Resources for Jewish Educators & Professionals
Israel in Crisis: Resources for Educators
As an organization that nurtures and trains Jewish educators, our primary goal is to support teachers in all settings, who we know have varying levels of knowledge about Israel. These resources will help you find the right words to talk with children and teens about the current crisis, and will help you understand Israel and the conflict. Please check back, as we are adding new sources regularly.
Special Needs & Inclusion: Resources for Educators and Learners
Tools and services to ensure that all children can participate fully in Jewish life and learning. Learn more about how to create inclusive learning environments for students with special needs, request consultations and clinical observations, and access training to continue your own professional development and growth.
Join Edulist
Online Community & Crowdsourced Resources for Jewish Educators
Jewish LearningWorks is the host of Edulist, the longest-standing and largest online group of Bay Area Jewish educators. Learn more about our online community, and how to connect with colleagues to share curricular resources, fill open jobs, and solicit advice!
Apply for a Grant
Microgrants to Support Talent & Inclusion at Bay Area Jewish Educational Settings
Do you have a new professional development idea for your school? Are you looking to strengthen your inclusion support services? Is your institution looking for new ways to collaborate across programs? For the 2025–26 school year, we are inviting Jewish educational settings to apply for a microgrant initiative that supports innovative experimentation in the areas of staff recruitment and retention, staff development, sensory tools or inclusion support.
- What: Microgrants of up to $5,000, or $10,000 if multiple programs within an institution apply together.
- When: Application process will begin in July 2025. Funds are available on a rolling basis; grant review begins August 18. Grant projects must be completed by June 2026.
- Who: Open to all Bay Area Jewish educational settings.
- How: Contact Ellen Lefkowitz, Senior Educator, at ellen@jewishlearning.works to inquire about the selection criteria, receive support to prepare your grant application, and submit your project. Jewish LearningWorks will begin reviewing applications in July, 2025.
The Orchard
For early childhood education teachers
Jewish LearningWorks is proud to be one of twenty-five organizations from around North America that bring you The Orchard—a joint initiative that advances the professional learning of educators in Jewish early childhood centers.
The Orchard offers a variety of virtual workshops, from teaching the Jewish holidays, to child development and pedagogy, to teaching American holidays through an equity lens.
Mental Health and Wellness Resources
Youth Mental Health First Aid: Training & Certification
Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) is an accessible training program to support teen’s mental health. It is designed to teach youth professionals, parents, caregivers, teachers, school staff, neighbors and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12–18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions crisis. All YMHFA training sessions are offered online.
Grief & Growing: A Healing Program for the Bereaved
Jewish LearningWorks is proud to have been a partner in the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center’s (BAJCC) powerful Grief and Growing camp. For nearly two decades, these annual Grief and Growing weekends provided a supportive Jewish environment where people of all ages and backgrounds could connect with others who had experienced similar losses. The weekends were facilitated by specially trained staff members who offered tools, such as creative projects, Jewish rituals, and discussion groups, to assist in the mourning process.
Following the closure of BAJHC, we are honored to serve as a home for many of the materials developed by the Grief and Growing staff. If you would like to learn more about these materials, and how to use them, please contact Dana Sheanin at dana@jewishlearning.works.
Work with Our Curricula & Guides
Israel Education
We believe that a comprehensive and integrated approach to Israel Education is a critical component for a holistic Jewish education. For decades, educators have looked to Jewish LearningWorks (formerly the BJE) for knowledge, skills and tools to support their work in the classroom.
We are proud to partner with The iCenter for Israel Education to offer three of our most acclaimed resources to educators across the country.
