Blogs

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.

Take Action to Help Early Childhood Education, We Need Your Voice

I receive calls nearly every day from early childhood directors, executive directors and congregational leaders. They want to find out what resources are available to help early childhood centers struggling to find qualified staff, how can they manage budgets while keeping in line with current COVID-19 protocols and ratios as well as keeping a balance between enrollment and staffing. Times are tough right now for the field of early childhood education. Sara Wasserman of Sh’ma Koleinu shares some information on the current situation and what we can do to help.

Please take a moment to read and take action. We need every voice. Now more than ever before.

Early childhood centers across the United States are struggling with staffing, enrollment and finances. While this is not new, the COVID-19 pandemic has shined a spotlight on many of the long-standing issues affecting early childhood education, including, for example, affordable access to early childhood education, low teacher wages, and the lack of financial support from the government. The Build Back Better plan, which is being negotiated in Congress, seeks to address some of these issues. 

One of the key objectives of the Build Back Better plan is to provide free or low-cost half-day preschool education for three- and four-year-old children across the country. As currently proposed, the Build Back Better plan would expand access to early childhood education for families across the country by offering parents program choice, infusing funds into schools both for improvements and increasing teacher salaries, offering teachers support to pursue higher level degrees, and stressing the importance of early childhood educators’ work on a national scale.

The key to the Build Back Better plan, and the future of early childhood centers, is a mixed delivery model. As currently proposed, the federal government will support the existing childcare infrastructure with an infusion of funding intended to provide access to high quality preschools to 75% more families than currently have such access. Public schools, licensed center-based childcare providers, licensed family care providers, community childcare providers, and Head Start programs will all be eligible to receive funding from the federal government.

This bears repeating: EVERY early childhood center will be able to apply for federal funding to increase teacher salaries, invest in the quality of the school, and reach so many more children. 

We therefore need everyone to advocate for the field of early childhood. Contact your elected officials so we can get this bill passed! To find out who you should contact, visit: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/map

Sh’ma Koleinu (Hebrew for Hear our Voices), is a coalition dedicated to listening to and advocating for children, families, and early childhood education. 

How A Lack of Qualified Teachers Impacts Families and the Economy

Early childhood education is in crisis. Last month I wrote about the crisis of the shortage of educators and the challenge of finding qualified teachers who want to work in a demanding field that typically has low wages. 

This month I am writing about the trials and impact this shortage has on families and our economy. According to a survey from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, four out of five daycare centers nationwide are understaffed. How does lack of available early childhood education impact more than families and children? A shortage of teachers means a shortage of spaces available in preschools and childcare for young children. A shortage of spaces means parents of young children may not be able to work. For many families, without childcare it is impossible to work. A young child cannot be left alone while a parent works outside the home. For parents that work in the home, it is nearly impossible to devote adequate attention to work and a child or children at the same time. Most of us, including families with young children, need gainful employment to pay their bills, feed and shelter their families, and be productive members of society in order for an economy to thrive.

 My niece, like many parents, was faced with the childcare dilemma in her plans of returning to work after her the birth of her baby. She shared with me her desire to return to work as a nurse, a job that is important for the health and safety of her community as well as providing necessary income so that she could raise her child. And yet she explained to me that she was having a hard time finding quality affordable childcare. The centers that were affordable were not accepting any more children because they did not have the staff needed. The one center they found that had space was so costly that what was left after paying for childcare would not be enough to pay their mortgage and all other bills - even in a two working parent professional family. My niece’s solution: She found a center quite a distance from both of their jobs and their home and they are on the waitlists at three centers that are closer.

 For our society and economy to function and to thrive, affordable high quality early childhood education is needed in every urban, suburban, and rural area in the country. Childcare cannot bankrupt families, and at the same time needs to significantly raise wages to attract and retain educators. It is time for the federal government to take a more active part in funding early childhood education – and you can help make this happen. Let your legislators know that you support federal funding for early childhood education in a mixed delivery system and that this funding is necessary for an economy to grow and thrive. You can do this by email, post card, phone call, and the easiest way is to go to this link https://fyff.quorum.us/campaign/34126/ and take 30 seconds to fill out the form. Call or write everyone you know and ask them to do the same. It is time to act.

