Teachers & Educators

The Kids Books You Want for Passover

Whether you want to create anticipation for Passover among your youngest family members and friends or you're looking for just the right afikomen gift, here are some terrific ideas for you.

No Wireless for Online Hebrew Practice? No Problem.

Want children to practice Hebrew but the wifi in your building is, um, spotty at best?  The Shalom Hebrew OLC App provides a reliable way to learn decoding, Hebrew letters, vowels, and keywords—on any device. Designed as a universal app, it can be used on any PC or Mac desktop; laptops; tablets; or smartphones. Now students can practice Hebrew at home, school or on the go – on any device!

Educator Spotlight: Top 10 Tips for Using the OLC

Cheryl Epstein, assistant director of education at Congregation B'nai Israel in Boca Raton, Florida, introduced the Online Learning Center to her school in 2012. In the years since, her 500 students have made huge strides in Hebrew as a result.

Get to Know Hebrew in Harmony

You’ve heard the buzz about the new prayer-through-music curriculum, Hebrew in Harmony. Want to know more? Join us for the 40-minute introductory webinar, "Introduction to Hebrew in Harmony," Wednesday, April 13, 1 pm EST Topics Covered: Overview of the program and prayers included The benefits of teaching through music The target learners

We've Made the OLC Easier to Use

  More than 525 educators and 3500 students have logged in this year to teach and learn online. The Behrman House Online Learning Center is about to enter its fourth year, and we continue to make improvements to make it the best—and easiest—year ever for students, teachers, and education directors. At the same time, our commitment to children's safety and privacy online is simply unparalleled.  Here are some of the changes we have made to make the OLC work better for you:

Hebrew Learning + Music = Fun

It’s been a long day of secular academics, and yet your arriving students are soon dancing, smiling, and singing in Hebrew.  They’re comparing prayer melodies and moving to the rhythm, engaged and lively.

There's Still Time to Save on Haggadot

There's just one week left to save on Passover haggadot! Now through March 31, take an extra five percent off on haggadot, on top of your regular discounts, and get free shipping* on orders of 50 books or more! You can mix and match any of the titles below to get to 50 books.  Haggadah Sale Titles Include:

NJ Educators Preview Hebrew in Harmony

New Jersey educators got a sneak peek of the soon-to-be-released Hebrew in Harmony program on Wednesday morning. We hosted more than 20 educators to introduce them to the prayer program, which will be officially released in early April.

Measuring Student Progress

Standardized tests have been a hot topic for parents, teachers, and policymakers for years. Is there a better way to measure our students' progress? The answer is yes! Here are seven skills that standardized tests should be measuring, according to noted psychologist Susan Engel in a recent Boston Globe piece. 

Help Students Navigate the Challenges of Their Age with Today's Hot Topics

Our teenage students face many issues in their daily lives. Whether those issues are digital, medical, social, or ethical, the new Today's Hot Topics can help encourage students, teachers, and families to explore the issues of the day and develop their own opinions informed by Jewish values.  Each chapter of Today's Hot Topics includes a complete package of resources that will help you lead discussion about a Hot Topic with your students. The chapter packages contains:

Save on Your End-of-the-Year Certificates

The end of the school year is coming, and Behrman House is ready to help you prepare.  From now through April 15, you can save 50% on new end-of-the-year certificates to thank volunteers, acknowledge teachers, and help your students celebrate their accomplishments.  You can receive 50% on 50 or more of the new certificates that feature artwork from renowned Israeli artist Rinat Gilboa. Use the code 'Certificate2016'* through April 15th.  The new certificates commemorate:

Apples & Honey Press Spring Titles Featuring New Characters and Returning Favorites!

It's almost time to add new holiday stories and old favorites from Apples & Honey Press to your shelves!

Shalom Hebrew OLC App Now Available

Practice Hebrew at home, school or on the go – on any device! Developed in conjunction with the Jewish Journey Project, Shalom Hebrew OLC App is a digital primer to learn decoding, Hebrew letters, vowels, and keywords. Packed with engaging features, interactive reading exercises that can be recorded and reviewed by educators, and more than a dozen games, Shalom Hebrew OLC App makes learning to read Hebrew fun AND effective for students of all ages.

Encourage Young Children to Participate in Your Passover Seder

In recent years, we have released three essential titles to help create new ways for families with young children to participate in their Passover seder.  With help from The Gateways Haggadah, Frogs in the Bed, and Kayla and Kugel's Almost-Perfect Passover, your children will be interested and engaged during the seder. 

Why Jingles Work

You know how those silly jingles you hear on the radio or TV stay in your head for hours? There's a reason some work so well - and it has to do with memory and emotion. Companies use jingles to help customers remember their business name and products. Songs in commercials can help put listeners in a good mood, which they then associate with the company.  For example, when FreeCreditReport.com released its commercials with those catchy songs, it saw a 20%  increase in website memberships. 

The Fast Track to Hebrew and Prayers

The Hineni series has been a long time favorite resource for teaching Hebrew and prayers. The new Hineni Express, by Ellen Rank, offers the same proven approach as Hineni 1, 2, and 3, combined into one easy-to-use volume. It's especially useful for studnets who have joined your program in 5th grade or later.

Get Your Haggadot From Bed Bath and Beyond this Passover

This Passover, visit your closest Bed Bath & Beyond* to get copies of Simply Seder and Family Haggadah: A Seder for All Generations. The Passover titles will be available for purchase at more than 100 Bed Bath & Beyond locations in early March. 

In Memory of Ruby Strauss z’l

By David Behrman Many who read this will not have known our former colleague Ruby Strauss, but you are reading her words in your books, and using her books in your classrooms. She was a powerhouse—our vice president and the editor of the vast bulk of what we published for almost 20 years before she retired in 1998.  Her work had remarkable range—she spanned Hebrew and Judaica, was an editor and an art director—and she had a good eye, a keen visual sense, and a good ear—a feel for words and verbal expression.

Mindfulness and the Brain

People who practice meditation and mindfulness have long reported health benefits, from lower blood pressure to reduced anxiety. New research released this week shows that such practices can actually change your brain. "To meditate mindfully demands 'an open and receptive, nonjudgmental awareness of your present-moment experience,'"says J. David Creswell, who led the study and is an associate professor of psychology and the director of the Health and Human Performance Laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University in this week's announcement.

How to Host an Inclusive Passover Seder

Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month (JDAIM)may be coming to an end, but with help from Gateways: Access to Jewish Education, we can continue our inclusive mindset through the year.  Last year we introduced The Gateways Haggadah: A Seder for the Whole Family, which offers something truly amazing - a place for all at the Passover table. 

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