Educators

Introduce Your Students to MK Dov Lipman - Exclusive Interview and Lesson Plan

Download this exclusive interview FREE through March 8 with the coupon included here.

How Education Director George Kelley Does Family Education

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.

When Jewish Values Collide, Debate in the Classroom Helps Students Explore More Deeply

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?

Israel's Pursuit of Pluralism

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.

New Online Store Spotlight: Account Management and Order Tracking

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!

What Do Jewish Families Want?

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.

What on earth—and in education—is a MOOC?

I’m about 2 ½ weeks in to the most puzzling class experience I would say I’ve ever had, the E-Learning and Digital Cultures MOOC from Coursera.com, aka #edcmooc. So what is a MOOC?

8 Essential Questions to Guide Students to an Enduring Understanding of Jewish Values

As educators, we aspire to impart something deep and lasting to our students. When we ask the essential questions--the ones that will recur throughout our students’ lives--we help them discover concepts that confer just such a lasting benefit. In encouraging students to explore the ways Judaism can help them answer such questions, we demonstrate Judaism’s relevance to their lives and give them character building tools they can call upon for years to come.

Let's Meet Up at the North American Jewish Day School Conference

Our Executive Editor, Rabbi Mark H. Levine, will host a networking session, demonstrate the OLC, and meet with educators to discuss a brand new product at the NAJDS conference February 3-5, 2013, in Washington, D.C.

A Different Approach to Teaching about Passover

Last year, Kim Beame, Director of Education at Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton ordered 250 copies of Simply Seder, our newest haggadah, to use as a teaching tool in her school. We immediately called to ask “Why?”

Save 50% on Selected Review Copies Plus 30% Off Our Newest Materials When You Join the Golem Plan

Have you missed seeing some of our newest materials? Be the first to see what's new in Jewish education when you join the Golem Plan: you'll get 30% off our newest classroom materials, PLUS 50% off review copies of some of our most popular 2012 titles (limit one copy per title per school, offer ends February 28, 2013). Just mention this offer when you sign up for our Golem plan and choose from the list below:

Online library from Israel’s Center for Educational Technology coming soon to the OLC

As a “giant step forward in our mission to reshape Hebrew education for a younger generation,” Behrman House has entered a collaborative agreement with Israel’s Center for Educational Technology (CET) to bring a first-of-its-kind online library to Jewish schools in the United States, giving students and educators access to both companies’ vast repository of educational offerings. CET developed Israel’s premier and biggest online library, encompassing over 1,000 Hebrew textbooks and information sources.

Five Lessons for Project Based Learning Success in Your School

Are you trying to implement project based learning in your school? This year, Behrman House editors are developing materials and lesson plans that can help you incorporate project based learning into almost any subject area and help you enliven Jewish education in your community.  PBL is one more effective tool you can use to inspire students and engage them in Judaism not just in the classroom, but throughout their lives.

Let's meet up at the JEA conference in Dallas, January 27-30

Behrman House will be at the annual Jewish Educators Assembly (JEA) Conference in Dallas, TX, January 27–30, 2013. Let us know if you’d like to schedule time for a curriculum and Online Learning Center consultation on Sunday or Monday. Personal Consulting: Sign up now Terry Kaye will be available for personal consulting time to guide you in how best to use the OLC in your school or to talk through your curriculum. In the coffee shop, at the booth, or wherever you’d like to meet, she will:

8 Essential Characteristics of Project Based Learning

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Five Great Ideas to Refresh Your Curriculum This Year

Now is a great time to reflect on your school’s curriculum and consider something new. Here are five ideas for changing your approach to some timeless Jewish subjects. #1—Let Teens Argue We often hear from educators how challenged you feel in engaging post-b’nai mitzvah students meaningfully in Jewish study.

Can't make it to the NATE conference? No problem!

Attention Reform Educators!Can’t make it to Phoenix for the NATE conference? From December 23–26, 150 NATE members will gather in Phoenix for the annual conference. Even if you won’t be attending, we can bring some of the learning to you. Here’s how: 1.       Watch the Behrman House Facebook page for regular conference updates and photos.

Let's meet up at NATE in Phoenix, December 23-26

Behrman House will be at the annual National Association of Temple Educators (NATE) Conference in Phoenix, AZ, from December 23-26. Join us for a breakout session on using the Online Learning Center for project based learning and don't forget to schedule time for a curriculum and online learning consultation.

New Quick Click Feature Makes OLC Invitations Easier Than Ever

Never again worry about invitations to your class getting stuck in students’ spam filters! The latest update to the Online Learning Center includes a new feature that lets students and teachers find their class and school invitations right online, just by logging in. It’s just a quick click to accept their invitations and join.

Online Learning Center Takes Off

More than 670 teachers and 4,000 students nationwide are using the Online Learning Center for Hebrew and Jewish studies.  After such a strong lift-off, educators around the country have been reporting back about implementing this innovative new platform in their schools.

Teach Israel

 Experience Modern Israel

New from Behrman House. Fly to Israel without a plane ticket.

Discover Israel

 Let's Discover Israel

Offer younger children an exciting and age-appropriate introduction to the Jewish homeland