Looking for a new Director of Early Childhood Education? Hiring can be a difficult undertaking. Did you know that Unconscious Bias is a part of the hiring process whether we like it or not. It is hard for people to put aside these influences. The judgements we make on any number of things about the candidates can be the deciding factor on whether a candidate is considered for the position or not. How can the search committee leave these biases out of the hiring process? Each committee member needs to understand what their unconscious biases are.

Here are some things that can affect perception of a candidate:

• Affinity bias- gravitate to those who are most like ourselves.
• First Impression Bias- when the candidate walks in the door- look great, sound great, must be great
• Confirmation Bias- influences us to unconsciously seek information only the information that supports our early stage findings or assumptions-encourages us to under weigh, undervalue or ignore information that might conflict our early stage findings- stop listening deeply, stop probing for solid evidence or understanding, even skip questions
• Resume- Any part of your resume can be a deciding factor (college, addresses- mailing address (undesirable location or distance), email address (crazymom@gmail.com)
• Social Media postings-Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn etc.
• Appearance: Height, weight, ‘attractiveness’, clothing

Tips and Techniques to minimize unconscious bias

• Watch Unconscious Bias: Stereotypical Hiring Practices with Gail Tolstoi-Miller Tedx Talks will help the search committee begin thinking about their own unconscious bias and open the conversation about how the committee can work to avoid the biases affecting the candidate selection process.

• Be honest with ourselves to identify our own biases, preferences, and stereotypes
• Visit https://wrj.org/implicit-bias to learn more about implicit bias and take the test to see what your implicit biases are.

Need help with a search for a new Director of Early Childhood Education? Feel free to reach out.

Tricia Ginis
Executive Director
tginis@urj.org

We are in a crisis.

Now, more than ever, the outlook is bleak for early childhood education and educators. There is a great need and a great shortage of educators in the field of early childhood education, including Jewish education. Without enough teachers there are not enough programs. This was an issue before the pandemic, and now it is much worse and impacting more and more families with young children.

On September 19 of this year, the Washington Post published an article by Heather Long with the heading ‘The pay is absolute crap’: Child-care workers are quitting rapidly, a red flag for the economy. The article provides both statistics and stories from parents and teachers illustrating the crisis that we are all in.

The statistics are staggering:

• Day Care workers earn in the bottom 2 percent of all professions
• The child-care industry if down 126,700 workers
• The hiring situation in early childhood is worse than in restaurants
• More than 10,000 workers have left the industry since June, 2021
• More than a third of providers are thinking about quitting or closing their business “as a sense of hopelessness permeates the industry”

In the Early Childhood Jewish world, we see this every day. And we are worried. Just a few of the comments I have heard recently include:

• I can’t afford to send my own child to the program I work for
• I can make more money as a cashier at Walgreens
• I worked throughout the pandemic and received only a cost-of-living increase. It is still barely minimum wage
• We live in a country that values money – it is clear how little they value educators
• I love teaching and I love children, but I am so tired of being treated like this – little money, no benefits, little respect

If you are reading this, you are probably not surprised. You probably have heard this before. You are likely a person who cares about young children and the field of early childhood Jewish education, who sees the value in the work of ECE-RJ, and who wants to support educators and education.

Keep reading.

We have an opportunity.

Now, more than ever, is the time for our collective voice to be heard.

