ECE 2017 Program by The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

Schedule of the Day 8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Check-In 8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

Welcoming Remarks Framing of the Day: A Pedagogy of Achrayut/Responsibility Presented by Dr. Erica Brown

9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Snack-on-the-Go 9:30 a.m. –1 1:30 a.m.

Session I

11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Lunch & Networking

12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Transition 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Session II

2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Session III/Reflections

4:30 p.m.

L’hitraot (farewell)

*Vendor and Resource Tables will be open from 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Page Directory: Session I............................................................1 – 7 Session II...........................................................8 –15 Session III..........................................................16 – 17 Presenter Biographies.....................................18 – 23

The 2017 Jewish Early Childhood Education Conference provides us with the opportunity to explore the value of Achrayut, our sacred responsibility to offer our children valuable and values-based learning experiences. Our workshops will focus on our responsibility to pedagogy and moral development as well as our responsibility to our relationships with parents, colleagues and our environments. How do we define this awesome responsibility? How do we pass along the Jewish sensitivity towards accepting responsibility—to care, to act, to step up? We, as individuals and as a profession, shoulder a sacred responsibility. How will we transmit this work ethic, this feeling of noble mission, to our young citizens so that it becomes a significant part of their innate sense of self and their vision of the other? The Talmud teaches that, “The world was created for me.” Rather than a statement of self-centeredness, this instills in us a sense of responsibility for caring for the world and informs us of our moral responsibility as caretakers. Achrayut is the value that obliges us to create learning environments which encourage mutual responsibility; encouraging students to go above and beyond in our responsibility to care for one another, for our community, for our world and for ourselves.

“Being human means being conscious and being responsible. By becoming responsible for social change we actualize not only our humanity but also our mission as Jews.” —Viktor Frankl

Achrayut

The Value of Responsibility The sacred covenant, be’rit, between humans and the Creator, requires us to always strive to do the “right thing.” It drives our ethics. As members of a larger community we are required to live a life mindful of the needs of others. Acher, the other, is the root of the term Achrayut.

Achrayut

The Concept of Responsibility The Hebrew word hints at the comprehensive scope of human responsibility. Beginning with Aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and ending with Tav, the final letter, Achrayut not only holds us accountable for our own actions but also calls upon us to be accountable for our families and the wider community. We have an ethical responsibility to care for one another, our community, our world and ourselves.

Achrayut

The Behavior of Responsibility We are obligated to lead by example. As educators in Jewish early childhood programs, we must find ways to transmit the importance of responsible behavior to our children, provoking independence, creativity and resilience. Judaism requires that we look for needs and then act. The discipline of practicing the mitzvot (required acts) of tzedakah (righteous giving) and gemilut chasadim (deeds of loving kindness), leads us to a sense of responsibility as a way of life. We hope you will be inspired today to become changemakers; to become mindful of our higher sense of responsibility to ourselves and others as educators and nurturers of young children. It is what we do for others that transforms us into a righteous community. Rabbi Tarfun teaches us in Pirkei Avot 2:21: “It is not your responsibility to finish the work of perfecting the world, neither are you free to desist from it.”

Framing of the Day

A Pedagogy of Achrayut/Responsibility Presented by Dr. Erica Brown

We are not born alone. We cannot be Jewish alone. The universe of mitzvot (good deeds) obligates us to build healthy communities of respect and civic responsibility to each other. In chapter 19 of Leviticus, we are instructed to love our neighbors. But love is not always enough. In the same chapter, we are also given a list of responsibilities to the other. We are not allowed to steal, deal falsely, lie to one another, oppress a neighbor, deny wages to an employee, curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind. We are not allowed to be partial in the courtroom and are asked to judge each other with righteousness. We are reminded not to slander, not to hate another in our hearts and to stand up for another whose life is in danger. Our lives are guided by the responsibility of self to other. The philosopher Martin Buber reminds us that this responsibility emerges from a way of viewing humanity. We are not here to relate to each other in an I-It, transactional way that suggests that we use or even exploit each other in service of our own needs. “When I confront a human being as my Thou and speak the basic word I-Thou to him, then he is no thing among things, nor does he consist of things. He is no longer He or She, a dot in the world grid of space and time, nor a condition to be experienced and described, a loose bundle of named qualities. Neighborless and seamless, he is Thou and fills the firmament. Not as if there were nothing but he; but everything else lives in his light.” No. We cannot fill the firmament alone. We are profoundly responsible for each other, as we read in the Talmud: “Anyone who has the capability to protest the wrongdoings of his household and does not protest, he himself is liable for the sins of the members of his household. If he could have protested the sins of the people of his town but did not, he is held liable for the sins of the people of his town. If he is in a position to protest the sins of the whole world and does not do so, he is liable for the sins of the whole world,” [BT Shabbat 54b].

Failure to accept responsibility makes us diminished as human beings. Bruno Bettelheim, in his book Informed Heart, writes, “Blaming others or outside conditions for one’s own misbehavior may be the child’s privilege; if an adult denies responsibility for his actions, it is another step towards personal disintegration.” To be whole is to be accountable. As educators, we feel exceptionally strong bonds of service to others and to the building of communities in our classrooms. We want our students, no matter what age, to be responsible not only for their learning, but for themselves and the way their learning impacts the way they treat each other, helping them blossom into caring, empathic and concerned children, beautiful Jews and citizens of the world. When we can accomplish these noble goals as teachers, we are filled with the spirit that Buber describes: “When two people relate to each other authentically and humanly, God is the electricity that surges between them.”

