Join us to celebrate, recognize, and learn from the successful work of our colleagues and the incorporation of Social Emotional and Spiritual Learning (SESL) into their educational programs. The past year presented challenges that were embraced and transformed due to the dedication and creativity of educators doing this work. We offer this Siyum, a traditional acknowledgement of completing a course of study, such as a book of Torah or Talmud, to honor the ongoing work in the area of SESL in Jewish education.
Our program will include brief presentations from three local educators. You will then have the opportunity to join two separate breakout rooms to engage in a deeper understanding of the SESL framework or program they offer.
- Juliet Spear Gardner, Congregation Beth El in Berkeley “La-Bri’ut from The Jewish Education Center of Cleveland”
- Alison Faith Levy, Peninsula Temple Beth El “PTBE in a Box”
- Tania Schweig, Oakland Hebrew Day School “The Teacher is the Teaching: SEL from the Inside Out”
Date and Location
May 13, 2021
1:00 – 2:30 pm Pacific Standard Time
Zoom link will be provided upon registration
Registration is now closed. Please contact Liora Brosbe at [email protected] to be included on the waitlist.
Free of Charge-be our guest to celebrate and learn together!
This session is designed for educators who use SESL in their practice or want to explore ways to further integrate the principles of SESL in their teaching. We welcome educators from congregations, JCCs, camps, day schools, and other teaching and learning environments as well.
Please direct questions to [email protected]
Presenter Bios and Presentation Descriptions
The Jewish Education Center of Cleveland’s La-Bri’ut K-6 curriculum was specifically developed for this year — both as a solution for distance learning in Jewish supplementary programs, and as a response to mass trauma. Juliet has been teaching it to Kindergarten and 2nd graders at Congregation Beth El in Berkeley via Zoom all year. She will give an overview of the program and reflect on its efficacy and also give a preview of (what is known so far) of JECC’s next curriculum, The 3 + 3 Project.
Juliet is the incoming Director of K-5th Grade Learning and Engagement at Congregation Beth El in Berkeley. She has taught students of all ages in public school and supplementary Jewish education and served as the Director of Education at Temple Beth Torah in Fremont and Chug Mishpacha, Beth El’s Saturday Family School. This past year she taught Kindergarten and Second grade religious school via Zoom. She is also a parent of a wonderful first grader.
“PTBE in a Box” is an asynchronous Jewish curriculum for K-5th graders, developed to meet families where they were in 2020, under the COVID-19 pandemic circumstances. Despite social restrictions, an opportunity arose for children and families to do Jewish learning together, at home, on their own timeline. Together, Alison Levy and Rabbi Lisa Kingston created a multi-faceted Jewish learning program that brought the family together using slideshow lessons on Jewish topics, rich and varied craft activities with monthly bags of take-home materials, opportunities for discussion, and optional monthly Zoom check-ins with teachers and peers. Lesson plans can be found at: ptbe.org/ptbe-in-a-box
Alison Faith Levy is the Young Families Coordinator at Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo. She began her career in Jewish Education as an ECE Music Specialist at Jewish preschools around the Bay Area, and is also a well-known children’s musician. In June 2020, she earned her Master’s degree in Jewish Education from Hebrew College, and her graduate thesis on using artmaking and creativity in Jewish Family Education was awarded the honor of Pass with Distinction. Alison has also recently stepped into the role of Interim Cantorial Soloist at Or Shalom Jewish Community. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, Danny Plotnick, and their son Henry is a sophomore in Jazz Piano Performance at The New School in New York CIty.
There are curricula and books, trainings and programs, but what if the most important part of social, emotional and spiritual teaching is who we are and how we show up? Drawing wisdom from mindfulness practice, Parker Palmer, Janusz Korczak and the Piascezner Rebbe, we’ll reflect on the relationship between the inner world of the teacher and the emotional and spiritual development of children.
Tania Schweig is Head of School at Oakland Hebrew Day School, mother of five and founder of the Einayich Yonim Fellowship.