The United States Congress is considering a bill that would support early childhood education and make quality early childhood education a right, not just a privilege, for all three-and four-year olds. The proposed legislation would reduce costs for families and offer wages for early childhood teachers that are comparable to educators in local public schools. Federal funding can work for Jewish and other religious schools in a mixed delivery system. While accepting federal funding would mean removing religious aspects from the curriculum; ethics, values, and honoring the cultures of all children can remain. Religious aspects of the program can take place before or after the funded program as enrichment class or family programming. This may be a challenge and a change for some

The pandemic has undoubtedly had an impact on early childhood education. The continuing public health crisis has made an already stressful and challenging job even more difficult.

It is not surprising to find directors and teachers feeling stressed out, overworked, and underappreciated. It can feel very isolating in a building where stress is coming from all directions. You have parents worried about the health and safety of their children, teachers who feel underpaid and overworked, and Temple administration and lay leaders (with declining Congregational membership), who are more than ever looking toward ECE programs as a source of income. 

What has been a bright light and a source of nurturing support are the private forums and webinars offered by ECE-RJ.  They are places where members can go to be with others who are having the same experiences and experiencing the same feelings and emotions.  They are places to share, vent, and find an empathetic ear. This is not the time to go at it alone. We all need each other.

If you are looking for a network of early childhood educators to provide guidance and support, ECE-RJ is the place to be. I’d love to share more about ECE-RJ and how we can support the work that you do. Feel free to reach out!

Tricia Ginis
Executive Director, ECE-RJ
tginis@urj.org

Dear Friends,

This month, as we begin another year of unknowns (but really, isn’t every year unknown?), I was asked to write about how ECE-RJ has impacted me. I think the request was to write from a professional viewpoint – but the effect has also been very personal.

Nine years ago, at about this time of year, I joined ECE-RJ. At the time, I thought, “Why not join?”

 I had been an Early Childhood Jewish Director but not a director of a congregational preschool.  Maybe it would help me learn the ropes.  I had no idea what to expect but thought I would give it a shot. Now, as I begin my tenth year at this congregation, I look back and think, “Joining ECE-RJ was one of the best decisions I ever made.”

The difference that ECE-RJ has made in my professional and personal life is monumental.

The beginning of my ECE-RJ experience was a pretty quiet one. I did not know anyone when I went to my first conference in Morristown, N.J., and I did not know what to expect. I stayed in the background, learned a lot, and had some great discussions with other members. It wasn’t until the last night, when I signed up to go to dinner with people I had never met, that I made my first ECE-RJ friend (she is still one of my favorite people).

Over the next several months, I followed the Listserv and saw there were many educators who shared similar experiences and were ready to help each other along the way. As a side note, a few years ago ECE-RJ moved away from the Listserv to forums on the ECE-RJ website, a much better way to share and support!

A year after the conference, I found I needed to connect with someone I had met in New Jersey. My daughter was traveling to a place where she did not know anyone, and neither did I, or so I first thought. I remembered I had met one person at the ECE-RJ conference who lived in the area, so I reached out, reintroducing myself and asking if she would be an emergency contact to calm a nervous mother. She wrote back and said she would be honored. “Honored,” I thought. “Who says that?”

Well, a kind and loving ECE-RJ member who would help another in her ECE-RJ community. Fortunately, my daughter did not have any emergencies, and even more fortunately, I made a lifelong friend.

After that, I slowly became involved in a committee, doing small tasks and meeting more people. Soon, I had contacts and friends all over North America. That grew into more and more involvement that has proven to be so rewarding. But it began with small steps and taking a risk – saying I wanted to help.

From small steps and risks comes growth.

As the new membership year begins it is important to understand the benefits of membership with Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism (ECE-RJ). Membership includes access to private forums, webinars, yearly conferences and kallot and participation in the Reform Pension Board.

Not only do Early Childhood Directors and Assistant Directors, who are members of ECE-RJ, have the benefit of utilizing the Reform Pension Board (RBP) when working at a Reform Congregation, but Teacher members now have the benefit as well.

RPB provides retirement and insurance products tailored to fulfill the financial needs—and shared values—of modern Reform Movement professionals. As one of the Reform Movement’s cornerstone institutions, RPB works to enhance the financial security of our professionals and help you plan for and achieve the lifestyle you want throughout your lives.

