Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education - Supporting Jewish Day Schools: Knowledge: Additional Resources: Jewish Education Resources

Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education
CAJE is North America's largest Jewish educators' organization, providing services to teachers, administrators, parents and students. Among its offerings are a curriculum bank and a well-attended annual conference. The web site features a number of online resources.

Jewish Education Service of North America
JESNA is the Jewish Federation system's educational coordinating, planning and development agency. The web site offers online resources and links to many other relevant sites.

Jewish Educators Assembly
The JEA is the professional membership association representing a broad range of educators and educational administrators who identify with the Conservative Movement.

Melton Research Center for Jewish Education
The Melton Research Center, housed at the Jewish Theological Seminary, focuses on "the design, testing, implementation and evaluation of new approaches in instructional methods, materials and technology, models for organizational change, and staff development." Offerings include books and curriculum materials.

National Association of Temple Educators
NATE is the professional organization of Jewish educators of the Reform Movement. The web site describes member services and features some online resources.

Canfei Nesharim
Canfei Nesharim is an organization that is educating the Jewish community Ð particularly focusing on the Orthodox community Ð about the importance of protecting the environment from the perspective of Torah and Jewish law. The organization creates materials, publications, programs, and curriculum for Orthodox synagogues and schools to learn about the importance of protecting the environment. For Tu b'Shevat, Canfei Nesharim's Fifth Annual Tu b'Shevat Learning Campaign includes articles, divrei Torah, sample sedarim, and electronic greeting cards to help the Jewish community learn about environmental protection on the holiday of Tu b'Shevat. You can review and download all the great materials at their website.

Eyes on Israel
"Eyes on Israel" is a new, free curriculum for middle school and high school students created by CAMERA (the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America) to help students develop a critical approach towards what they see, read, and hear about Israel in the media. One of the chief goals of the curriculum is to allow learners to explore media "texts" (articles, radio and television broadcasts, Web sites) and historical facts in such a way as to encourage insight about the nature of the Middle East conflict and the way in which it is rendered by the media. "Eyes" consists of four modules of lesson plans which can be used together or independently. For more information about "Eyes on Israel," contact Hillel Zaremba.

Jade Bar Shalom Books for Israel Project
Here's an idea for a school tzedakah project: Collect gently used books for Books for Israel, a grassroots organization that connects schools and communities with Israeli schools needing English-language books for their students and libraries. This hands-on project builds relationships between North American and Israeli schools. For more information about how your school can participate, visit the Books for Israel website or email Michael Quint.

The Jewish Museum
The Jewish Museum in New York offers a number of on-site programs for elementary, middle, and high school groups. Pre- and post-visit curricular materials are provided.

KEREN MACH"AR—The Fund for Tomorrow
KEREN MACH"AR is a study and service program for Jewish high school students. Participants learn Jewish and American perspectives on wealth and work, and they engage in ongoing service projects designed to fight poverty and economic injustice through the strategic use of money. MACH"AR is a Hebrew acronym that captures three dimensions of chesed education: musari (ethical obligation), chevrati (social context), and ruchani (spirituality). Piloted at the Solomon Schechter High School of Long Island, the program will expand each year to include other schools. Program staff will train teachers, advise participating schools, and create on-line opportunities for participants in different cities to interact. KEREN MACH"AR is a project of The Shefa Fund and a resident of UJC/JESNA's Bikkurim: An Incubator for New Jewish Ideas.

Original Jewish Musicals
Now available: new and original musicals based on Jewish themes and holidays, complete with orchestrated background music and librettos. All musicals have been performed at Jewish day schools. For sample songs and scripts, please email Ken Rabow and write Jewish Musicals in the subject line.

Out of Spain
"Out of Spain" is a course of study for 10- to 12-year-olds in Sephardic history and culture. Materials include three books, a teacher's guide, a video, and a CD and/or audiotape. Each book can stand alone and requires no previous knowledge of the subject.

Panim el Panim: High School in Washington
A program of PANIM (formerly The Washington Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values), Panim el Panim ("face to face") is for Jewish 10th-12th graders from day and supplementary high school programs. Four-day seminars are held throughout the school year in Washington, DC. Teens from several communities come together at each seminar to examine contemporary issues such as poverty, peace and war, the environment, and human rights-all against a backdrop of Jewish texts and values. Special Panim el Panim seminars for Orthodox day school students are facilitated by Orthodox staff and include t'fillot and Torah study appropriate to the background of the students.

