Supporting Our Educators, Strengthening Our Children: CAJE’s Commitment to Mental Health, Inclusion, and Excellence
Posted on 12/05/2025 @ 05:00 AM
ECE Educators at CAJE's Kick-off Day of Learning for the New Al Pi Darko Collaborative
By Audrey Maman Bensoussan, Director of CAJE’s Day School Programs and Services and Yehudis Smith, Director of the CAJE’s Robert Russell Department of Early Childhood
At the heart of CAJE’s work is a shared communitywide vision:
When we invest in the well-being, skill, and resilience of our educators, we strengthen our children, their families, and the future of Jewish life.
This fall, CAJE launched major parallel initiatives for Early Childhood and Day School educators - each rooted in trauma-informed practice, professional collaboration, and the belief that adults need strong support systems to fully support their students.
EARLY CHILDHOOD SPOTLIGHT
Introducing the Al Pi Darko Collaborative – An ElevatEd Experimentation Grant Initiative
This fall marked the launch of the Al Pi Darko Collaborative, CAJE’s newest Early Childhood initiative and an ElevatEd project, funded by the Greater Miami Jewish Federation.
Designed to strengthen how our schools identify and support children with developmental, behavioral, and neurodiverse needs, this groundbreaking collaborative is reaching 92% of Miami’s Jewish early childhood programs - a testament to how very needed this inclusive, child-centered practice is for our ECE community.
Rooted in our Jewish tradition “Chanoch l’na’ar al pi darko” - educate each child according to their way (Proverbs, 22:6) - the initiative helps ECE directors and educators deepen their ability to recognize emerging needs, partner with families, and create classroom environments where every child is understood and valued.
But the Al Pi Darko Collaborative also addresses the needs of educators themselves, many of whom are experiencing burnout, compassion fatigue, or overwhelm. By strengthening adults, we strengthen the children in their care.
The Al Pi Darko Collaborative opened with an in-person Day of Learning led by NATAL: Israel’s Trauma & Resiliency Center, which was facilitated by educational psychologist Natalia Peretz.
Before the workshop officially began, we were joined by Nancy Zaretsky, the Disability Specialist for the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, who spoke with our group about the Federation’s vital role in supporting community-wide inclusion efforts and introduced the Miami Jewish Abilities Alliance, highlighting in particular its grant program that helps defray the costs of psychoeducational evaluations for families.
Tailored specifically for early childhood leaders, Natalia’s session focused on the ‘Window of Tolerance,’ trauma-sensitive approaches, and strategies for supporting both children and teachers amid rising behavioral and emotional challenges.
‘Window of Tolerance’ refers to the optimal emotional zone in which a person - adult or child - can learn, connect, process information, and respond effectively to the environment. When individuals are outside this window, they may become either overwhelmed and reactive, or shut down and disconnected.
‘Trauma-sensitive approaches’ teach educators how to recognize when a child has moved outside their window, understand the underlying causes, and respond in ways that restore safety and regulation rather than escalate distress.
The strategies explored during the session included concrete tools for helping children return to a regulated state - such as predictable routines, sensory support, co-regulation techniques, and attuned communication - as well as guidance for educators to identify their own stress responses.
Thirty ECE leaders attended and expressed immense gratitude for the opportunity to learn together, reflect, and reset.
“This training helped me better understand how to support children and colleagues during moments of stress, frustration, or emotional dysregulation. It gives me tools to model calm and resilience in the classroom and to create a nurturing environment where both children and teachers feel safe to express and manage their emotions. It also helped me with tools to guide my team in recognizing their own emotional states and using regulation techniques to respond with empathy and intentionality rather than reaction.— Yuli Alcantara, Teacher Mentor Leader, Margaux School at Temple Judea
The initiative has now begun its monthly Community of Practice facilitated by Stephanie Slater of Matan, providing directors with ongoing professional learning, peer support, and a protected, confidential space to bring challenges, share strategies, and build more inclusive and resilient school cultures.
DAY SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT
Mental Health Network Opens the Year with NATAL: Israel’s Trauma & Resiliency Center
CAJE’s Day School Mental Health Network opened its year with a powerful full-day workshop also led by NATAL and facilitated by Natalia Peretz.
This session offered school counselors and psychologists practical tools to help them better support teachers working with neurodivergent students or students experiencing behavioral and emotional dysregulation.
For more than 25 years, NATAL has been Israel’s leading Trauma & Resiliency Center, serving over 500,000 individuals, including educators and community leaders. Their programs are grounded in decades of clinical practice and the wisdom of more than 30,000 trained professionals worldwide.
In today’s post–October 7th landscape, students are carrying more stress, uncertainty, and emotional overload than ever, making the role of mental health professionals more critical than ever.
The Day School workshop’s central goal echoed what our ECE community needs: to strengthen the adults who support children every single day.
Facilitator Natalia Peretz brought more than 20 years of experience leading psychological services, crisis-response teams, and educator trainings.
Her guiding belief - that trauma energy can be transformed into life energy - anchored the day’s work.
Participants learned about:
- Differentiating between developmental challenges and trauma responses
- Supporting a student’s ‘Window of Tolerance’
- Regulation strategies counselors can teach teachers
- Conflict-resolution and mediation tools
- Individualized intervention supports
- Effective communication with dysregulated students
- Self-care as a professional imperative
- The concept of active hope even in difficult times
The tone in the room was one of validation and empowerment, as many participants finally gained language and strategies for what they see daily in classrooms.
One especially meaningful reflection came from Adam Eshel, a School Counselor at Pardes Day School, who shared:
“Gathering in person was incredibly valuable. Being able to collaborate with colleagues from other schools, share strategies, and problem-solve together reminded me how much we all benefit from community. I also learned a great deal from the activities - they were engaging, practical, and something I can bring directly to our teachers.”
The Mental Health Network continues throughout the year in partnership with the national day school organization Prizmah and with Dr. Oshra Cohen, Program Director at Prizmah, whose ongoing virtual sessions ensure continued coaching and tailored support for our mental health professionals throughout the year.
ONE COMMUNITY, ONE VISION
Although the Early Childhood and Day School initiatives serve different ages, they reflect one unified CAJE commitment as noted above:
When we invest in the well-being, skill, and resilience of our educators, we strengthen our children, their families, and the future of Jewish life.
Through trauma-informed learning, peer support networks, and opportunities for deep reflection, CAJE is building a compassionate, capable, and connected educational ecosystem.
Together, we will build a community in which every educator is valued, every child is understood, and every learner can grow al pi darko - in their own unique and beautiful way.
To learn more about CAJE’s Day School Mental Health Network and our work with Jewish Day Schools, please visit Jewish Schools and Educational Services or contact Audrey Maman Bensoussan at audreymaman@caje-miami.org.
To learn more about CAJE’s Al Pi Darko Collaborative and our work within Jewish early childhood centers, please visit The Robert Russell Department of Early Childhood Education or contact Yehudis Smith at yehudissmith@caje-miami.org.