Your employer must be a congregation affiliated with the Reform movement, HOWEVER, your congregation does not need to participate in RPB to contribute towards your retirement to utilize this benefit. With RPB, you can plan for tomorrow today. 

For only $140 an early childhood center can offer this benefit to their staff.  Click HERE for the 2021-2022 membership year pricing.

RPB Director and Assistant Director Guidelines:

• Membership in ECE-RJ
• Is Employed by a Reform Movement Congregation (URJ)

RPB Teacher Membership Access Guidelines:

• Membership in ECE-RJ (options below)
  • School Membership - $140 for July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022 membership year which includes all teaching staff when a director is a member in good standing
  • Individual Teacher Membership - $54 per person for July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022
• Works a minimum of 25 hours a week in the early childhood center
• Has been employed by a Reform Movement Congregation for a minimum of 1 year (URJ)

Reform Pension Board Newly Expanded Tier 1 Fund Lineup—Now Live!
The new lineup gives you more funds to choose from that will help you to manage your risk while growing your savings. Learn more at rpb.org/tier1summer

If you have any question regarding the Reform Pension Board, please feel free to reach out to ECE-RJ’s representative on the Board, Jill Cimafonte. Her email is JCimafonte@tewnj.org

Ah, summer.  As a child, the summer months meant fun, camp, swimming, and freedom from school. I did not give too much thought to the year behind me and only some thought to the next year, mostly who would be my next teacher and if my friends would be in my class.

 As an adult and an educator, the view from the other side of the desk is a little different.  Now, each summer I reflect on the past year, often with some regret, with thoughts of “I should have done this and I wanted to do that.”

This year, ECE-RJ was at the center of my reflection, and I had many “I wish we hads” and “I wanted tos.” Until the ECE-RJ Board, your board, our board, made a list of accomplishments. I was blown away. While, for many of us, this past and unprecedented year felt overwhelming and that we were barely keeping our head above water, these are some of the things that we, you and I, ECE-RJ did:

• We partnered with the URJ in a webinar to bring attention to the new needs of our centers, directors, and teachers.
• We held a phenomenal virtual conference with presenters from Israel, Germany, Iceland and Australia, and North America.
• We strengthened partnerships with other Early Childhood Jewish organizations.
• We elevated our UNITE newsletter and enhanced our social media presence.
• We assembled more and stronger committees.
• We held our first fundraising event, very successfully.
• We increased the number of Meet-Ups and offered social, as well as professional, opportunities for meeting and sharing.
• We worked with congregational leaders to support their early childhood centers and programs.
• We increased the help and support for each other through our professional forums.

Look at what we, ECE-RJ did. In a pandemic.  In a year when sometimes just making it through the day felt like a win, look what we did. And we did it together. Imagine what ECE-RJ can do in 2021-2022.

In 2005, I was teaching second and third grade when I read in the local Jewish News that Temple Solel of Paradise Valley was hiring a new Director. My effort to convince a friend to apply backfired. Instead of her, it was me who applied, and was hired.  At the time I thought it was a ridiculous decision, leaving my teaching position with set hours, many breaks, and a fantastic schedule.

Being a teacher was reliable and worked well with my family life. I could be there for my kids when they needed me (they were going to the school where I was teaching). While the pay wasn’t great, the benefits outweighed most alternatives.

Although it was one of the best decisions I ever made, I realized quickly I had a lot to learn. Fortunately, I became involved with ECE-RJ. While ECE-RJ connected me with other Early Childhood Directors on a national level and provided me with guidance and insight, I would have appreciated much needed mentoring from a conference specifically designed for new directors.

This is why I am excited about ECE-RJ’s involvement in the New Directors’ Institute (NDI). NDI is a conference for synagogue Education Directors, Early Childhood Directors, Principals, Directors of Congregational Learning, and Clergy-Educators new in their roles or hired within the past two years. The conference is a collaboration between ECE-RJ, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, Jewish Educators Assembly, Cantors Assembly, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Association of Reform Jewish Educators, and Reconstructionist Educators of North America.