Dr. Erica Brown Dr. Erica Brown is an associate professor at George Washington University and the director of its Mayberg Center for Jewish Education and Leadership. She is the author of eleven books; her forthcoming book is entitled Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet (Koren/OU, 2017). She previously served as the scholarin-residence at both The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston. Erica was a Jerusalem Fellow, is a faculty member of the Wexner Foundation, an Avi Chai Fellow, winner of the Ted Farber Professional Excellence Award and is the recipient of the 2009 Covenant Award for her work in education and the 2012 Bernie Reisman Award (Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program, Brandeis University). Erica has degrees from Yeshiva University, University of London, Harvard University and Baltimore Hebrew University. You can subscribe to her blog, Weekly Jewish Wisdom, at ericabrown.com.

Session I

9:30 a.m. –11:30 a.m.

Curriculum

There is debate among scholars whether this word is derived from the Hebrew root achar, which means after, or acher, which means other. We know that the consequence of our educational philosophy and the relationships we build with children and their families is paramount. Do we manifest our toiling in the area of responsibility for “after” they leave us and become citizens of the world? Is it about making a thoughtful and moral commitment to the “other” in our intentional actions toward their needs and concerns? Or is it both? What does that means for us as educators in a Jewish setting? As always, the balance between our understanding of personal responsibility in the world and our role as educators can cause a state of disequilibrium. Together, we will explore which tools to employ in this unsettled state for use as a fulcrum to actualize our mission as Jewish educators. We will puzzle over the famous quote by Mahatma Ghandi, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world,” to see how it can inform our practice.

Session I

1. Achrayut: After, Other or Both?

Mark Horowitz Mark Horowitz is Vice President, Director, of the Sheva Center for Innovation in Early Childhood Jewish Education & Engagement. Mark’s roots and first love are in two-year-old classrooms where he thrived as a teacher for many years. He was the founding Executive Director of the Jewish Early Childhood Education Initiative (JECEI). Mark holds a Master’s Degree in Education from SUNY at Buffalo and received ordination and an Honorary Doctorate from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He served as the Executive Director of the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Buffalo, New York; the Director of Education and Early Childhood at Temple Beth Am in Williamsville, NY; Assistant Professor of Religion and Fine Arts at Canisius College in Buffalo; and as Supervisor of Student Teachers and Teacher of Sociology of Education and Field Experience, also at SUNY at Buffalo. He is the Educational Consultant to the New York International Piano Competition and was awarded honorable mention at the 2002 Van Cliburn Foundation’s International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs in Fort Worth, Texas.

Session I

2. Growing Responsible Children Presenter: Dr. Kay Abrams

Professionalism, Child Development

The purpose of teaching is largely about guiding maturation and taking on responsibilities. It begins in early childhood. This, in turn, grows motivation and confidence and cultivates a sense of mastery.

• How to direct behavior from the inside-out

• Holding up the mirror so it’s about a child’s choice

• Learning from (not fearing) natural consequences

• Building internal trust and self reliance

• Accepting that mistakes are

essential for better self-development

3. W hat is the “Triangle” of Infant/Toddler Care and Who is Responsible for Ensuring It Succeeds? Presenter: Mary Lou Allen

Curriculum, Child Development

To whom are we responsible when we offer infant/toddler care in our Jewish settings? How do we make sure that each point of the triangle of care is heard and considered when we make decisions for our most vulnerable population? Do you currently offer care for infants and toddlers (ages 0 – 3)? If you currently offer programs for this age group, how do you provide quality care? Join the conversation about what our responsibilities are to these youngest students and how our programs can do justice to their needs.

4. I t’s Not More Work, It IS the Work: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Role and Responsibility of a Teacher Presenter: Jennifer Azzariti

Curriculum, Professionalism

This workshop looks at the role and responsibility of a teacher/atelierista through Jennifer’s personal story of preparing for the 25th Lesley Reggio Institute. From concept and title, to selection and preparation of materials, presentation of and reflection on the experience, Jennifer finds parallels between this experience and our daily lives in the classroom as teachers. Small group discussions will contribute to our workshop.

Presenters: Alexandra Band & Darci Lewis

Professionalism

Curious about how the Pedagogista/ Teacher relationship influences and informs the life of a school and the work of individual teachers and classrooms? Through a panel presentation, participants will gain an intimate look at how Pedagogistas and Teachers who work together collaborate on project work, both completed and on-going. This session will highlight the importance of collegiality and collaboration and the shared responsibility of partnership and learning between Pedagogista and Teacher. The panel will be comprised of Pedagogistas and Teachers from a variety of schools in our community, illustrating how models vary depending upon the individual school. Additionally, actual project work will be shared, demonstrating how the project was influenced and developed due to the collegial collaboration of the Pedagogista and Teacher.

