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“Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.”

These words of Viktor Frankl in one of the greatest books written in the last century, Man’s Search for Meaning, apply not only to people; they also apply to organizations.

Why does ECE-RJ exist? 25 years ago, I served as the Director of Lifelong Learning for the UAHC, which became the URJ in 2003. I began receiving thoughtful questions about early childhood education throughout North America, educational questions, financial questions, legal questions, ethical questions, and spiritual questions, questions that I knew I could not answer. However, I knew people who could speak with authority, Jewish early childhood educators. 

I had two wonderful teachers who were exemplary Jewish early childhood educators at The Community Synagogue in Port Washington, NY - Temma Kingsley and Shelley Roff, both of blessed memory. They taught me truths ascribed to Janusz Korczak.

“Children are not the people of tomorrow; they are people today.”

“Love the child, not just your own.”

Their ‘torah’ left an indelible impression on me, and I felt confident that Jewish early childhood educators could teach the Jewish community about love: love of children, love of learning, and love of God.  25 years have passed since ECE-RJ was founded. The “who”, the founders and the leaders, have changed. The historical context has changed.  The name of the Reform Movement’s umbrella organization has changed. The status of Jewish early childhood education has changed. In ECE-RJ Jewish early childhood educators now have a collective voice that commands respect, and yet a growth mindset reminds us that there is always an opportunity to reach greater heights, to attain greater wisdom, to realize more of our hidden potential to live the Torah that we love.

What has not changed in 25 years is the “why”, the vision of ECE-RJ. I still believe love is the “why” of ECE-RJ. I hope you agree.

With love,

Rabbi Jan Katzew, PhD

As ECE-RJ, the Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism, reaches a significant milestone—its 25th anniversary—I find myself reflecting on our journey with the pride and awe of a parent watching their child grow into a remarkable young adult. The past quarter-century has flown by in what feels like the blink of an eye, and the transformation of our organization is nothing short of extraordinary.

A Year-Long Celebration

We are thrilled to commemorate this silver anniversary with festivities throughout the year, with a special in-person celebration as part of our Yom Chadash 2025 conference in Chicago in January.  This event promises to be a significant highlight of our anniversary year, bringing together founding, current and past members from across the country to celebrate our shared journey. 

Reliving the Journey

In the spirit of celebration, our monthly UNITE newsletter will feature a special ‘Remember When’ section. This will be a chance to reminisce about the milestones, memorable events, and transformative moments that have defined our organization. Each edition will provide a window into our history and showcase the impact ECE-RJ has had on early childhood education within the Jewish community.

If you have a cherished memory or significant moment related to ECE-RJ that you would like to share, please let us know about it by filling out THIS FORM. Your contributions will be a valuable part of our anniversary celebrations and will help us honor the legacy of our organization.

Our Mission and Vision

At ECE-RJ, our mission remains steadfast: to support early childhood educators and leaders in congregational settings. We are dedicated to elevating the professional self of our members through education, networking, and collaboration. By doing so, we enhance the status and visibility of our profession and ensure the continuity of thriving, high-quality Jewish early childhood programs.

ECE-RJ and its members will continue to be seen as experts, leaders, and advocates for change. We are committed to maintaining financial stability, fostering an ongoing leadership pipeline, engaging our membership, and ensuring clear and effective communication both internally and externally.

As we celebrate our 25 years of impact and progress, let us look forward to continuing our mission and vision with renewed energy and dedication. Here’s to a bright future and many more years of advancing Jewish early childhood education together!

How YOU can help celebrate ECE-RJ at 25:

• Join us in Chicago!  We would love to see you for the full conference or be a part of  the ECE-RJ 25^th anniversary celebration on Thursday, January 23, 2025. More information is coming soon!
• Share your favorite memories, shared experiences, and meaningful connections with other members of ECE-RJ. Please use THIS FORM to submit your personal anecdotes, cherished moments, and stories of learning and growth within our community.
• Become a member ECE-RJ (if you aren’t already) as a Director, Assistant Director, Teacher, Retired Director or supporter of ECE-RJ)

Warm regards,

Heidi Baker
Founding Member and Past President, ECE-RJ

Have I Got a Story for You!

This year, ECE-RJ is celebrating its 25th anniversary! Twenty-five years ago, a small group of visionary Jewish early childhood educators came together to form this professional organization. They knew that collectively, we can elevate the voices of our field, advocate on behalf of all early childhood educators, and build a professional organization that offers community, deep professional learning, and a support network of colleagues across the country. It truly was a moment of “if you build it, they will come”. Twenty-five years later, we are stronger than ever! This coming year, as we commemorate this milestone, we are excited to launch a year of storytelling, learning, and gathering.