The virtual conference will take place July 12-15, 2021. Participants will:

• Learn best practices for educational leadership.
• Become part of a learning community of colleagues.
• Leading Jewish educators facilitate your learning and growth.
• Special sessions designed for Early Childhood Educators.
• Ongoing support and mentorship throughout the year.

I wish the conference was around when I started as a Director. I believe it is so important, members who attend will also receive a complimentary registration to ECE-RJ Virtual Kallah, January 12-15, 2022, and will also receive a $100 membership discount to  ECE-RJ if they join by September 1, 2021.

The deadline to enroll is June 25, 2021. For more information and to register, please visit uscj.org/ndi.

Last June, ECE-RJ installed new officers and held our annual board meeting on Zoom. It was the first time we were not in person, the first time not holding a chuppah over our new board member’s heads, and the first time not sharing hugs. Each summer the ECE-RJ convenes a multi-day board meeting and for the first time we were not sitting around a real table together, feeling the presence and wisdom of those who served before us, and thinking and discussing the best ways to serve our members and strengthen ECE-RJ.

We began the 2020-2021 year in unprecedented times. It was a journey on a long and winding road – not knowing which way it was going to turn. We were only sure of three things: we would need to adapt to whichever way the road turned, we would need to overcome any obstacles that was in our way, and would need to care for ECE-RJ members (board members included). With this in mind, our priorities became “adaptive leadership” and “nurturing our membership through compassion.” As we worked through the year, talking with members, planning meet-ups, writing on the forums, writing for UNITE, we always came back to “Are we being compassionate? Are we adapting? Are we leading?”

 ECE-RJ moved along the winding road, straightening it out a little when we could. Soon we realized that in this unprecedented year, we had an unprecedented opportunity: We could forge our own path and pave our own road. So, we began looking for opportunities that might move us in an even better direction. We straightened the first curve with continuing the important work that had been done in previous years—such as strengthening relationships with affiliates and professional organizations within the URJ, building committees, and opening up the communication and work between the committees.

We also created more meet-ups for learning and relationship building. We held a virtual conference with presenters from Iceland, Israel, Australia, Japan and more.  

It was a hard year and exciting year. It was a year of loss and a year of growth. Where will we take our road next? I hope to see everyone along the path throughout the coming year.

 Congratulations to all early childhood Jewish educators and members of ECE-RJ – you did it!

I would like to share the following note from Shelly Sender, VP of Learning about this year’s ECE-RJ conference. 

The first-ever ECE-RJ Virtual Conference 2021, Olam Chesed Yibaneh is in the books, and I am happy to share it was a huge success. With over 435 registrants, the ECE-RJ Conference offered four days of global perspectives in early childhood education practices, social networking, spiritual connections, deep conversations, and International/global sessions representing seven countries and a wide range of topics.

One of the joys of a conference, as you know, is reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones, including getting the opportunity to hear their stories, network, and join for a laugh or two in an environment of camaraderie and learning.

There was trepidation as we developed the conference. We worried that changing from an in-person meeting to a virtual conference would make us lose the atmosphere and culture of connections. I have to say we did not!  

All of the conference sessions were recorded and are available for conference attendees to watch. ECE-RJ is now making the recordings available for purchase ($130) for Directors. These recordings can be used for professional development. One idea is to hold a staff ‘watch party’ with guided discussion. If you are interested in purchasing the recording links, please contact Tricia Ginis, Executive Director, ECE-RJ at tginis@urj.org. 

A special note of appreciation to an amazing group who worked tirelessly and collaboratively to pull off this conference.  