Session I

5. U nderstanding the Varied Relationships Between Pedagogistas and Teachers— How Shared Responsibility and Collaboration Inspire Meaningful Practice

6. C uriosity and the Growth Mindset* Presenter: Dr. Erica Brown

Professionalism

In this workshop, we will use researcher Carol Dweck’s pathbreaking work in Mindset: The New Psychology of Success to examine the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset and its implications for ourselves, for the children we are growing and for the work approach we use with colleagues, especially in a supervisory setting. We will also discuss a number of theories in adult education to assess how as teachers, we are also learners, mindful of nourishing the instinct of curiosity and leaving ourselves open to fresh insights and innovation, while heightening our responsibility to understand and work with those whose mindsets may not match our own. * Please note: This session is for Directors and Assistant Directors only.

“You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for his own improvement and, at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful.” —Marie Curie

Session I

7. Our Responsibility: Partnering with Toddlers and Twos Presenter: Brenda Coggins

Curriculum, Child Development

Building relationships is at the heart of learning experiences, but how do we slow down the pace in a busy room of toddlers to build those deep connections with individual children? This session will briefly introduce educators to the RIE Approach, Resources for Infant Educators, founded by Magda Gerber. RIE principles will form a basis for examining our own caregiving practices, such as diapering, as opportunities to foster deep connections and partner with young children. The RIE approach is also a useful lens for strengthening Reggioinspired practices in the classroom, both approaches being deeply rooted in respect for young children as competent from birth. It is our responsibility as educators to make each moment that we spend with children count, to “unbusy” ourselves to be fully present and to construct an environment where daily routines and interactions provide a platform for building strong partnering relationships with children.

8. O ur Responsibility to Cultivate Young Children’s Spiritual Lives: Enhancing Their Sense of Wonder and Curiosity Presenter: Dr. Howard Deitcher

Curriculum

Young children encounter spirituality on a regular basis and express a sense of curiosity and wonderment about the mysteries of the beyond, the transcendent and the divine. This session will explore young children’s spiritual queries and how they comprehend, wrestle with, and ultimately make sense of these critical issues that shape and impact their lives. We will analyze young children’s conversations about spirituality, review several thoughtful children’s books, and view video clips that generate a variety of spiritual questions that children raise. We will then share several exercises that can be used with young children to stir their imagination and thereby provide educators with rich opportunities to engage their children in discussions about spiritual issues that their children confront on a daily basis.

In this session, participants will have the opportunity to reflect upon the unique challenges of the toddler and twos classroom and learn strategies to enrich our experiences with this wonderful age group.

“The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other. Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives.” —Robert John Meehan

Presenter: Jake Ifshin

Curriculum

Nature can be one of the main venues to share values and create developmentally appropriate, inspiring experiences for children. Jake Ifshin will present how to deepen the connection to nature in your school or class. We will work on practical and innovative methods that he has personally developed to explore nature with children. Examples of the techniques and practices we will touch upon include garden design, growing indoor gardens, composting, nature walks, plant identification and integrating music and art in the garden. Jake will conclude by leading a discussion about how we can take nature beyond an activity and make it a rich daily practice that supports our goal of teaching responsibility and stewardship of the earth.

10. “I Didn’t Do It”: Creating the Conditions for an Honest Classroom Environment with the Tools that are Foundational for Learning Responsibility

Session I

9. A n Expanded Relationship with Nature: The Path to Develop Ecological Responsibility in the Classroom

Presenters: Ellen Levin & Michal Berkson

Professionalism, Child Development

It is very common for preschoolers to tell a fib when caught doing something they shouldn’t be doing. Why do they do this? How should teachers respond? It worries us when children lie. We are conditioned to think that lying is fundamentally wrong and we wonder if it is a one-time transgression or something more. Parents and teachers should teach not to lie, yet the truth is that fibbing is normal and a sign of healthy development. And yes, there are things teachers can do to foster honesty in their preschoolers. This workshop will discuss the importance of teaching honesty in a preschool environment. It may seem that toddlers and preschoolers are unaware of the complex concept of honesty. Yet, they get it in their own concrete way. And it’s never too early to teach and model this value. We will focus on setting up the classroom with values, as well as what it means to be a friend to others. We will talk about the social-emotional foundational skills necessary for learning responsibility and how to get this message across to preschoolers.

Session I

11. Our Responsibility Toward Making Israel Real Presenter: Tzachi Levy

Curriculum

Israel education has always been a part of our schools’ agendas and curricula. It is time, not to take this as a given, but to ask ourselves: do we feel a responsibility to engage with Israel as part of our Jewish identity? In this session, we will explore the relationship between Israeli and Diaspora Jews throughout the landscape of 100 years of Zionism. A review of the various forms of Zionism — religious, political and cultural — will help us appreciate the different relationships in which one can engage with Israel. What have been some of the changes in the IsraelDiaspora relationship over the decades and how has the relationship and sense of mutual responsibility been affected? A bit more practically…How may we fulfill this Achrayut/Responsibility for educating towards Israel in our classrooms? What is the difference between instilling a sense of Achrayut/ Responsibility for something like a State and its people and simply feeling a sense of Areyvut/Relationship with Israel? How are these terms related to Me’oravut (active involvement)? Can we aspire to nurture in ourselves and in our students a Hitchayvut (obligation) to be in an active relationship with Israel and with Israelis? We will explore different theories of Israel engagement that will guide our conversation about RESPONSIBILITY and help us as teachers access different tools of engagement in our classrooms.