The ECE-RJ board just returned from our summer board retreat. The board gathered in person for three days to focus on our vision and goals for this upcoming year. With the 25th anniversary of ECE-RJ as our framework, we want to tell the story of Jewish early childhood education. We want to support our members in being able to share their expertise within their own community. We want to celebrate the contributions of our members both in their own settings and to the broader field of Jewish education. It is our time to raise up our collective voice to share our story with each other and highlight the importance of our work in the Jewish community.

I could not be prouder to serve this organization with an amazing group of educators who are putting together an exciting array of opportunities to learn and share our stories. First and foremost, we look forward to seeing you in January at Yom Chadash. Register today! Be sure to join us for our upcoming Roundtable Discussions and learning Meet-Ups. And, the Forum is the place to share ideas, seek support from colleagues, be a part of the conversation, and tell your story. May this 25th year of ECE-RJ, be a year of celebration, learning, community, and joy!

Ellen Lefkowitz, President

ECE-RJ

I wrote at some point earlier this year that I almost miss COVID, given the current situation in Jewish Education.  While I said that somewhat tongue in cheek, it speaks to the fact that we have been leading our schools and ECE-RJ from trauma to trauma; and yet, we all have persevered.  We forged new partnerships; we created new initiatives, and we kept moving forward - despite being in pain. 

In July of 2023, the ECE-RJ board came together to plan and to dream about what might be possible this year.  While we could not have imagined what would happen just a few months later, I am proud of the fact that we were able to enact many of the ideas generated that week.  But NONE of that would’ve been possible without so many of you.   

In my office, I have hanging the line from Pirkei Avot: “Lo Alecha Hamlacha Ligmor”... It is not required of you to complete the task, but neither are you free to avoid it 

We could not have accomplished ANY of the things we’ve done this year without all of you - and we need these and each one of you that hasn’t yet leaned in to continue to drive the success of our organization.  We are all overburdened and overworked in our jobs, and often overwhelmed by our lives, but any of us who have been involved in this work will tell you that we get SO much more back from what we put in - and I want to invite every one of you to engage more deeply in ECE-RJ.   

Please take 30 seconds to look and to indicate which areas YOU might be interested in working on this year.  There is work that is short term and long term, tasks that will take just a few minutes to maybe a few hours over the course of a month - this is not committing you to more than you can take on.   

To prepare for the annual meeting, and my “state of the organization” reflection, I looked back at the Forum posts over the past year and created this word cloud to try to capture what was on our minds over the past 12 months.   

There were, of course, many posts about Israel and about security - but there were also such incredible conversations around learning differences, relationships with the Temples we are affiliated with, job description development and how Universal PreK is affecting many of our schools.   

To address these issues, ECE-RJ took a multi-tiered approach - we, of course, continued with our Meet-Ups, our ongoing monthly professional development offerings - led by our VPs of Learning Mihaela Schwartz and Zoe Miller and their Learning Committee, we had sessions on Antisemitism, on Gender Identity, on Teaching Literacy, on Helping our parents and staff through trauma - and so much more. 

We introduced a new initiative this year called “Monthly Round Tables' where different board members hosted a zoom meeting around a specific topic for Directors to come together to network, brainstorm and commiserate.  It was a huge success and out of these sessions came resources around how to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut this year, how to articulate the non-financial benefits of having early childhood centers in synagogues, and resources for staff training and inspiration.  

We launched our 2nd cohort of the New Directors Group, which last year was led by board members Amy Damast and Ellen Lefkowitz.  Cohort 2 is being led by Cohort 1 participants, Leah Lyndon and Laura Krautheim, and we are eager to launch Cohort 3 next year.  We also started the ECE-RJ Engagement Network, led by Lauren Byers, bringing together different professionals who are dealing with engaging families with young children.   

Under the leadership of Susie Wexler, we also piloted a Mentorship program, pairing newer directors with more experienced ones.  We are eager to expand and improve on this in 2024-2025. 

… and that was just the tip of the iceberg.  One of our most significant events this year was the Yom Chadash Conference in Memphis, TN.  This year’s conference, which was a partnership with ARJE, offered an incredible new opportunity for us to learn with Religious School educators and the experience really illustrated both how intertwined our work is and how much we have to learn from one another. 

Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

We are all facing a challenging time, managing complex and difficult emotions around what is happening in Israel, in Gaza, and on college campuses all around the United States.  But as a community, we are committed to balancing these emotions with creating joyful interactions for our students and our families in our Jewish spaces - here and in Israel. We are here to support each other, our colleagues, and the parents in our schools as we navigate these feelings together.  

