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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!