• Zoe Miller, TX
• Carol Pastor, NJ
• Becca Taute, TX
• Kelsey Winocour, TX
• Pam Ranta, CA
• Ellen Lefkowitz, CA
• Cathy Goldberg, CA
• Lisa Samick, NY
• Jennie Rubin, NJ

Thank you to American Jewish University and Remini for their sponsorship of the conference. We are grateful for their support.

Now it is time to set our sights forward to the rest of the year and the start of 2022, when we will have our second virtual conference, January 12-15, 2022.  We encourage you to stay involved and take advantage of all ECE-RJ has to offer. We are committed to being your advocate and connection to professional development opportunities and collegial connections.

Shelly Sender
VP of Learning, ECE-RJ

Dear Friends, 

Here it is the end of May and we are completing our very first pandemic school year. Whether in person, on Zoom, or hybrid, we have all successfully made it through the year. Go us! Many (if not all) of us had challenges and obstacles we never dreamed of and a mental and emotional load that at times weighed us down as we wondered how we were going to once again get up. And we were there for each other. ECE-RJ members lifted and supported each other through the forums, through emails, through UNITE, through texts, through meet-ups and our Virtual Conference, Olam Chesed Yibaneh.  Just knowing that there were ECE-RJ colleagues and friends across the country who really understood what I was going through helped me manage through some of those difficult moments. Across North America, in our own congregations, cities and states, we had a shared experience. And now, that experience has ended and we are about to begin new experiences and a new journey. 

A few of those experiences will be coming up for ECE-RJ in the next month or so. First, I would like to welcome Judi Goozh as our liaison to the North American Board of the URJ. Judi is a retired speech and language pathologist having worked with pre-k through high school students. This is her fifth year on the NAB Board and has been on the Families with Young Children team, worked as a PEECE coach, and is participating in the URJ ECEC Network meetings. Judi is a long-time supporter of early childhood Jewish education and ECE-RJ and will be a wonderful partner in the next steps of our journey. Please join me in welcoming Judi to ECE-RJ!

I hope you will attend our virtual Plenary Session and Board Installation! On June 23 at 2:30 pm ET ECE-RJ will give an update on the organization, install our new board members (Louise Van Schaak, Ellen Lefkowitz, Leslie Scheck, and Zoe Miller) and bestow the Person of Valor Award and the Marc Newman Shomrei Or Award to two deserving ECE-RJ members. Register here https://urj.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZElf--gpzMpG93iGUAuVepaqe3srtF-An8I, tune in to see who has earned these prestigious awards and celebrate the amazing year!

Dear Friends,

Here we are, just after Passover and I have been reflecting (really having flashbacks) on the past year. Just over one year ago, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a global health pandemic. Global. Pandemic. Even the words feel large and overbearing. We heard phrases like “nothing like this since the Spanish Flu” and “is this the plague?” 

Like our ancestors, we found ourselves in a desert with few resources, but we did not wander. We quickly figured out where we needed to go and created paths to get there. We were faced with obstacles and either conquered them or adjusted our route. We were intentional every step of the way. Nothing was going to stop us from reaching our destination. We stretched out our own hands and helped each other along. Everyone’s world was turned upside down and early childhood educators, as we always do, turned on a dime and reimagined not only education but community. And we rocked it.

I am reminded of a quote by Gabby Giffords, former United States Representative from Arizona, “Jewish women - by our tradition and the way we were raised – have an ability to cut through all the reasons why something should, shouldn’t or can’t be done and pull people together to be successful.” I have had this quote on the wall in my office as inspiration, since 2011 when Giffords was shot in the head in an assassination attempt. Just as telling the story of leaving Egypt is part of our Jewish tradition, making things work with the resources we have is part of the tradition of early childhood educators.

Over the past year I have witnessed and spoken with members of ECE-RJ (Jewish and non-Jewish), early childhood educators (all genders), who are living up to Gabby Giffords’ words. We heard that there could not be quality in online, remote early childhood education. And we did it. We were told that it was impossible to form a real community when we could not meet in person, and we did it. We were told schools and centers could not be safe and healthy in a pandemic, and we did it. We worried how we would support children, families, and teachers in this new way of living, and we did it. And we wondered how we were going to do all we believed in and still take care of our own families, and we did it.