Parents Are Teachers (P.A.T.)
Enrich your students' Jewish lives by enrolling their parents in Parents Are Teachers (P.A.T.). An initiative of the National Jewish Outreach Program, P.A.T. teaches parents what they need in order to reinforce their children's Jewish studies. P.A.T. provides free Teacher's Guides, plus a promotional video and marketing materials to promote up to eight different P.A.T. programs at your school. To learn more, contact Larry Greenman or visit the P.A.T. website.

Sarah and David Interactive
Sarah and David are two of several characters who bring Hebrew alive for children and young teens. This interactive system--including books, CDs, supplementary materials, music, wordplay, and puzzles--is designed to make learning the language simple and fun. The Sarah and David Interactive website features more information, an online store and free, downloadable teachers' resources.

Tapestry: Weaving the Multicultural Threads of Jewish Identity
Loolwa Khazzoom, who pioneered the Jewish multiculturalism movement, founded Tapestry to help Jewish leaders and educators shift perspective from a European Jewish paradigm to one that reflects the racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity of the global Jewish experience. Tapestry gives teachers a hands-on, comprehensive introduction to Jewish multicultural studies. Teachers learn where to find and how to use Jewish multicultural resources, how to involve parents in Jewish multicultural programming, and common pitfalls to avoid when teaching about Jews of non-European heritage. For more information, visit the Tapestry website or email Tapestry.

The Tanakh Baseball Code
Teachers can encourage students to read the Tanakh more closely by involving them in the Israel Baseball League (IBL) contest, the Tanakh Baseball Code. The IBL is Israel's first professional baseball league, opening its inaugural season this June. Contest participants must compose a baseball story derived entirely of verses from the Tanakh. Prizes include a signed, official IBL jersey, ball, and bat. Visit the IBL website for examples of biblical "baseball references" and contest details.

YU Museum:
Exploring the North Atlantic
Now through June 2008, Yeshiva University Museum in New York presents its newest experiential exhibition for school audiences: Exploring the North Atlantic: Traders, Scholars and Vikings in the 11th Century. A replicated Viking ship that children can board; a medieval market place in the Irish port of Limerick; and a walk-in environment that imagines the home/study of the pre-eminent Torah scholar and sage, Rashi, provide the background for this interactive educational exhibition which draws on history, geography, economics, Jewish history and Torah studies. For more information or to schedule a school visit, contact info@yum.cjh.org.

The Ziv Giraffe Program: A Curriculum for Tikun Olam
This curriculum is based upon the work of two nonprofit organizations, one Jewish and one general. The Ziv Tzedakah Fund, chaired by tzedakah leader Danny Siegel, is committed to telling the stories of "Mitzvah Heroes" as part of its work. The Giraffe Project publicizes the stories of people who "stick their necks out for the common good," in part through its K-12 Giraffe Heroes Program. A number of day schools have used this curriculum, which includes 40 lessons featuring profiles of "Giraffe/Mitzvah Heroes," excerpts from Danny Siegel's writings, and ideas for "Things to Do."

A.R.E. Publishing
A.R.E. publishes and distributes Jewish educational materials such as Hebrew programs, resource handbooks, copy packs, clip art, and Jewish music for the classroom.

Behrman House
Behrman House publishes Judaic textbooks and supplementary materials for the classroom. Categories include Hebrew, Bible, ethics, holidays, and Israel. Behrman House also publishes books about Judaism and Jewish life.

Benny's Educational Toys
Benny's distributes Jewish and Hebrew language educational materials for preschool to fourth grade, including posters, games, puzzles, project and craft materials, audio, video, books, puppets, software, and more.

CCAR Press
The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) is the rabbinic arm of the Reform movement. CCAR Press publishes books of interest to progressive Jews of all affiliations, including titles for children and families.

Davka Corporation
Davka is the "world's largest developer of Judaic software." Products include a Hebrew/English word processor, Judaic texts on CD-ROM, educational programs and games, and Judaic/Hebrew graphics. School site licenses and special school pricing are available.