As Jewish Early Childhood Centers, we work hard to develop a love of learning and Judaism in our students.  We help to facilitate the creation of core Jewish experiences, which will become the foundation of our students' Jewish identity. Israel and Yom Ha'Atzma'ut are key components of that curriculum.  We want the students to learn about Israel as the Jewish homeland where many of the stories of our people, our history, and our holidays take place.  We aim to provide some understanding of the culture of Israel in a hands-on, experiential approach - with a focus on specific sights the children may visit (i.e., the Dead Sea, the Shuk, the Kotel, Tel Aviv, Tzfat) and get to taste some Israeli food, learn Israeli songs, dances, and language.  

We know that Israel's history is complicated and fraught with conflict and emotion.  Especially in a time of war where there are opinions to be found in all directions, we are committed to teaching Israel in an age-appropriate way, to celebrating Israel for all the people and the land mean to us, and to being a source of beautiful Jewish joy in a world so in need of it right now!

As you consider your own observance of the holiday, we are eager to hear more about what you are thinking and what decisions you make.  Please be sure to share in the forum and/or on FB so that we can all learn from and with each other.  
 

Leslie Scheck, VP of Marketing and Communications

There is a little book called Dear God: Children’s Letters to God by David Heller that I always think of at this time of the year as we read about our Biblical ancestors’ enslavement in Egypt and their path to freedom. Originally written by Heller in 1987, these brief letters, written by children ranging in age from 6 to 12 from various religious and cultural backgrounds, emerged from Heller’s research on children’s religious and moral development.
 

Dear God: Thank you for my baby brother. But what I really wanted was a puppy. Joyce.
Dear God: Maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each other so much if they each had their own rooms. It works with my brother. Larry.
Dear God: We read in school that Thomas Edison made light. But in Sunday School, they said that you did it. I bet he stole your idea. Donna.

As we join as one this morning in Memphis, representing two professional organizations, the ARJE and the ECE-RJ, we are all bound by our everyday work with children and our desire to be both learners and teachers of Torah. In this week's Torah Portion, Beshalach, the Israelites finally leave Egypt, and eventually, they come up against the Reed Sea. Having changed his mind about letting them go, Pharaoh pursues them with horses and chariots. The people come close to despair and imagine their end would come soon. Then, in one of the supreme miracles of history, the sea divides. The Israelites passed through and, led by Miriam, the prophetess, sang a meaningful song of freedom, faith, and deliverance. 

Our sages ask why the Israelites deserved to be saved in such an extraordinary manner, and the sages answer that it was because of the Israelite children, who were a significant part of the multitudes that came out of Egypt. In tractate Sotah, the Talmud records that the children who left Egypt were the first to recognize God. This is a puzzling statement. After all, the nation that left Egypt included the great spiritual giants Moses, Miriam, Aaron Joshua, and all the elders of Israel. Yet, according to the sages, these famous ones were not the first to recognize God; it was precisely the children — children born and raised amid Egyptian oppression. Nevertheless, our sages proclaim that the children received a fitting and proper education, which imbued them with the ability to recognize God. The Torah even hints that the children, as they crossed, could point with their fingers, saying, "This is my God, whom I will glorify."

Together this week, we are taking the ideas of slavery and freedom – echoed in this week’s portion and the complicated US history we are surrounded by in Memphis and moving one step further into belonging.  It is not enough to be free – we need to be seen, recognized and celebrated as individuals in the community. 

Joe mentioned a moment ago that the children who left Egypt were the first to recognize God. As teachers, we can take comfort in explaining that their “proper and fitting education” allowed them to do so.  But, as experts in child development and childhood, we can also embrace that their boundless imagination will enable children to see the world in a way that is sometimes more challenging to do as adults.  The shoulds, the musts, and the can’ts, do not confine children.  Their conception of belonging is not marred by preconceived notions or by prejudice or fear; in many ways, they see things more clearly and authentically than we can.
 

What if, over the next three days together, we can adopt that lens, that clarity, and that innocence?  What if we could put aside our own definitions of what belonging means, put aside our concept of who ARJE is and who ECE-RJ is, and approach it all anew? While belonging is something we’ve grappled with for a long time – as educators, as organizations, and as a movement, what would it take to forget (or at least put aside) all of that learning and start together from zero?  To build an approach that breaks down the barriers that have separated us and opens up our communities in ways we couldn’t have previously imagined?

In Early Childhood classrooms, our students are not burdened by the lanes they’ve been put in, the labels that other people have given them, or the boundaries of their specific position. Indeed, that gets more complicated as children get older, but in the beginning, they are free to be a superhero one day, an electrical engineer the next, and a puppy after that.  In those moments, they are not just playing; they are constructing. Their concept of identity is still forming, and as such, they can experiment with who they are and who they are becoming.  There are no lines around what they can and cannot be – and for the next three days, there are no lines around us. 

