March 2017 The ECE-RJ Experience
Larry Glickman welcomes educators to The Tent
When networking in The Tent, ECE-RJ becomes connected to over 8,200 Reform Movement lay and professional leaders, and now we can discuss publicly how to implement new procedures with synagogue executive directors. We can get ideas on how to celebrate holidays with rabbis and cantors. We can talk to leaders from small congregations in the Pacific Northwest, and large congregations in Memphis, Miami and Dallas. To find out more about The Tent read more...
March 21 Meet Up Conference Call
Monthly Meet Ups
Join other members and a facilitator to discuss specific topics to enhance our early childhood programs. All you have to do is dial in!
Previous Meet Up topics include:
New and Creative Ideas to Engage Young Families
Social Media: Goodbye Paper Ads! Marketing in Social Media
Seamless Continuum: Integrating Your Early Childhood Program into your Synogogue
Conflict Resolution: Building Strong Productive Teacher Teams
Parenting Topics: How to Find Speakers and Engage Parents
Building Community: Practical Strategies and Programming
Rabbi Sarah Meytin is an ordained rabbi with an MSW. She has significant program development and oversight, community engagement, and nonprofit administration experience. She has 10-plus years of education and teaching experience, including formal classroom education, workshop/ seminars, and educational program facilitation for children and adults of all ages. Sarah has been in early childhood education since 2009, has completed the "90-hour course" in Early Childhood Education, and earned a National Director's Credential from the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership. She is also an alumna of the Jewish Early Childhood Leadership Institute (JECELI), Cohort 3. Rabbi Meytin is currently the Director of Early Childhood Education at B'nai Shalom of Olney, in Olney, MD. She lives in Silver Spring, MD with her wife, Rachel, and their two children, Coby and Ruthie.
Register for the March 21 Meet Up Conference Call HERE. Prior to attending please consider submitting questions or concerns for discussion during the Meet Up via this LINK.
Israel...is the real thing
Enjoy the Israel Trip Promo song here (to the tune of "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing")
To find out more about the 2018 ECE-RJ Israel Experience click HERE.
To register for the 2018 ECE-RJ Israel Experience click HERE.
Chicago Conference
Thank you from the organizers
Dear Conference Participants,
Fern Katz, Vice President of Conferences and Biennials
Pos
t-Conference Press Release
Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism (ECE-RJ) hosted their 17th national gathering in Chicago, March 1-4, 2017. Over 250 directors, teachers, and leaders involved in early education and engagement from North America and Israel attended the conference, which focused on the theme, Advancing Early Childhood Education in the 21st Century. Read more...
Diana Mendley Rauner's Keynote Address Slideshow Available
The slideshow that accompanied Diana Mendley Rauner's conference Keynote Address about "Organizational Conditions for Excellence" is available HERE.
Make the next conference even better...submit your Conference Evaluation
Guidebook features including workshop materials, an attendee email list, workshop and full-conference evaluations are available until October 2017. However, we would appreciate your Conference Evaluation responses by March 24, 2017 so we can include your input in our post-conference assessment. The conference organizers look forward to hearing from you.
Post-Conference Hangouts
It’s hard to believe our time together in Chicago was more than 2 weeks ago… it simultaneously feels like just yesterday and already months away – do you know what I mean? I often feel disappointed by the fact that as I get back to my office after a conference; and back to the “daily grind” I lose that sense of community, sense of inspiration, sense of joy that I get when we’re all together. The day to day “stuff” gets in the way and I want to reengage with the ideas and the passion that we all felt together. I imagine many of you feel the same….SO… I invite you to join me for a ZOOM call where we can come together to share what we learned and maybe help each other to take steps towards enacting those ideas/goals in our own schools. I can’t wait to hear from you what your big takeaways were from the workshops you attended and I’m looking forward to sharing some things that are coming up in the organization.
I hope you’ll join me!!! I’ve set up three times so that hopefully one will work for you. Please reply to me to RSVP for the call you’d like to be on and I will write back with the link. We are keeping space limited on each call so we can really talk, so let me know!!!
Thursday, March 23rd @ 4pm (EST)
Tuesday, March 28th @ 10am (EST)
Thursday, March 30th @ 2pm (EST)
Look forward to seeing you soon!!
Check out the Virtual Ad Journal
CLICK HERE to view the Virtual Ad Journal celebrating conference participants, organizers, ECE educators, directors and administrators.
Share your conference photos and memories on social media
Click HERE to link to the ECE-RJ Facebook page
Click HERE to link to the ECE-RJ Twitter page
Click HERE to link to the ECE-RJ Instagram page
Congratulations to the Conference Raffle Winner
Shelly Sender won $500 towards the 2018 Israel Trip fees (cannot be used for the non-refundable deposit) or $500 toward the 2019 ECE-RJ Conference Registration Fees (location TBD)
Conference Tzedakah Follow-Up
2017 ChicaGO! Conference Tzedakah Opportunities
“It’s In Our Hands”
As Jews we are commanded to engage in Tikkun Olam, Repair of the World. In order to fulfill this mitzvah, it is suggested that each conference participant make a contribution to our Conference ECE-RJ Tzedakah Fund. All monies collected will be equally dispersed to the organizations listed below. We encourage you to include your ECE families in this mitzvah and have provided a space on the registration form for your contribution.
$125 Donation made to: LOCAL CHICAGO AREA: Ounce of Prevention Fund – http://www.theounce.org
Since 1982, the Ounce of Prevention Fund has persistently pursued a single goal: that all American children—particularly those born into poverty—have quality early childhood experiences in the crucial first five years of life. Last year, more than 4,000 children and families are directly serviced through birth-to-five programs and almost 3,000 early childhood professionals received training. In addition, The Ounce advocates for state and federal funding for early childhood services that reach hundreds of thousands of children across the country.
$125 Donation made to: ISRAEL: JNF Special In Uniform - http://special.org.il/en/special-in-uniform/about/
Special in Uniform is an innovative program that integrates youth with disabilities into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and assists in preparing them for careers following army service. Participants are accepted by the IDF to serve as fully fledged soldiers in a unique, specially designed, protective and helpful framework
Listserv for Teachers
Join your teachers now for a bonus 3-months of membership (through June 30, 2018)
The ECE-RJ is rolling out a Teacher Listserv. This informative resource has long been a go-to for school directors and is now available for teachers. If you sign-up now, you will get a 15-month membership for the price of one year. Click HERE for current membership rates. Email Tricia Ginis to enroll teachers.
Introducing The Jewish Dish!
Introducing The Jewish Dish! Sign up HERE to receive ReformJudaism.org’s new monthly email filled with recipes, fun food facts, holiday tidbits and more – all with a Jewish twist! Please spread the word too – here’s a sample Facebook post.
Print your own ECE-RJ Membership Card
ECE-RJ members can follow these instructions to access or download their individual card.
Member Login > Select Member Name (top right-hand corner)
Select ‘Member Card’ in drop-down menu
Member card will populate as a PDF file
Safety and Security Measures
Show us your Audacious Hospitality