Hakol LaMoreh, Israel Book Shop, Brookline, MA
Billed as "one-stop shopping for the Jewish educator," this teacher resource center offers Hebrew and Judaic textbooks, educational materials, and teacher guides, along with 10%-20% discounts on many items and free professional guidance from a Jewish educator with day school experience. Contact Risa Krohn at 617-566-7113 (phone), 800-323-7723 (toll-free), info@israelbookshop.com (with "Attn: Risa Krohn" in the subject line), or 617-566-0006 (fax). Subscribe to our enewsletters by going to our website

Jewish Lights Publishing
Jewish Lights publishes "books that reflect the Jewish wisdom tradition for people of all faiths, all backgrounds." Categories include children's, life cycle/holidays, spirituality, theology/philosophy, and women's spirituality.

Jewish Publication Society
JPS is "the oldest publisher of Jewish literature published in the English language." Offerings include Jewish classics and children's books.

Jucaicrafts
Judaicrafts provides Jewish educational products for teachers. Their website offers items for purchase as well as arts and crafts ideas, activities and other resources for Jewish educational settings.

Kar-Ben Copies
Kar-Ben Copies publishes books for Jewish children and educators.

KTAV Publishing House
Ktav produces textbooks and other materials for day schools and other Jewish educational settings.

Melitz Israel at 60 Celebration Kit
Melitz Centers for Jewish Zionist Education has produced a Celebration Kit in honor of Israel's 60th birthday. The kit includes suggestions for a Memorial Day/Independence Day ceremony, a music CD, programs for all age groups, a popular Israeli movie with materials for a post-film discussion, an interactive photo CD, historical information, maps, Israeli recipes, Israeli flags, and more. The kit costs $200 plus $10 for shipping and handling. To order, please contact Helen London.

The National Center for Jewish Film
The National Center for Jewish Film is a unique nonprofit motion picture archive, distributor, and resource center housing the largest collection of Jewish-themed films, videos, and DVDs in the world. Best known for its collection of restored Yiddish feature films, the center also contains movies illustrating immigrant life in America, Jewish communities around the globe, Israeli society, the Holocaust, and Hollywood's depiction of Jews. New releases include The Power of Good--Nicholas Winton, Tijuana Jews, and Appelfeld's Table. For more information, call 781-899-7044, email the center, or visit its website.

New Voices
Join synagogues and other organizations around the country, and give the gift of New Voices to your alumni. New Voices is the only independent national magazine written by and for Jewish college students; it's relevant to their on-campus lives. The first issue is sent with a letter stating that New Voices is a gift sponsored by your school; students then receive four more issues during the year. Five issues cost $10, and it's not too late to subscribe for the '07-'08 academic year. Contact Elizabeth Alpern or visit the New Voices website for more information.

Pitome Publishing
Pitome Publishing offers "family education at your fingertips: fantastic, time-saving family education resources." Products include Jewish Family Times (three volumes of holiday-based copy-packs), "tried-and-true" family education programs in copy-pack form, the Mischak Chanukah game, Shema pillowcase templates, and Darkon Pitome/Passport to the Jewish Year.

Pitspopany Press
Pitspopany publishes Jewish children's books for all age groups, plus some titles for adults and families.

Smart Jewish Toy Company
Smart Jewish Toy Company provides quality education materials and toys for pre-school age. The toys are exceptionally suited for both public and private Jewish early childhood programs and home schooling programs. The toys are particularly useful for parents who are strongly involved in their child's educational development.

Torah Aura Productions
Torah Aura publishes educational materials, children's books, teacher guides, and more.

Torah Educational Software
TES develops and distributes Judaic, Hebrew, and Bible educational software. Special packages and network licenses are available for schools.

UAHC Press
The Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) is the congregational arm of the Reform movement. UAHC Press publishes books of interest to progressive Jews of all affiliations, including an extensive list of children's titles.

USCJ Book Service
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ) is the congregational arm of the Conservative movement. The book service offers titles in a variety of areas, including books for young children, youth, and educators.

ATID: Academy for Torah Initiatives and Directions
ATID is a Jerusalem-based educational training and research facility. The web site includes a "Journal" section featuring research papers, written by ATID fellows and faculty, on a wide range of issues in Jewish education.