The lesson from all this is that our work is interconnected, and we are stronger together. We are like the Israelites at the sea, singing Miriam’s song but not doing so as individual tunes but rather as communal music. And if one wishes to be truly blessed, both materially and spiritually, including nachas from our students, then the way to that is through engaging our students and their families in meaningful and relevant Torah education. What we have in common is how our strengths can strengthen each other, and from our time together, we can and will produce young adults with a sacred life filled with energy and vitality in Judaism when they go to synagogue and throughout their lives. That is our joint mission as Jewish educators and what binds us in our daily labors.

Dear God: I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday. That was cool!

Lisa Samick, ECE-RJ President

Rabbi Joe Eiduson,  RJE, ARJE President 

I am not ok… and I know that you aren’t either.

The events of the last week have been gut-wrenching, to say the least.

I am not a historian nor a politician; there are other resources to help you better understand the issues, the complex history or what tomorrow may bring.  I don’t have any profound insight into where we go from here or how we heal.

But I know that each and every one of us – whether we’re part of the Jewish community by religion or by choice – is broken and hurting.

Amidst all this horror and chaos, Early Childhood Directors have been thrust into the role of therapist, risk management assessor, security expert and cheerleader – all while managing our own fears, anxieties, and devastation.  I wish I could give you comfort or reassurance.

On several of our ECE-RJ calls this past week, several people talked about some version of “I prefer to deal with COVID”.  The pandemic was stressful and traumatic, but it was foreign and equally distributed.  This is terribly personal. The names and the faces are etched into my brain, and I somehow can’t get myself to turn off the news and step away from social media.

All I can say is that I am with you. I urge you to please lean into this incredible community we’ve built, where together we will find comfort.

Some of you know that I grew up in Young Judaea; and there is a song that we sang on Saturday nights that has been on repeat in my brain since I woke up on October 7^th.  It’s painful, but somehow it gives me comfort and so I am sharing it here in case it helps you as well.

Ain Li Eretz Acheret (I have no other country) by Ehud Manor

You can hear it here:  Ain Li Eretz Acheret

I am thinking of all of you and I know that you join me in prayer for the return of the captive, the healing of the wounded and comfort to all who are in mourning.  

Lisa Samick, President, ECE-RJ

Resources and Donations for Israel

Resources:

• How You Can Support Israel During This Time of Great Tragedy and Mourning | Union for Reform Judaism (urj.org)
• Kveller article written by Sivan Zakai “How to Talk to Kids About What’s Happening in Israel Right Now”

Donations:

Donate to the JNFA Campaign
Jewish Federations are responding, working with our core partners to support victims of terror, help rebuild damaged infrastructure, and address the unprecedent levels of trauma caused by this horrific attack. 

A wise friend, colleague and fellow board member once told me that the reason she took on a leadership position in BBYO was because someone reached out and asked her to fill a specific need. “I need you to bring the green Jello.” “It was specific, it was finite, and I understood the expectations,” she explained.

So… here I am… asking you to bring the “green Jello.” Listed below are just a few of the ways you can get involved with the ECE-RJ. Each one is critical to the functioning of our organization. I am eager to speak with you, so let’s get this conversation started!

Membership – Join our VP of Membership in working to ensure the best possible member experience for our ECE-RJ people. Be part of welcoming and onboarding new members, helping to engage potential members, or creating forums and opportunities for current members to network and connect.

Learning – Join our VPs of Learning to craft and implement the professional development calendar for the year. Help brainstorm ideas, host meet ups, contact potential speakers… OR get involved in the conference planning!

Finance – Join our VP of Finance in implementing our scholarship processes, fundraising and strategic planning.

Marketing and Communications – Join our VP of Marketing and Communications to push out content on social media or help work on our amazing monthly newsletter, UNITE.

Write an article!

None of these requires more than a few hours/month and, of course, your enthusiasm, but makes a huge difference in our ongoing successes.

Being President of ECE-RJ has been (so far – LOL) one of the most fulfilling and exciting experiences in my career and I am so grateful for the opportunity. But, when I think back to how I first got involved, I realize that I have received much more than I have given. Each committee and task force that I sat on, each board position that I have held, connected me to a network of incredible wisdom and support. I learned SO much about communication, advocacy and leadership and I am a better director today because of it.

We will be following up with many of you to reach out and connect, but don’t wait for us! Feel free to reach out to me at lsamick@templeisraelnyc.org or to our Executive Director, Tricia at tginis@urj.org.

I want to write something profound... something comforting... something that could bring any sense to the horrific tragedy today in Nashville, but I have no words....

