busy. Parents may not feel comfortable with their level of Jewish knowledge or Hebrew. The pull of everyday secular demands—work, school, community activities, sports—may leave families feeling that the “Jewish” part of life is disconnected from the rest. There is a drop-off mentality around school.