Sometimes it might have been by the skin of our teeth, and sometimes we did this with little or no support, but we did it. Many of us are still the only ones in our buildings, and we are still doing it. Every single day, we do it and we do it well. We take temperatures, screen parents and children for possible exposure to illness, sign children in, send reports to state agencies, keep in touch with every family, counsel parents and teachers through difficult times and situations, run high quality, safe and healthy schools, teach excellent classes, support our teachers, colleagues, children, and families. Every step of the journey, every obstacle we faced, we have rocked it all.

So, thank you. Thank you, ECE-RJ members, across North America for, like Gabby Giffords, being my inspiration.

 Thank you, and keep rockin’ it!

Fern

I feel like I am always counting. I’m counting how many days until I get to see my kids. How long until I can see my parents in person again?  How many miles have I walked?  How much time are we spending watching Netflix/Prime and Apple+?  Oh my! Maybe I should not count that last one.  

Counting also occurs between Passover and Shavuot, when we Count the Omer. The mitzvah of Counting the Omer takes us from remembering the exodus and the celebration of spring to receiving the Torah on Shavuot. It brings a sense of connectedness to our rich Jewish history and the community.

During the pandemic, we have also had to count on each other for support and understanding.  It has helped get us through some tough times.

The ECE-RJ community, our network of early childhood educators, relies on the sense of belonging and the community we have built. In other words, counting on each other.  Spending time supporting one another through webinars, virtual conferences, social and networking opportunities helps us ground the work that we do. It is what we look forward to and trust.

 It is what we count on in every sense of the word.

Dear Friends,

We have a spring fog in Chicago. Over the past few months, we have had snow and ice, melting and refreezing, and now it looks like warmer days are on the horizon.

For much of the country, the past few months brought some unusual weather patterns. Some areas withstood the weather well. Others, like Texas, really struggled.

As I watch the fog lift, the grass is turning green and the flowers are blooming. As they do, I think of the storm we all have weathered for the past 12 months.  We have all been in the same storm and some of us – individuals, families, teams, schools, congregations, and organizations – weathered it a little more easily. At the same time, I do not doubt, that we all shared in struggles at one point or another.

 To me, it feels like my “inner fog” is beginning to lift.

Over the next few months, most adults will have the opportunity to be vaccinated. More stores and restaurants will open again. While we will still need to be careful, perhaps continue social distancing and wearing masks, we may be able to gather more comfortably and with less fear.

The warmth and sunshine on the horizon look pretty good but also uncertain and a little scary.  I have missed spending time in person with friends, family, and colleagues, but I have also become comfortable in not leaving my home on weekends and “stopping video” when I don’t want others to see me. I have greatly missed large family gatherings and special occasions, but I have really enjoyed not wearing uncomfortable shoes. I really miss hugs, but…nothing, I really miss hugs. As we emerge out of a pandemic and into a new world, I cannot help but wonder what will be different, what will be the same.

As the fog clears, and the sun begins to shine in, what comes into view is an exciting opportunity for all of us: ECE-RJ’s virtual conference, Olam Chesed Yibaneh, Healing Our World with Light and Love. This wonderful event will help us emerge from the past year in light and love. It brings together early childhood educators from around the world.

We are excited to provide two unique presenters, Sabína Steinunn Halldórsdóttir from Iceland and Beverly Sher and Adi Ben Yosef from Australia. Both are well-known educators in their home countries. In addition, Nefesh Mountain will provide meaningful music as we celebrate Shabbat as a community. Please join us for this momentous experience as we emerge from a global pandemic and help us bring light and love into our world.

Fern

I'm sure that you know that membership in ECE-RJ is made available for ECE Directors, Assistant Directors, and Teachers! However, did you know that URJ Congregations looking for a new Early Childhood Education Director receive free 3-month membership? That is right, free.  