Our hearts are broken for the children, the teachers and the families of Covenant School in Nashville, TN. Their lives were cut too short, their innocence shattered, and we, as a country, once again stagger under the weight of another senseless school shooting.

May their memories forever be a blessing and may we all find the strength to honor Evelyn Dieckhuas, Hallie Scruggs, William Kinney, Cynthia Peak, Katherine Koonce and Mike Hill and hold up their loved ones in our hearts.

You must have heard by now… about the struggle to find and keep qualified teachers in Jewish Early Childhood Education.  As a director myself, of Temple Isaiah Preschool in Los Angeles, a Reform congregation preschool with over 250 children, you can imagine what it is like to look towards the start of the school year and only have a partial staff.  

Like all people, teachers need support.  This support takes many forms:

• Physical support in the form of materials for their classrooms AND compensation for their bills and expenses.

• Emotional support in the form of unconditional positive regard and constructive feedback to inform their practice. 

• Cognitive support in the form of professional development, communities of practice, and a cohort in which to share ideas. 

At the 2022 ECE-RJ Conference in November, we can help you in all three of those critical areas of teacher retention. In fact, studies have shown conclusively that events such as this one help retain teachers for up to two more years past its conclusion.

How? We have devised a conference that addresses all three needs that teachers have and by attending, teachers will:

• see the financial support of their institutions who pay for their attendance

• gain additional mastery of practice in Jewish ECE

• meet with and collaborate with other teachers from around the country

• engage with materials and share experiences that they can take back to their classrooms immediately

• develop stronger Judaic practices

• return to their classrooms with renewed passion, determination, and a sense of pride and professionalism

Don’t miss this opportunity to really support and show your own appreciation for the work your teachers do.

Follow this link and sign up now for the 2022 ECE-RJ Conference in San Diego, November 2-5!

Questions? Feel free to reach out to Tricia Ginis, Executive Director, tginis@urj.org

Dear Friends,

The past two years for ECE-RJ and me as president have been exciting, full of unexpected changes and challenges, and required much thinking, rethinking, doing, and redoing. I imagine that it was similar for each of us in our personal and professional lives.  

I have heard and used the word "unprecedented" so many times – usually referring to something negative. Unprecedented global pandemic. Unprecedented mass murders. Unprecedented school closures. Unprecedented staff shortages. I recently heard someone say, “I hope we never see unprecedented times again.”

But isn't every day unprecedented? Every day over the past two years, every day before that, and every day in the future is unprecedented. No two days are exactly alike, and each morning we wake up, we have an unprecedented day ahead of us. We have an opportunity to look at our jobs and our lives in a new light. An opportunity to rethink and redo, to make the world a better place. An opportunity to lay the groundwork for each young life, each family we touch to grow into themselves and their Jewishness with joyous learning and community.

In the months before I was installed as president of ECE-RJ, Lisa Samick and I had many discussions about what we wanted to do in the next few years. We were so excited! Our planned path took many twists and turns. And a few nosedives. But through it all, ECE-RJ members were always our top priority. So, together with the Board of ECE-RJ and members joining in, we rethought and redid and rethought and redid again. If you joined us for the 2022 plenary, you heard about our revised mission and vision statements and a new board structure that brings more members together. Keep your eyes on UNITE, the member forums, and social media for more updates and how you can engage with ECE-RJ in the unprecedented days ahead.

And now, with Lisa as President, Ellen Lefkowitz as First Vice President, the entire board, along with Executive Director Tricia Ginis and URJ Liaison Rachel Margolis and the amazing membership of ECE-RJ, our organization is in great shape and great hands, and on a phenomenal path that will inevitably have twists and turns and will keep moving forward. 

On a personal note, I want to thank Lisa Samick, Rachel Margolis, Tricia Ginis, Ellen Lefkowitz, Pam Ranta, April Schafer, Lori Kowit, Leslie Scheck, Cathy Goldberg, Zoë Miller, Sheila Purdin, Shelly Sender, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, Cathy Rolland, Judi Goozh, Marc Newman, and the many, many others in ECE-RJ who supported me and continuously and consistently elevate the field of Jewish Early Childhood Education and ECE-RJ.

I’m looking forward to each unprecedented day ahead. I hope to see you in San Diego in November for the first ECE-RJ in-person conference in over two years!

Fern Katz, Immediate Past President, ECE-RJ

Director of Early Childhood Education

Sinai Preschool

Chicago Sinai Congregation

My heart is broken.

Yesterday, I was installed as the next President of ECE-RJ.  In a zoom room, filled with colleagues, friends and family, I was truly overwhelmed and feeling so much gratitude and love.... and then the call ended, I turned my phone back on and it was like all the air left the room.  