12. Inclusion of Children with Special Needs and Their Families: What is Our Responsibility? Presenters: Meredith Polsky & Stephanie Slater

Special Needs

As teachers, we find ourselves in many roles and with multiple responsibilities: educators, counselors, managers and leaders. These roles change from dayto-day and from hour-to-hour, depending upon with whom we are interacting. Often, we can seamlessly shift from educator to manager or manager to counselor throughout our days. However, sometimes the needs of a student or family go beyond what we expect in any of these roles. Such challenges can impact the class, the team dynamics and the relationships within the preschool community. Our typical roles are challenged, and we must consider unexpected responsibilities. This workshop will help you understand best practices for meeting the needs of all children in your class, whether they are developing typically or have special needs. It will give you the tools to better recognize both typical and atypical development and provide you with ways to assess and support complicated situations. Furthermore, it will provide you with ways to collaborate with parents effectively, creating a foundation on which to build future success.

Presenter: Avi West

Community, Curriculum

We stand upon the shoulders of generations of Jewish individuals who observed a situation, analyzed what was needed to make it better and then acted. The ideal of Achrayut, a life of responsibility, is the subtext of countless biblical, rabbinic and modern stories and biographies. In this session, we will read and discuss texts that should be a part of every family’s reading list. We will look at anecdotes from Abraham and Sarah (hospitality) to Mordechai and Esther (identity and security), to Ben and Jerry (ethical business practices)—and to living examples of responsibility in our world today. Some stepped up their responsible behavior through acts of tzedakah (charity), some through deeds of loving-kindness to strangers and others through courageous defense of social justice. Indeed, the idea of feeling the personal obligation to be sensitive to the opportunity mitzvot (required acts) give us to refine our behavior is a way to keep our “responsibility muscles” trained and ready for the real world. Repeating the stories of exemplars of achrayut will help nurture the RESPONSE ABILITY in our students.

14. Haba’al Shem-Tov: “When You Hold a Part of the Essence, You Hold All of It” Our Responsibility to Understanding and Being Responsive to Children

Session I

13. Getting to Hineni—Stories that Nurture the Skill of RESPONSE ABILITY in Our Families

Presenter: Dr. Naama Zoran

Curriculum

In their first interaction with their mother right after birth, newborns are active participants, as are their mothers. They bring to the interaction the higher level of presence, as she does, and that is what makes the first connection in life the profound symbol for all later relations. Our presentation will focus on the question of how we can sustain the two elements of being active and being present when we are creating our relationships as educators with the children we are living with. Usually, out of the basic four “W” questions of education; What, When, Why and Who, the most frequent one is the WHAT, and the least asked is the WHO. Although the WHO is the key for all the other three, we prefer to deal with all the rest first. Our session suggests that our major responsibility is to strengthen the teacher and to enlarge his or her toolbox. In our session, we will bring different examples from our experiences as early childhood educators. We will analyze them and reflect on them from different points of view—especially from the place of the INNER VOICE of the teacher; the voice that speaks with us while the interaction is going on; and the voice who sends us signals about our emotional and cognitive thoughts and feelings while we are interacting with the child or the group. We will get acquainted with the concept of subjective and inter-subjective meaning making—a very important tool in our responsibility to create authentic meetings with children.

Session II

12:30 p.m. –2:30 p.m.

Session II

Curriculum

Session II

A. Achrayut: After, Other or Both?

Session II

B. W hat is the “Triangle” of Infant Toddler Care and Who is Responsible for Ensuring It Succeeds? Presenter: Mary Lou Allen

Curriculum, Child Development

C. It’s Not More Work, It IS the Work: A Behind-theScenes Look at the Role and Responsibility of a Teacher Presenter: Jennifer Azzariti

Curriculum, Professionalism

D. Why Be Jewish? Presenter: Dr. Erica Brown

Professionalism, Community

How would you describe your Jewish identity or the Jewish identity of your school or work environment, even if you are not Jewish? This workshop offers an interactive opportunity to think outloud about the affective, behavioral and cognitive aspects of Jewish identity and how you bring or withhold them in your work. How responsible are we as teachers and administrators for creating a culture of Jewish values? We will also use the distinction of thin and thick identities in reviewing the identity statements of many scholars and writers as a way to hold up a mirror for articulating our own thoughts about why we work where we do.

Presenter: Brenda Coggins

Curriculum, Child Development

Session II

F. O ur Responsibility to Cultivate Young Children’s Spiritual Lives: Exploring the Power of Jewish Rituals and Celebration

Session II

E. Our Responsibility: Partnering with Toddlers and Twos

Presenter: Dr. Howard Deitcher

Curriculum

In the course of their spiritual journeys, young children encounter a number of challenges that trigger a host of diverse, meaningful and complex questions. This session will explore how certain rituals and celebrations in the Jewish calendar provide outstanding opportunities for young children to investigate various spiritual issues that they wrestle with in their daily routine. More specifically, we will examine how the rituals of celebrating the new Jewish month (Rosh Chodesh) and the ceremony of concluding the Shabbat (Havdalah) invite children to enter into a spiritual journey that builds on their extraordinary imagination and actively involves them in pursuing meaningful issues in their lives.

