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Feb 21, 2025

CAJE Rep on M-DCPS Antisemitism Task Force

CAJE is excited to announce that Rabbi Efrat Zarren-Zohar, CAJE’s Executive Director, has been appointed to the Miami-Dade County Public School system’s Task Force on Antisemitism. In response to rising hate, the school system created a task force led by Ines Meras, District Director of FACE- Family and Community Engagement, a program of Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS).

Feb 7, 2025

A Crucial Lifeline: CAJE’s Day School Mental Health Network

This past week Rabbi Efrat Zarren-Zohar, CAJE’s Executive Director, Valerie Mitrani, CAJE’s Director of Day School Professional Development and Audrey Maman Bensoussan, CAJE’s Director of Day School Programs and Services attended the national organization Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools conference in Boston where Audrey presented her initiative in creating CAJE’s Day School Mental Health Network of school counselors along with co-presenters Zahava Garber of the Hebrew Academy, and Dr. Oshra Cohen Prizmah’s Director of Mental Health and Wellness.

Jan 31, 2025

Redefining Teacher Evaluation at the Cognia Conference

The Cognia Impact Conference brings together educators, administrators, and thought leaders to discuss innovative strategies, share best practices, and explore the latest research in education. Craig Carpentieri, Chief Academic Officer at Scheck Hillel Community School in Miami, one of the 12 Federation-funded schools, was a featured presenter at the Cognia Impact Conference in Orlando on Jan 29-30. Cognia is a globally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing educational excellence through accreditation, assessment, and continuous improvement services.

Jan 17, 2025

Introducing the CAJE Israel Corner

The Robert Russell Early Childhood Department of CAJE is excited to introduce you to the CAJE Israel Corner, a new initiative dedicated to deepening young families’ and teachers’ connections to Israel in meaningful and engaging ways. Each month beginning in November, we have been sharing a thought-provoking article designed to help parents and educators bring Israel into their classrooms and homes in developmentally appropriate ways.

Dec 6, 2024

Revolutionizing Jewish Day School Admissions: Fostering Collaboration Over Competition

Traditionally, Jewish day school admissions in South Florida were characterized by isolation and competition, with each school independently managing its own processes. The Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE) in Miami has fundamentally reshaped this landscape by fostering a culture of collaboration, transforming what was once a fragmented system into a cohesive network of schools working together. This shift has not only streamlined admissions but also strengthened the entire Jewish educational community, making the process more equitable and transparent for families and schools alike.

Nov 22, 2024

Igniting Inspiration and Creativity

This past month, Yehudis Smith, Director of CAJE’s Robert Russell Early Childhood Department, traveled to the Capital Retreat Center in Waynesboro, PA, to attend The Paradigm Project’s annual early childhood education conference, a leading gathering of Jewish early childhood educators from across the country.

Nov 8, 2024

Developing the Next Generation of Day School Educators

Did you know that 1 out of 2 new educators will drop out of teaching within their first five years? That’s a statistic that applies to every educational setting, including Jewish day schools, unless the new teacher receives coaching and mentoring. In September, CAJE launched its 7th new cohort of the Jewish New Teacher Project (JNTP), which drastically reduces new teacher burnout because it successfully supports the next generation of educators in Jewish day schools.

Aug 16, 2024

Spotlight on Annette Raij, ECEE Chair

“When children are young, their ideas of being Jewish are formed through songs and art, so if they have a Jewish education that is authentic and not just glorified babysitting, then they will actually build those core memories early on. Those songs and Jewish memories from their early years become so deeply embedded and woven into the fabric of their identities that they know nothing other than how to be tall and proud Jews.”

Aug 9, 2024

4 Gifts My Jewish Education Has Given Me

My grandparents grew up on the Lower East Side in a time when Jewish schools did not exist. My grandmother painstakingly taught herself to read Hebrew and though she could follow the Torah reading in shul, she always wished she could truly understand the words. When I graduated from my Jewish elementary school, my parents gave me a choice between a public high school and a Jewish one. I could hear my grandmother’s voice as I visited the public school in eighth grade. “Education is the most important gift you will ever receive. The world can take a lot from you, but they can never take away what you have learned.”

Aug 2, 2024

ElevatEd Launches at @CAJE Miami: A National Jewish Early Childhood Education Initiative

CAJE is thrilled to announce our participation in ElevatEd, the groundbreaking initiative to transform the field of early childhood Jewish education by addressing the critical shortage of early childcare teachers.