Ten days after a horrific shooting in a grocery store in Buffalo, NY, 19 children and 2 adults were killed in their classrooms in their elementary school in Uvalde, TX.  19 second, third and fourth graders, 1 teacher and 1 school employee (the news as of now).

It is enough.

As a Director of a school, I can’t help but going to a dark place – what if…

My social media news feed is flooded with “thoughts and prayers” – and we need time for that.  But, we also need to take action.

Over the next weeks and months, you’ll hear a lot about what I hope to accomplish in my presidency, about the goals that the board has set for ECE-RJ, and the impact it will have on the world of Early Childhood Jewish Education; but for now, we have some serious work to do.

In my first act as President, ECE-RJ will be making a donation to Everytown for Gun Safety on behalf of our entire organization.  We invite you to join us in doing this - every $1 makes a difference in their ability to advocate and fight. 

In the meantime, though, we also need to make space to heal and to process and so I invite you to join me on zoom on Friday afternoon at 3pm ET/ 2pm CT/ 12pm PT.  We will have a moment of silence and say the Mourners' Kaddish for the victims of this heinous event and then we will just have space for us to talk and to support one another.  Please register for the zoom HERE.

We are including below some links to resources that may be useful in your own communities – both in terms of helping parents and educators to support the children that they care for and in terms of advocacy and education.  It is by no means an exhaustive list and I encourage each of you to share out the resources and organizations that are doing this important work – please use our FB page and the forum as a platform to help us all take action.

We are not obliged to complete the work, but neither are we free to desist from it (Pirkei Avot 2:21)

I am thinking of each and every one of you and of the families in Uvalde.

Lisa Samick
Incoming President of ECE-RJ

Supporting young children through tragedy:

Sesame Street on Violence

Child Mind Institute – Helping Children Cope with Frightening News

Today Show:  An Age by Age Guide to talk about shootings

Fred Rogers:  Helping Children with Tragic Events in the News

National Child Traumatic Stress Network – Helping Children with Traumatic Grief

Advocacy/Education:

Religious Action Center:  Gun Violence Prevention

 Sandy Hook Promise  

Stand with Parkland

I Have Missed Relationships the Most

I think that what is most different for me these past two years, and what seems to affect all the different aspects of my life – home, family, friends, work, organizations (ECE-RJ), etc. – is the actual building of relationships. I still have most of the same relationships I had before, but I have not had the opportunity to build many new relationships. I would not have thought I would miss it so much, considering how hard it can be to develop or strengthen a relationship.

As an EC director, last year it was harder than ever before to get to know new families well and this year it is only a little easier. It has been so long since parents could spend time schmoozing in the lobby with each other and me, so long since we have had an in-person Tot Shabbat dinner where I got to know the extended families of the children and welcome out of town grandparents who came in to visit on that particular weekend so they could go to Tot Shabbat, so long since I have seen the faces of siblings without masks.

I miss in-person professional development, meetings with colleagues, and conferences. I even miss (but not much) the initial and sometimes awkward moments of trying to remember names and pronounce them correctly. I miss the next part of a new relationship- where two or more people get to know each other, finding the commonalities and putting more emphasis on those than the differences. I miss playing Jewish Geography - the back and forth of finding who you have in common – because there almost always is someone.

I have so greatly missed having an in-person ECE-RJ Conference to attend. I miss the learning, the praying, the singing, the talking, the celebrating. But mostly I miss going to an ECE-RJ conference and seeing old friends, and then leaving the conference with new friends, knowing that by the next conference the new friends will be old friends. Please, come to the November 2022 ECE-RJ Conference in San Diego – Lech Lecha: Moving Forward Together. Reconnect. Reimagine. Rebound. This conference is going to be a very special experience – one that I think we all need. If you are my old friend, please come so we can have a real hug. If you are a friend that I don’t know yet – I cannot wait to meet you, and to soon think of you like an old friend, too.

Fern 

Reflecting On This Year's Kallah

Soon after the 2022 Virtual Kallah, I found myself sitting in my office with an overwhelming sense of personal and professional fulfillment.

My mind began to wander. I first thought about all the fantastic sessions we offered and was blown away by the caliber of speakers and the amount of information we could cover in such a short time.

For some reason, I started to think about specific pieces that stuck with me, like Rabbi Sandra Lawson singing a song to us that she had written for her mom, "You Can Be Anything." It was such a personal story that she shared about her mother's support and love.

 I thought about Rachel Hall and Tani Prell's session about creating anti-oppressive classrooms and realized how much we have to learn and how much intentional work needs to be done in this area.