“Out of responsibility comes possibility.” —Lisa Villa Prosen

Session II

G. A n Expanded Relationship with Nature: The Path to Develop Ecological Responsibility in the Classroom Presenter: Jake Ifshin

Curriculum

“The most important function of education at any level is to develop the personality of the individual and the significance of his life to himself and to others.” —Grayson Kirk

H. Planting the Seeds of Community—It’s Our Responsibility Presenters: Dr. Melissa Lebowitz & Jody Levey Curriculum, Community

We are here to tell the story of our commitment to the community and to the world. Beth Tfiloh School and the Atrium Village worked closely with Jake Ifshin from Everybody Grows to create a bond between our preschool students and the residents from The Atrium Village—a senior living facility. The program spanned the year and involved one class of four-year-old children who had several visits with the residents both at our school and at their facility. The bonds were memorable and meaningful. We will share the story of how it all happened!

I. Y ou Belong Here…Fulfilling Our Responsibility to Gender Variant Children Presenter: Rabbi Sarah Meytin

Professionalism

In this session, participants will learn about gender and gender expression. Participants will be provided concrete tools and suggestions for meeting their responsibility to make their early childhood programs safe and welcoming for all children, regardless of a child’s gender identity or expression.

Presenters: Meredith Polsky & Stephanie Slater

Special Needs

As teachers, we find ourselves in many roles and with multiple responsibilities: educators, counselors, managers and leaders. These roles change from day-to-day and from hour-tohour, depending with whom we are interacting. Often, we can seamlessly shift from educator to manager or manager to counselor throughout our days. However, sometimes the needs of a student or family go beyond what we expect in any of these roles. Such challenges can impact the class, the team dynamics and the relationships within the preschool community. Our typical roles are challenged, and we have to consider unexpected responsibilities. This workshop will help you understand best practices for meeting the needs of all children in your class, whether they are developing typically or have special needs. It will give you the tools to better recognize both typical and atypical development and provide you with ways to assess and support complicated situations. Furthermore, it will provide you with ways to collaborate with parents effectively, creating a foundation on which to build future success.

Session II

K. O ur Responsibility to Families on Their Jewish Journey

Session II

J. I nclusion of Children with Special Needs and Their Families: What is Our Responsibility?

Presenter: Sarah Rabin Spira

Curriculum, Community

When we welcome children into our classrooms, we are welcoming the whole family. When we educate the child, we are educating the family. When we share Jewish values with our students, we are sharing them with their families. But how do we do that? How do we help parents extend to home the work that we are doing in the classrooms—the education about Jewish values, holidays, history and culture? In our schools, we have parents who may not have been raised Jewish or who may not easily be able to translate and transmit their Jewish experiences to their children. It is our responsibility to educate the whole family. This workshop will present hands-on, detailed and easy ways to educate the parents as well as the children. We will give you tools— including many from PJ Library® —to enable and empower the parents to take the lessons from your schools into their homes. Together, we can be partners on the family’s Jewish journey.

Session II

L. Getting to Hineni—Stories that Nurture the Skill of RESPONSE ABILITY in Our Families Presenter: Avi West

Curriculum, Community

We stand upon the shoulders of generations of Jewish individuals who observed a situation, analyzed what was needed to make it better and then acted. The ideal of Achrayut, a life of responsibility, is the subtext of countless biblical, rabbinic and modern stories and biographies. In this session, we will read and discuss texts that should be a part of every family’s reading list. We will look at anecdotes from Abraham and Sarah (hospitality) to Mordechai and Esther (identity and security), to Ben and Jerry (ethical business practices)—and to living examples of responsibility in our world today. Some stepped up their responsible behavior through acts of tzedakah (charity), some through deeds of loving-kindness to strangers and others through courageous defense of social justice. Indeed, the idea of feeling the personal obligation to be sensitive to the opportunity mitzvot (good deeds) give us to refine our behavior is a way to keep our “responsibility muscles” trained and ready for the real world. Repeating the stories of exemplars of achrayut will help nurture the RESPONSE ABILITY in our students.

“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices that we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

Session II

M. Elevating Jewish Life and Content in Our Classrooms is Our Main Curricular Responsibility Presenter: Dr. Naama Zoran

Curriculum

Although curriculum is one of the core elements of every educational setting, it has many different definitions. For our conference, we will define curriculum as a landscape of culture, heritage, contemporary and multilayered themes, experiences and ideas. Nourishing and taking care of the growth of that landscape is the school’s responsibility. Curriculum is a representation of the school’s identity and is the blueprint for giving children all that the school deems most important. A school’s identity is comprised of different elements. One core part of that landscape for a school’s community is the area of Jewish values, content and experiences. This is an area that even with the best of intentions is often not achieved at the deepest level. Our presentation is hands-on, practical, interactive and connects directly to the school’s daily life. We will focus on how to work on Jewish content, how to develop research and ideas, how to present abstract concepts in tangible ways and how to use Jewish resources as our tools in the classroom. Our goal will be to extend the work we do in our classrooms as the basis of an on-going dialogue with children and families. Creating shared language and understanding will enable us to bring the Jewish life of the schools to a higher and deeper visibility.

Session III

2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Session III

There are many aspects to consider when we think about the role of the teacher in the early childhood setting. In this session, we will discuss and share our new understandings of this complex topic. We will review the changing role that classroom teachers play as they interact with children to enhance their growth and development in all domains. We will consider how pedagogy and curriculum can help us support and strengthen these vital skills, and we will strengthen our knowledge of the current research supporting the teacher’s role. You will have the opportunity to discuss and share your ideas of how to enrich our skills and to think reflectively about where you are on your journey and what your next steps of professional development will be. Time will be set aside for each participant to develop a personal growth plan.

