Early childhood

“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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.’

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Much of what CAJE professionals do is continue their professional learning so they can teach it to others (school directors, administrators and teachers) so that they can teach it to their students. A few weeks ago, CAJE’s Director of Early Childhood and Congregational Education Yehudis Smith joined a select group of early childhood professionals from around the world in the city of Reggio Emilia, Italy for an incredible professional development opportunity.

How does the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE) elevate the teaching taking place in our Jewish school classrooms? Through outstanding professional development workshops that teachers are happy to be part of.

As the Miami community’s central educational agency, CAJE regularly brings together principals and administrators from all of our day schools to discuss timely and important issues facing the entire day school community. What is more timely and relevant than Israel today?

Early childhood educators from across Miami-Dade came together last Thursday night for an evening of learning, connection, and support. Over 145 dedicated teachers and administrators spent two hours learning on Zoom about the most current developmentally appropriate teaching practices in early childhood education.

In the midst of what is transpiring in our homeland of Israel, CAJE’s many departments are working diligently to help our schools and constituencies with resources to help support Israel, find comfort, talk with children and students, and take action.