I remember Eliana Rubin sharing her story and feeling so proud of her strength and ability to feel comfortable to share and vulnerable enough to allow us in. I teared up as I thought about the shared stories during the panel discussion. The feeling of support and understanding could be felt through Zoom.

All of the attendees were as mesmerized as I was. We spent Shabbat afternoon with Dr. Tamar Andrews, learning and sharing baking stories. Each one reminded us of the relationships and memories we had in the kitchen with family and friends. She shared that "Real relationships that elevate us and our lives require simple and honest ingredients that we put in by hand.  Ingredients such as communication, empathy, and love. We have to work on these relationships quite a bit until they form into real ones and then allow these relationships the time they need until they bake into something that we savor."  

Soon after, I realized how lucky we were to have scheduled a Havdalah and reflection program to process the work and learn from the week together. The timing was unbelievable as Havdalah began just a few hours into the hostage situation in Colleyville. The time together was so meaningful.

Yolanda Savage-Narva shared a poem by Dr. Benjamin E. Mays.  

I have only just a minute,

Only sixty seconds in it.

Forced upon me, can't refuse it.

Didn't seek it, didn't choose it.

But it's up to me

to use it.

I must suffer if I lose it.

Give account if I abuse it.

Just a tiny little minute,

but eternity is in it.

It was a perfect culmination of the 2022 ECE-RJ Kallah and left us with a charge to continue the work to Listen, Learn and Act towards transformational change.

For those who attended the 2022 Virtual Kallah, I hope you left with the tools and mindset to bring what you learned back to your early childhood program and temple community and with the intention of Lishmoa, Lilmod, Lif'ol: LISTEN, LEARN AND ACT.

The Board Is Working on A New Organizational Mission and Vision

February 2022As I am writing this, I have just completed Day 2 of the ECE-RJ mid-year Board Meeting – I am both drained and energized. While we have a monthly meeting to work on the organization's regular business, the Board meets twice a year for a few days to work on big picture items. There was a time when the ECE-RJ Board met in person and worked on whiteboards, giant Post Its, and chart paper. This is not that time – and even though we are meeting on Zoom, we will still be able to work together and accomplish some heavy tasks ahead of us.

It is essential for ECE-RJ to be robust and relevant and to strengthen Jewish Early Childhood Education in congregations across North America. The timing was right for us to look in the mirror and make decisions about who we are, who we are not, and who we should be.

We asked URJ North American Board member, Chuck Gealer, to help us work through the challenging task of revising or recreating ECE-RJ's mission and vision statements – and it is our good fortune that Chuck agreed. Chuck has been guiding us, pushing and pulling us to dig deep, think, discuss, and synthesize our ideas, beliefs, thoughts, and goals. And reminding us that this is a process that will take months.

We are currently in the middle of this process, and I am both drained and energized. I am looking forward to bringing more information to you over the coming months.

It is an exciting time to be a member of ECE-RJ.

Another Successful Kallah is in the Books

Kallah gives us sacred time and space to come together and support one another in our learning. This year's Kallah was no different. It was a time to share our journeys and get reinvigorated with the joy of why we do what we do. Like Kallah's past, we unwound, laughed, sang, and celebrated who we are and what we do.

This year, our focus was advocating for equality and creating communities where everyone is accepted and celebrated. Early childhood centers play a significant role in creating a welcoming congregational community. As directors, assistant directors, and teachers, we must lead in welcoming and supporting Jews and educators of color, advocating for LGBTQ+ awareness and minority rights, and offering equal access and accessibility to all.

For four days, we explored the many ways we can work together to open our ears and widen the tent surrounding us. We had a slate of presenters who showed us how to create a responsive community by breaking barriers and building brindges: Lishmoa, Lilmod, Lif'ol (Listen, Learn, Act).
   
The workshops allowed for deep and meaningful conversations that challenged us to explore the importance and value in listening to others with an authentic and open mindset. 
We learned from various voices and perspectives, providing us with essential takeaways to facilitate much-needed change—to take action, break down barriers, and build bridges.
If you have never attended a conference or a Kallah, I highly recommend you do.

Please take a look at the recap of the Kallah and mark your calendars for our next IN-PERSON (fingers crossed!) ECE-RJ Conference in San Diego, CA, November 2-5, 2022 .

A New Year Brings Hope

Happy 2022! This is going to be an important year for young children. It looks like we are going to see two major changes that will have an immense impact on life and society. It is expected that the Build Back Better Act will pass with funding for early childhood education and that the vaccine for Covid-19 for children under 5 years of age will be approved by the FDA.