Session II

Moving Forward—Growing and Developing Your Practice Curriculum, Professionalism

“When, indeed, shall we learn that we are all related one to the other, that we are all members of one body? Until the spirit of love for our fellow men, regardless of race, color or creed, shall fill the world, making real in our lives and our deeds the actuality of human brotherhood—until the great mass of the people shall be filled with the sense of responsibility for each other’s welfare, social justice can never be attained.” —Helen Keller

Presenter Biographies

Mary Lou Allen Mary Lou Allen is an experienced Jewish early childhood educator. She views Jewish early childhood experiences as the gateway for families to become engaged in and committed to Jewish life. She is currently working as an independent early childhood consultant, with specific attention to infants and toddlers. For seven years, Mary Lou has been an infant/ toddler specialist for New Jersey First Steps, a state-wide initiative to improve the quality of licensed infant/toddler child care centers using ITERS (Infant Toddler Environmental Rating Scale), intentional technical assistance and professional development. She is a certified PITC (Programs for Infant Toddler Caregivers) trainer. Ms. Allen’s clients include early childhood schools and agencies from Las Vegas, Detroit, New York, Baltimore and New Jersey. Her career has spanned various early childhood settings including director of a hospital sponsored childcare center, principal for early child hood at a day school and infant/ toddler director at a YMHA. Previous to working as an independent early childhood consultant, Mary Lou was the national director for early childhood education at CAJE (Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education).

Presenter Biographies

Jennifer Azzariti Jennifer Azzariti is an atelierista and pedagogista working both locally and nationally with schools inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy. She is recognized as the first Studio Teacher in the United States at the Model Early Learning Center, and has worked closely with educators from Reggio Emilia here and in Italy for over twenty years. Jennifer has worked in longterm consulting relationships with St. John’s Preschool, DC Public Schools, the Lourie Center, as well as programs across the country focusing particularly on the potential of the role of materials as languages for learning and expression. Jennifer is a North American Reggio Emilia Alliance (NAREA) board member, and the founder of DC Reggio Emilia Alliance, a study group for educators in the Washington, DC metro area. She is a contributor to The Hundred Languages of Children, 2nd Edition, In the Spirit of the Studio and Innovations.

Session II

Dr. Kay Abrams Dr. Kay Abrams is a psychologist in private practice and the parent of three young adults. She brings to us twenty plus years of experience working with children, adolescents and families. In addition to providing individual and family therapy, her group practice, Abrams & Associates, Center for Family Psychotherapy, in Kensington and Rockville, offers psychoeducational testing, social and behavioral assessments, play therapy, teen girls groups, social skills groups and parent consultation. Dr. Abrams works to bring psychology to the community through her public speaking, media work and her writing. She is the author of the “Parenting with Confidence” column in the Washington Parent Magazine. You can access many of her articles and podcasts on her website, abramsandassociates.com.

Alex Band Alex Band is the Pedagogista at the Edlavitch DCJCC Preschool in Washington, DC. She has held a variety of roles at the school including classroom teacher, Judaics Specialist, Assistant Director and Preschool Director. Alex has participated in several national early childhood conferences and in two Jewish Early Childhood Seminars in Reggio Emilia with The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. She believes that our work as educators is to help children reach their fullest potential. As Loris Malaguzzi said, “Our task, regarding creativity, is to help children climb their own mountain. No one can do more.”

Michal Berkson Michal Berkson, LCSW, LICSW is also a synagogue liaison with JSSA, providing consultation services to preschools throughout Northern Virginia and DC. Ms. Berkson has worked as a clinician at JSSA since 2010, specializing in early childhood mental health and in services to people with developmental disabilities and their families. Prior to joining JSSA, Ms. Berkson worked as a school based therapist in a variety of general and special education settings. Ms. Berkson received her Master’s Degree from the University of Chicago with a focus on school social work.

Presenter Biographies

Erica Brown

Howie Deitcher

Dr. Erica Brown is an associate professor at George Washington University and the director of its Mayberg Center for Jewish Education and Leadership. She is the author of eleven books; her forthcoming book is entitled Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet (Koren/OU, 2017). She previously served as the scholar-in-residence at both The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston. Erica was a Jerusalem Fellow, is a faculty member of the Wexner Foundation, an Avi Chai Fellow, winner of the Ted Farber Professional Excellence Award and is the recipient of the 2009 Covenant Award for her work in education and the 2012 Bernie Reisman Award (Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program, Brandeis University). Erica has degrees from Yeshiva University, University of London, Harvard University and Baltimore Hebrew University. You can subscribe to her blog, Weekly Jewish Wisdom, at ericabrown.com.

Rabbi Dr. Howard Deitcher is a faculty member of The Hebrew University’s Melton Centre for Jewish Education and its former Director. He is the Educational Director of the University’s Revivim Program, which trains outstanding students to teach Jewish Studies in Israeli national (secular) schools. Deitcher is the current Director of the Florence Melton Institute at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He also serves as the academic adviser for the Legacy Heritage Fund Institute for Jewish Studies Teachers at the Hebrew University. He has published numerous articles, co-edited four books, and is a member of the Israeli Ministry of Education’s Committee on Bible Education. His current areas of research include: Philosophical and Theological Questions in Bible Education as well as The Philosophical World of Young Children. He is directing educational projects in six countries and is a member of a team that recently received a grant from the Covenant Foundation to produce a Bible Education program integrating a Philosophy for Children Approach for Jewish Schools in the U.S.