BJE of Greater New York
The web site of the Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York features online Judaic curricula, focusing mainly on holidays and Jerusalem.

BJE of San Francisco
The web site of the San Francisco-area Bureau of Jewish Education features online lesson plans and articles by topic, as well as other resources.

CAJE Curriculum Bank
Materials are available to CAJE members in print and downloadable form.

DataJEM
DataJEM, the Database of Jewish Educational Materials, is a project of The Pedagogic Center of the Education Department of the Jewish Agency for Israel. It is searchable by subject, material type, age group, language, keywords, title, author, and publisher.

Islands of Resiliency
This site addresses the role of the elementary school in coping with stress resulting from emergency situations. The site includes: internet conferences, powerpoint presentations, articles, and links.

Israel In Our Lives
This web site strives to create "a community of practice around Israel Education through professional discourse and the sharing of resources." The Israel In Our Lives guides are available for online reading and downloading, and the site also features extensive, categorized links.

Jewish Education Center of Cleveland
The JECC web site features a number of resources, including online curricula, an "Internet Roadmap for Jewish Educators," and a menu of online professional development opportunities at other sites.

Jewish Education Service of North America
The JESNA web site features program banks, discussion boards, online readings, and extensive links.

Jewish Women's Archive
The Jewish Women's Archive offers educational resources which are available on their web site. The "Primary Sources" section gives students direct contact with the past by allowing them to work with facsimiles of actual documents. Searchable by type, time period, or topic, the historical artifacts can easily be integrated into existing curricula and programs.

JSkyway
JSkyway is a professional development program piloted with day school educators. The JSkyway web site, open to the public, features resources for educators, including discussion boards and a searchable database.

Lookstein Virtual Resource Center for Jewish Education
This online resource center is a project of Bar-Ilan University's Lookstein Center for Jewish Education in the Diaspora. Components include a resource library of online readings, an interactive educators' forum, and a bulletin board for announcements.

Melton Research Center for Jewish Education
The Melton Research Center web site features online curricula and other resources.

Torah Umesorah Creative Learning Pavilion
The CLP, or "e-Chinuch.org," features a searchable and browseable database of thousands of copyright-free, educator-created materials in various areas of Jewish studies. The site also includes categorized message boards and a "Chinuch Resource Network" in which educators can create profiles to facilitate networking with one another.

UAHC Education Curriculum Bank
A service of the Department of Jewish Education at the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, this searchable and browsable bank includes curricula, lesson plans, and other resources.

USY Online Program Bank
This bank contains programs designed for the USY (high school age) and Kadima (middle school age) youth groups sponsored by the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

<"60 Ideas to Teach Israel at 60"
IsraelExperts--Initiatives in Education presents "60 Ideas to Teach Israel at 60" in your school. Teachers can view lessons plans for the Israel Puzzle Map and the Declaration of Independence. For more information, email Ingrid Lehrer at Israel Experts.

Center for Online Judaic Studies
The Center for Online Judaic Studies (COJS) is dedicated to the advancement of Judaic studies, biblical studies, and Jewish education via internet technology and digital imaging. It facilitates a growing worldwide network of libraries, museums, and archival collections. COJS is developing an internet portal about Jewish history, a multimedia encyclopedia and database of source materials, and web-based educational tools and interactive curricular modules.

HaMakor
This web site lists traditional Jewish sources addressing various topic areas.

Jewish Community Online
This site includes extensive, categorized Jewish links, the entire Tanakh in English translation, Jewish news, and an "Ask a Rabbi" feature (including archives of previous questions and answers).

Jewishday
This web site, updated several times a day, provides links to Jewish news sources and to articles of Jewish interest from the general press.

Jewish Family & Life!
JFL is "the world's leading publisher of original Jewish content online." Webzines for various constituencies include JewishFamily.com, JVibe.com (for teens), GenerationJ.com (for young adults), InterfaithFamily.com, JewishSports.com, and SocialAction.com. JFL also publishes the journal Sh'ma and the corresponding webzine Shma.com.

JewishJobs.com
JewishJobs.com is the first online Jewish communal resource that provides automated interactive job and employment services to both employers and job seekers within the Jewish communal world. The website provides Jewish communal employers with the ability to advertise open job positions and the option to search the resumes of job seekers. JewishJobs.com provides Jewish communal job seekers with the ability to search, find and apply to jobs and to post resumes online for employers to search and review.