I am really excited about the vaccine. I hope that it will bring a turning point for this crazy disease that has impacted every aspect of all of our lives. It seems that almost everywhere I go – in person and virtually – from work, to family get-togethers, to funerals, to social media – I hear the phrases “Follow the Science” and “Read the Data.” The scientists who have developed the vaccines, the scientists who interpret the data, the ones who figure out how to fund the research and development, the medical professionals who give the vaccines, the truck drivers who bring the vaccines to the pharmacies, the packaging engineers who designed the packaging, the hazardous waste collectors, every single one of these people, every person who has had a hand in developing, distributing, promoting, and all the other thousands of steps it will take for everyone to have access to this vaccine … every single one of them was once a young child.

Each of these individuals, at one point or another, was the recipient of early childhood education. It may have been in a “formal” environment (classroom) or an “informal” place (home, playground).  It may have been “play-based” or “academic” or watching Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers, and Wheel of Fortune. The education may have been planned and intentional, or it may have been organic and unexpected. But at some point, each of these people who have a hand in getting this vaccine into the arms of young children, learned how to read and count, think and sort, categorize and create. Maybe they read science journals and maybe they read traffic signs. Maybe they do trigonometry and maybe they count the boxes they load on the truck.

I want to thank all their teachers. The classroom teachers, the parents and caregivers, the babysitters and grandparents, the neighbors, siblings, Big Bird, Mr. Rogers and Vanna White.  And you. I want to thank you in advance, because the future scientists and truck drivers, economists and politicians, the ones who are going to take us to even higher heights of science, more brilliant art, music, and literature, and the ones who may bring about a peaceful world – they are in our classrooms, our programs, our sanctuaries, our parks, and our homes, now.

So, on those days when it is hard to get out of bed and face yet another day of pandemic preschool, remember - the change makers, the ones who will make the world a better place, they are in front of you right now. 

Fern

The Pandemic Has Changed How Things Are Done

It is easy to take something you have done repeatedly for granted. For example, planning a staff meeting, providing professional development opportunities for teachers, or connecting families with congregational leadership. It does not take much each time you do it. Maybe a few tweaks here or there, but that is it. We almost never reinvent the wheel when it comes to such tasks.

The pandemic has really changed how things are done. We have had to completely reinvent very interaction, every activity, every step along the way has been uncharted territory. We are continually evolving and changing everything from welcoming families into the preschool and temple community to coordinating drop-off and pick-up.  The way directors have had to work to engage and connect their staff in a virtual world, and how teachers have adapted to a new normal either in the classroom or in a virtual learning situation, is incredible.

There have been no blueprints or instructions to refer to when needed. Directors and teachers are relying heavily on each other to share what works and what doesn’t. ECE-RJ continues to play a vital role in figuring it all out.

We have worked to provide resources and support for members through:

• Publishing a monthly newsletter chock-full of ideas and information
• Producing the annual conference by shifting to a virtual format while still finding ways to build relationships and a supportive community
• Holding virtual professional development opportunities for teachers and directors, featuring the top experts in related fields and in partnership with organizations like Paradigm Project and the JCCA.
• Engaging in advocacy efforts to raise the pay and benefits of people in our field
• Providing online forums to network, share information, and ideas
• Providing consultative services for congregations going through a leadership staffing search and those needing guidance and support with their early childhood center. This includes re-evaluating a program, staffing, curriculum, COVID-19 processes & procedures.
• Hosting a national job board

ECE-RJ continues to be committed to building vibrant, contemporary, and inclusive educational communities whether we are in a pandemic or not. Our membership works to bring people together in our institutions and to ensure the radiant and sustainable future of Jewish Early Childhood Education. Please feel free to reach out for more information about what ECE-RJ has to offer and let us know how we can support the early childhood professionals in your congregation.

Tricia

Grateful to Have ECE-RJ Leading Us Into 2022

We have almost reached the end of 2021 and even though we are only a few months into 5782 and only a few months into the 2021-22 school year, we are still closing out 2021. This has been an important year in Jewish Early Childhood Education. As a field, we have been successfully operating preschools and childcare centers in a pandemic and we have done it with courage, grace, and many new challenges. We have witnessed the inauguration of new President of the United States, an unprecedented female Vice President who happens to have a Jewish spouse and a mezuzah now hangs on the doorpost of Number One Observatory Circle.

2021 has been a year of difficult changes, staff shortages, and worry. It has also been a year of advocacy, exciting changes, and joy. We have seen increased opportunities in professional development, partnerships and now we are at the cusp of the passing of the Build Back Better Act which has brought awareness to the needs and plight of early childhood education, that we have lived with for far too long; and hopefully funding for families with young children and preschools.

I cannot predict what will happen in 2022, but I am glad and grateful that we have ECE-RJ to lead us into the new year and pave the way for more changes, more opportunities, and more joy.