Brenda Coggins Brenda Coggins is Director of Education for the Young School, a Maryland-based preschool with five locations designed for infants through Pre-K children. She developed their state-approved curriculum for three-and four-year-olds that has been implemented successfully in a Reggioinspired setting. Brenda’s passion for fulfilling the potential of young children and the teachers of young children drives her work to elevate quality in classrooms of all ages. She has a Master’s Degree in education from the University of California at Berkeley and more than 25 years of experience in early childhood education as teacher, curriculum specialist, administrator, trainer and learner. Brenda is a current member of the DC Reggio Emilia Alliance steering committee, a study group for educators inspired by the Reggio approach, that continues to deepen and enrich her work.

Melissa Lebowitz Dr. Melissa Lebowitz has been the Director at Beth Tfiloh Preschool for seven years. Prior to Beth Tfiloh, she worked for the CJE (Center for Jewish Education) in Baltimore doing community outreach and kicking off PJ Library ® in Baltimore. Melissa has a degree in Speech and Language Pathology and Audiology and a Masters in Early Childhood Education. She began her career as a speech therapist in Bayonne, New Jersey, and then moved to Baltimore to become an early childhood special educator for the Gateway School in Baltimore City and subsequently for the Howard County Infants and Toddlers program. Melissa is committed to the idea that all children deserve a joyous educational experience where their minds and souls are engaged in their learning experiences. Melissa is honored to be presenting to the DC community and is looking forward to learning and growing.

Ellen Levin Ellen Levin, LCSW-C, LICSW is a clinical social worker licensed in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania. She has an MSW from the University of Maryland with an emphasis on children and families. Ellen has extensive experience working with children of all ages. As a synagogue liaison for JSSA, she provides consultations, support, resources and referrals to members, staff and clergy at several local congregations. Prior to joining JSSA, Ellen worked as an early childhood educator in a Jewish preschool and for the Montgomery County Infants and Toddlers Program.

Presenter Biographies

Jody Levey Jody Levey began working at the Beth Tfiloh Preschool 22 years ago. Over the years, she has guided and supported the needs of the three, four and five year old students. She received the Early Childhood Teacher Excellence Award in 2006. While working at Beth Tfiloh, Jody has dedicated herself to providing a safe and inspirational environment in her classroom and school.

Session II

Jake Ifshin Jake Ifshin is a community organizer, green entrepreneur and educator based in Silver Spring, Maryland. After being deeply inspired through leading his first garden program at Temple Emanuel’s Early Childhood Center, Jake decided to make a full-time commitment to sharing the joy of growing food and exploring nature. One of his specialties is making horticulture accessible to the youngest and oldest members of our society through innovative techniques and adaptive intergenerational programs. He brings his passions for nature, music and creativity to each of his projects. Jake is the executive director of Everybody Grows, a non-profit that equips and inspires people in the Washington, DC area to grow their own food. He is also the proprietor of Ifshin Gardens, a business with the mission of connecting communities to nature through gardening, wilderness and regenerative programs that has partnered with companies such as Discovery Communications and Senior Lifestyle Corporation. Jake has a BA and MA from St. John’s College, where he studied philosophy, ancient languages and the history of science. As a musician, he has performed and directed ensembles based in Washington, DC and New Mexico. He has pursued many learning opportunities in his field, including a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) at the Center for Creative Ecology at Kibbutz Lotan and a certification as a DC Urban Master Composter.

Tzachi Levy Tzachi Levy is in his first year as The Jewish Agency Senior Shaliach (Israeli emissary) to The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. Most recently, he served as Director for The Jewish Agency’s Shinshinim Shlichut Program. Tzachi has a B.A. from Beit Berl College in Informal Education and History, and a M.A. in Public Administration from Sapir College. Prior shlichut opportunities have allowed Tzachi to serve as an emissary to Pittsburgh, PA and to South Africa. As a 13th-generation Israeli, Tzachi’s strong family roots and Zionist youth movement education serve as his motivation and energy for working at Federation and in the Jewish world.

Presenter Biographies

Darci Lewis

Meredith Polsky

Darci Lewis has had a wide array of experiences within the field of Jewish Early Childhood Education. She holds degrees from Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary, having earned an M.A. in Jewish Communal Education. Darci lived in Seattle, Washington, where she served as the Assistant Director and then Director of the Stroum JCC Early Childhood School. Darci enjoys vegetarian cooking, hiking, yoga, traveling and spending time with friends and family. Darci is passionate about progressive, reflective, values-based early childhood education. She has traveled to Reggio Emilia, Italy several times, attending Study Institutes and visiting the schools. She believes all children deserve to be treated as competent, capable, creative, inspirational, curious individuals. Darci feels fortunate to have the opportunity to work within the Greater DC Jewish Early Childhood community — with teachers, children, and parents. Currently, Darci is the Assistant Director and Curriculum Specialist for the Gan HaYeled at Adas Israel. She also consults within the community, having served as a Curriculum Specialist, Art Studio Specialist and Professional Development Trainer.

