Educators

Behrman House NewCAJE 2012 Workshop Presentations

NewCAJE is August 5-8, 2012 at Montclair State University, NJ.Visit our booth in the Exhibit Hall and attend our workshops: Get Your Students Arguing: Debate in the Classroom as a Method for Project-Based Learning Monday, August 6, second afternoon session (pre-dinner) RSVP on Facebook (how?)

Calling All Teachers--See You in August at New CAJE!

Are you coming to NewCAJE August 5-8, 2012 at Montclair State University, NJ?

Three Steps to Getting Started in the Online Learning Center

More and more educational directors are creating private, customized spaces in the Online Learning Center for their schools to use this fall. Some want to create Hebrew classes that give their students online access to exercises and Hebrew-based video games—without CDs. Others want to try our new blended learning materials for Jewish values, Jewish identity, and Israel.

Why I’m Excited about the Online Learning Center

Mara Braunfeld, Educational Director of Temple Shaaray Tefila of Bedford Corners,  NY, sat down with us recently to discuss the Online Learning Center and why she is adopting it for her school this year. Here is what she told us.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorses JLand

JLand, a virtual world for Jewish children available in the Behrman House Online Learning Center, has caught the attention of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Happy Falafel Day!

Did you know that June 12th is International Falafel Day?  Originally a Middle Eastern street food as common as hot dogs in New York City, the tasty falafel has become a popular meal worldwide.  Not only is it delicious and easy to prepare, but it is also nutritious, vegan, and parve.  You don't have to travel all the way to Israel to celebrate Falafel Day; Behrman House has everything you need to host a fabulous falafel feast!

Coming Soon: A Whole New Way to Get Tech Help

Do you need help using our website, shopping cart, learning software, Resource Libraries, or Online Learning Center? Is something not working the way you expected? Soon you will be able to report your questions to or request support directly from our IT staff at Behrman House and get automatic updates on the answers using our new Support Ticket System. The Support Ticket System will go live early this summer, and can be used by anyone—educators, teachers, students and parents.

San Francisco's Contemporary Jewish Museum Offers Free Resources

(Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, California.) Our friends at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco contacted us with a wonderful offer for Jewish educators: free Shavuot resources based on museum exhibits. Elizheva Hurvich, Jewish Community Liaison at CJM, sent along a Torah-based project to help your students find meaning in Shavuot. As It Is Written: Project 304,805 (The Torah Project) Appropriate for all ages

Welcome Summer: Resources for Shavuot

While the sun shines outside and winter becomes a distant memory, many of us take this time to step away from our work and refresh our lives. In the Jewish tradition, this is also the time to renew our relationship with God and Israel through the celebration of Shavuot. Prepare for this important joyous holiday and enjoy the start of the summer season with the following family resources and suggested reading. Learn about the history, significance, and traditions of Shavuot as a family:

Arguing for the Sake of Heaven: Teach Teens the Art of Jewish Debate

by Rabbi Barry L. Schwartz Throughout my twenty five years as a rabbi I have taught teens in confirmation and post-confirmation classes. No experience has been more thrilling than the formal debates I recently conducted in those classes. These debates grew out of my new book, Judaism’s Great Debates: Timeless Controversies from Abraham to Herzl which has just been published in both youth (Behrman House) and adult (JPS) editions.

DeLeT at Brandeis Seeks Future Teachers

Do you know someone who would be an ideal candidate for the DeLeT MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) at Brandeis? DeLeT prepares teachers for Jewish day schools. Candidates can choose from among several tracks, including one for Hebrew teachers in grades 1-8; one for prospective secondary Tanakh and general studies teachers; and a third for those interested in teaching general studies in grades 1-6 with an emphasis on integrating Jewish values and content into the curriculum.

New Products May 2012

Watch the video below and check out the new releases from Behrman House this month: "Oy Vey" Isn't a Strategy: 25 Solutions for Personal and Professional Success offers realistic solutions steeped in Jewish wisdom and real life wit.  Professional coach, speaker and writer Deborah Grayson Riegel gives readers insightful tips and tools to help navigate the inevitable "oy veys" that pop up in work and life.

Teachers as Partners: Easing the Way into the Online Learning Center

How can I get my teachers excited and motivated about using the Online Learning Center? That’s the most common question education directors ask as we roll out the new Online Learning Center.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Offers Israel Matters to Local Synagogues

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles has announced it will provide copies of Israel Matters to rabbis throughout the Los Angeles area to present to their b’nai mitzvah from the pulpit – at no cost to their synagogues. Published by Behrman House this month and originally developed by the Holy Land Democracy Project of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, Israel Matters fulfills an important role in educating young teens, as well as their families, on the past, present, and future of Israel.

Give your students the gift of Jewish engagement this summer with J-Land!

Give your students the fun of an interactive, Jewish online environment this summer! Behrman House has partnered with Compedia to help you give students an end of year gift they can use all summer. J-Land Online is a virtual world for Jewish children. This safe, personalized online world for kids aged 4-8 features a variety of games that incorporate math, reading, and thinking skills together with activities that highlight Jewish identity through holidays, heritage, Israel, and Hebrew. Children learn through virtual adventures in a safe, closed Internet environment.

iPads vs Laptops

An Interview with Andy J. Shannon, Head of IT at Behrman Houseby Terry Kaye  TK: Educators regularly ask you whether to buy iPads or laptops for their schools. What do you say? AJS: I understand the urge to buy iPads. I myself have bought three. iPads are cool. They’re more easily transportable, conducive to sharing in groups, and allow you to easily download and use apps from the App Store.

International Federation of Christians and Jews Recommends "Israel Matters"

From the Publisher: Luddites and Rocket-Scientists

Dear Friend and Educator, I’ve just ordered new stationery—the real paper kind I use for thank you notes.   Am I a Luddite, a techno-phobe? But I’ve been using an electronic calendar since 1991.  I was first in line for a PDA. And in 1981 I wrote my law review article on the one law library computer available for students.  Am I a propeller-head, a techno-geek?               

Under Construction...A New Babaganewz Experience

If you have visited the Babaganewz website in the last week, no doubt you have noticed some changes.

When Jewish Values Collide

Recently, the New York Times and the Washington Post reported the final outcome of a sad story that embarrassed the Jewish community. Rabbi Menachem Youlus, a sofer and Jewish bookstore owner in Silver Spring, MD, pleaded guilty to mail and wire fraud in a scheme to steal money from Save a Torah, a non-profit organization he had helped to create.

Teach Israel

 Experience Modern Israel

New from Behrman House. Fly to Israel without a plane ticket.

Discover Israel

 Let's Discover Israel

Offer younger children an exciting and age-appropriate introduction to the Jewish homeland