Jun 28, 2024

CAJE Professionals Walk the Walk

One of the cornerstones of CAJE’s philosophy is the importance of professional development in Jewish education. Every school year, CAJE through its staff invests deeply in professional development opportunities for educators in the Jewish early childhood centers, day schools, and congregational programs across Miami-Dade. But investment in professional development doesn’t stop at our work with others.

Jun 14, 2024

South Florida Jewish Day School Robotics Festival: Growing, Building, Innovating!

On May 10th, 215 students from 13 schools gathered at Scheck Hillel Community School to compete in various challenges and showcase what they’ve learned throughout the year at CAJE’s 7th Annual South Florida Jewish Day School Robotics Festival.

May 24, 2024

Transforming Jewish Education Through Learning Walks

CAJE partners with the educational organization BetterLesson to provide teacher and leader coaching to implement Flexible Instructional Models, which offer students the opportunity to engage in exploration, inquiry, and self-assessment while discovering meaningful connections in their learning. This one-to-one support benefits teachers and students in individual classrooms, but how does a school look at the big picture within the whole school? Enter Better Lesson’s professional development and training methodology called ‘Learning Walks.’

May 10, 2024

The Power of Visiting Israel: Delegations of Responsibility

Last month, The Jewish Education Project - in collaboration with the iCenter and The Jewish Agency - hosted a nationwide trip to Israel for Jewish educators.Appropriately called Mishlachot Areyvut / Delegations of Responsibility, the objective of this trip was twofold: to bear witness to the atrocities of October 7th and its aftermath, and to begin discussions about the future of Jewish education in a post-October 7th world.

Apr 5, 2024

Rethinking How We Commemorate Yom Ha'Zikaron & Yom Ha’Atzmaut

In the aftermath of October 7th, amidst heightened antisemitism and anti-Zionism, Yom Ha’atzmaut and Yom Hazikaron hold deeper significance than ever before. Many Jews are asking: How can we celebrate when so many are suffering? How can we remember the trauma of our past, while we’re still experiencing it? How can we capture the heartbreak we have experienced while at the same time, highlighting the gratitude we feel? This past week, CAJE presented a pivotal webinar focused on empowering our Jewish institutions and professionals to innovate in how they commemorate of Yom Ha’atzmaut and Yom Hazikaron.

Mar 22, 2024

Helping the Helpers: Strengthening School Counselors’ Support Systems

October 7 altered our world as we know it. In Jewish day schools, guidance counselors and psychologists were busier than ever dealing with students who had siblings and/or parents serving in the Israeli Defense Forces, teachers whose children were also in the IDF and/or whose spouses had been called to reserves… In Miami, the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE) had already created the infrastructure to support our school counselors and psychologists before there was an unprecedented need.

Mar 1, 2024

CAJE’s Newest ECE Initiative: Monthly Teacher Support Nights

This past Monday evening marked the launch of CAJE’s newest Early Childhood Education initiative: Monthly Teacher Support Nights. At CAJE, we are committed to nurturing excellence in early childhood education through supporting our network of early childhood educators. Teacher support is paramount to creating enriching learning environments for our children and decreases teacher burnout and turnover.

Feb 16, 2024

Exploring the Intersection of Well-Being and Education

Rabbi Daniel S. Brenner, Vice President of Education at Moving Traditions and Miami’s Scholar in Residence for the first weekend in February as part of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s BeWell Miami initiative, recently led an engaging program tailored for professionals in CAJE’s networks.

Feb 9, 2024

Supporting Miami's Ecosystem of Jewish Day Schools

The simplest definition of an ecosystem is that it is a community or group that lives in and interacts with each other in a specific environment and requires energy from an external source. For Miami’s ecosystem of Jewish day schools that source is CAJE. CAJE’s Day School department has worked in partnership with Miami’s Jewish day schools and the Greater Miami Jewish Federation to ensure a vibrant and healthy ecosystem.

Jan 12, 2024

iCAJE: THE GREAT CONNECTOR

One of CAJE’s greatest strengths lies in our ability to connect. CAJE brings people together strategically, facilitating connections that lead to successful outcomes. Being a great connector is about creating a ripple effect of positive and impactful relationships. By bringing the right people together with intention and authenticity, CAJE contributes to successful outcomes, fosters innovation, and strengthens communities and networks.

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