Meredith Englander Polsky co-founded Matan in 2000 and has served as Matan’s Director of Training and Advocacy since 2009. In this role, Meredith designs and implements The Matan Institutes, Matan’s national flagship training programs, serving Congregational School educators and directors, Jewish Early Childhood Educators and other cohorts of Jewish professionals. In 2001, Meredith was awarded a fellowship by Joshua Venture Group as part of their inaugural cohort. She has published articles in various print and online publications, including The Washington Jewish Week, PresenTense, Kveller and The New Normal. Meredith is a 2017 Covenant Award recipient. Meredith holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan, a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Bank Street College, a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from Columbia University and a graduate certificate in Early Intervention from Georgetown University. Meredith lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband and three children.

Sarah Meytin Rabbi Sarah Meytin is an ordained rabbi with an MSW. She has significant experience with program development and oversight, community engagement and non-profit administration. She has 10-plus years of teaching experience, including formal classroom education, workshops, and educational program facilitation for children and adults of all ages. Sarah has been in early childhood education since 2009, has completed the 90-Hour Course in Early Childhood Education and earned a National Director’s Credential from the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership. She is also an alumna of the Jewish Early Childhood Leadership Institute (JECELI). Rabbi Meytin is currently the Director of Early Childhood Education at B’nai Shalom of Olney, in Olney, MD.

Sarah Rabin Spira Sarah Rabin Spira runs PJ Library ® in Greater Washington in partnership with The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. Sarah works with over three dozen community partners to offer more than 300 events each year to 5,800 families with children age eight and under. She also implements PJ Our Way ®, the newest chapter of PJ Library ®, which offers books and unique programs to children 8½ – 11 years old. In addition, she oversees the local PJ Goes to School program, which has 18 DC-area Jewish preschools participating. Sarah has been working in Jewish education for over 14 years and worked in public relations, planning, organizing and outreach before that. She loves using her marketing, programming and education background to engage and connect local Jewish and interfaith families. Sarah studied children’s literature at the University of Florida and also has a Master’s Degree from George Washington University. She lives in Washington, DC.

Naama Zoran Dr. Naama Zoran is a Developmental Psychologist, with a PH.D in Education. Naama is a field person. Her belief is that it is most important for educators, directors and other field workers to have tools for reading children and understanding the messages that are sent to us via different behaviors. Naama is an educational systems consultant, and her unique approach is focused on working on teachers’ pedagogical awareness level; i.e., the awareness to be able to meet children in the deepest way, with the ability to understand the personal places the teacher herself is coming from. Naama presents frequently in different settings, conferences and workshops, in Israel and in the USA. Since 1997, Naama has dedicated her life to the learning and the understanding of the Reggio Emilia approach. Since 2009, she is the formal representative appointed by Reggio Children for the State of Israel. She has learned Italian in order to be current with all the Italian publications. The values-based vision of the Reggio approach connects beautifully with values-based Jewish thinking and educational understanding, and Naama works on deepening the Judaic educational level in the schools. Naama has broad knowledge in child psychology, adult psychology and learning as well as different and updated approaches to learning and development. She brings all of the above in an integrated way to her teaching.

Avi West Avi West is Federation’s Senior Education Officer and Master Teacher. Avi integrates accessible and inclusive Judaic content into instructional and identity-building experiences for learners of all ages. As a specialist, he is the coordinator of ROUTES, Federation’s annual community-wide day of adult study and works to make a more robust framework for adult Jewish learning in Greater Washington. Avi consults with educational leadership and offers professional development workshops for educators and Jewish life presentations for parents. Among his teachers and influencers are his six grandchildren in Israel and Gaithersburg.

Presenter Biographies

Stephanie Slater Stephanie Slater has worked in Early Childhood Special Education for 25 years. She has a Master’s Degree in Social Work and has done post-graduate work in psychoanalytic psychotherapy with children and adolescents. Stephanie completed a Graduate Certificate Program in Early Intervention at Georgetown University — School of Continuing Education in 2014. She has worked in DC-area community preschools for 12 years and is currently the full-time Developmental Support Coordinator at Gan HaYeled Nursery School at Adas Israel Congregation. This will be Stephanie’s fourth year educating us at the Early Childhood Educators Conference. Stephanie is also a certified children’s yoga teacher and founded Paper Crane Yoga in 2012. She lives in Bethesda with her husband and two daughters, ages 15 & 11. Stephanie is committed to advocating a preschool environment where all children can develop and thrive.

“Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment, and learn again to exercise his will — h is personal responsibility.” —Albert Einstein

Thank You

to our wonderful Jewish Early Childhood Education Conference leadership CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS: Madeline Lowitz Gold

Director, Temple Emanuel Early Childhood Center

Melissa Williamson

Atelierista, Temple Emanuel Early Childhood Center

CO-CHAIRS OF THE ECE DIRECTORS COUNCIL: DJ Schneider Jensen Head of Schools, Early Childhood Education, Washington Hebrew Congregation

Joanie Smeltz

Director, Ohr Kodesh Early Childhood Center

LEADERSHIP OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER WASHINGTON: Gary Berman Co-President

Liza Levy

Co-President

Gil Preuss

Executive Vice President and CEO

Sharon Sherry

Early Childhood Education and Family Engagement Specialist