Jewish Student Online Research Center (JSOURCE)
Sponsored by the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise (AICE), JSOURCE is "a cyber encyclopedia that covers past and current issues related to anti-Semitism, the Holocaust, Israel, Judaism, U.S.-Israel relations and Zionism." The site contains a multitude of online readings, a bibliography and bookstore, and a bibliography of web sites.

The Jewish Virtual Library
The Jewish Virtual Library is the most comprehensive online Jewish encyclopedia in the world, containing more than 10,000 articles and 5,000 photographs and maps. Its 13 "wings" are History; Women; The Holocaust; Travel; Israel & the States; Maps; Politics; Biography; Israel; Religion (including the text of the entire Tanakh); Judaic Treasures of the Library of Congress; Vital Statistics; and Reference (including bibliographies of books and websites, a glossary, and a Jewish history timeline). Some of these resources can't be found elsewhere. The Library also features the Virtual Israel Experience, and it is developing a Virtual Jewish History Tour of Jewish communities around the world.

Jewish Women's Archive
The Jewish Women's Archive works "to uncover, chronicle and transmit the rich legacy of Jewish women and their contributions to our families and communities, to our people and our world." The web site includes online readings, links, and other resources.

JewZ.com
This web site features articles, links, and discussion boards on various topics of Jewish interest. "Channels" that may be helpful to Jewish educators include Parenting, Kids, Teens, and Schools.

Kolel.org
The Adult Centre for Jewish Learning is a Toronto-based progressive, pluralistic, egalitarian, centre offering opportunities to study traditional Jewish texts. Kolel's website provides weekly divrei Torah from a liberal egalitarian perspective, an 'ask the rabbi' with archived questions, book reviews, and free online courses on a variety of traditional
texts.

Maven
Maven, "the Jewish portal," features extensive, categorized, annotated links to Jewish and Israeli web sites.

MyJewishLearning.com
MyJewishLearning.com is produced by Hebrew College and Jewish Family & Life! with lead funding by Edgar M. Bronfman and The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. As the central Internet site for learning about Judaism, it is designed to be relevant to adult audiences of diverse backgrounds and learning objectives. It is representative of trans-denominational perspectives that demonstrate the wide range of valid perspectives within Judaism.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The USHMM web site offers a number of resources for teachers and students, including online readings, online exhibitions, and a "learning site" for middle and secondary level students.

Zipple
Zipple features "channels" with Jewish articles and links in various areas, as well as other resources for organizations, businesses, and consumers involved in the Jewish community.

Etta Israel Center
The Etta Israel Center, based in Los Angeles, works to promote Jewish Special Education, provide family support, sponsor teacher training, raise public awareness of learning and developmental differences, and foster the inclusion of individuals with special needs within the Jewish community and the community at large.

JESNA Resources for Special Needs Education
This web site offers links and a guide to print and video resources.

Keshet
Keshet serves Jewish children with developmental disabilities in the Chicago area. The day school program, providing individualized education and specially adapted classes within existing day schools, has achieved a national reputation and has been replicated elsewhere.

P'TACH
P'TACH's ultimate goal is "to encourage and assist every Yeshiva and Day school to meet the needs of its students; to understand that not all children learn the same way; to understand that every school has this need; to facilitate the establishment of a viable program to meet these needs." P'TACH serves thousands of children through model programs, affiliate programs, and chapters across the United States, Canada, and Israel.

Camp Yofi - Family Camp for Jewish Families with Children with Autism
Camp Yofi, the first family camp for Jewish families with children with autism, will be held at Camp Ramah Darom August 23 - 28, 2005. Bringing together Jewish families with children with autism from across North America, Camp Yofi will be a beautiful, fun week of Jewish living and learning in the North Georgia Mountains. Camp Yofi is designed to create a network of Jewish families with children with autism, to provide a meaningful Jewish educational experience for the entire family, and to give families additional Jewish educational support for their children. The program includes experiences for adults, children with autism, siblings, and the entire family. To find out more about Camp Yofi or to apply, please e-mail Susan Tecktiel, Director, at campyofi@ramahdarom.org