As a member, you will have access to an assortment of placement materials designed to help a Congregation move through the entire placement process. The materials are in the Congregation (Lay leaders, Staff, Clergy, and Supporters) Lounge on the ECE-RJ website. The website also contains a Job Board to advertise the open position.

We provide information to help you plan a coordinated course of action, form a search committee, develop a timeline, and inform your committee about ways to foster your new Early Childhood Educator's success.

Along with sample job descriptions, recent compensation & benefits survey information, checklists, and interview questions, the site also lists helpful articles such as how to reduce bias in the hiring process and why salary transparency is a Jewish value.

To receive your free membership, please contact Tricia Ginis, Executive Director at tginis@urj.org.

Dear Friends,  

 “And so we lift our gaze, not to what stands between us, but what stands before us.”  Amanda Gorman

 I am writing this on the day of the Inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris with many thoughts running through my head. No matter where our political ideals lie, which side of the aisle we are on, who we supported in the presidential race, or how we feel about the past four years; it is a time of change- a time for a change.

 My first thought today: I have wondered over the past four years, really missed more than wondered – kindness. Where did the kindness go? We used to have kind people as leaders. How did we get away from kindness? We have witnessed behaviors in adults that we usually see in toddlers. Temper tantrums, name-calling, untrue stories that are told as if they are true, etc. As directors and teachers, we know that the tone of the organization, school, classroom, is set at the top. If we treat our coworkers, children, and families with respect, compassion, and kindness it will likely spread. A change we desperately need in our country.

 Another thought as I watched the news clips today: I am represented! We are represented! You may have seen the meme “A Catholic, a Woman of Color, a Teacher, and a Jew walk into the White House. No punch line. Just amazing progress.” A woman, a teacher, a Jew—that’s me! If you are reading this, you likely wear at least one of those labels, too. For the first time, I feel that some of our country’s leaders know me, what I believe, what I think is important.  This was a long time in coming, a change we have waited for and are ready to embrace.

 And my final thought at the end of the day: The Hill We Climb, a poem by Amanda Gorman. I was mesmerized listening to her read the phenomenal poem she wrote for the inauguration. If you haven’t heard it yet, I am sure it is online. It is well worth the time. In a poem of unity, a poem for all of us, Gorman writes, “If we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy and change our children’s birthright.” ECE-RJ is on this journey.  Change--our children’s birthright.

Fern

A year ago, this month, we were in St. Louis for five days of learning, inspiration, rejuvenation, and reflection.

We focused on the art of Intentionality, where deep connections were cultivated in a very intentional and meaningful way. We practiced mindfulness as a prerequisite suited for intentional learning and reflective practice. The scholar in residence, Rabbi Andrea Goldstein touched our lives and impacted us deeply. She awoke our souls and hearts, teaching compassion, patience, and mindfulness. Rick Recht, the incredible musician in Jewish music, not only brought us sounds that moved us, but also provided the most innovative and amazing leadership training. Shira Kline, AKA “ShirLaLa”—presenter, musician, and spiritual leader— infused soul-lifting songs and intentional practices into everything we did. How fortunate we were to learn from the best of the best!

Little did we know how much our world would soon change. We could not even imagine that those five days, for most of us, would be the last time we had the opportunity to collaborate.

Here we are, a year later, February 2021. ECE-RJ is looking to the future and preparing for our members to be together once again, after so much time apart.

Please mark your calendars for April 14-17 for the ECE-RJ virtual conference. It will be a time to reflect and rejuvenate, which we all need.  It will be a time to look to the future of early childhood education and how we as a community can bring professionalism and best practices to the work that we are so committed to.

Going forward we will need to repair the developmental damage done through isolation, virtual learning, and minimal social interaction. The conference is a great place to learn how to take on these new challenges. I am hopeful and optimistic we will have a better future and this conference will be a great place to start this new journey.