Teachers & Educators

How to Teach Children Tzedakah - and Make an Impact

Hanukkah is a time of giving and teaching tzedakah, but how can we help our younger children understand the true meaning? Like many parents, Kveller writer Cara Paiuk has struggled with how to translate the concept of tzedakah into something tangible children can fully understand. "I want my children to understand that the abundance they enjoy is unfortunately not experienced by many others, so we should help whenever and however we can," Paiuk said. 

Fill Your Home with Cookies and Family Memories this Hanukkah

There's nothing better than a house filled with the smell of cookies while families create memories over a good Hanukkah tale. 

Hebrew with Intent: A School’s Culture Transformed

In the Spotlight: Washington Hebrew Congregation, Washington, D.C. Hebrew is unquestionably a significant piece of what it means to be Jewish. This is the third in a series about educators and their experiences developing a clear-eyed purpose for Hebrew in their schools and a program that supports those goals.

Tina Wasserman has Everything You Need for a Yummy (and Safe!) Hanukkah Food Lesson

By Tina Wasserman, Author of Entrée to Judaism - A Culinary Exploration of the Jewish Diaspora and Entrée tp Judaos, for Families-Jewish Cooking and Kitchen Conversations with Children Hanukkah is synonymous with foods cooked in oil but what do you do if your classroom kitchen is limited, non-existent or you have students too young to safely navigate the frying process?  Do not despair, you can still tell the stories, involve the students and tantalize their taste buds.  The following are some suggestions and recipes that can enga

Become a Babaganewz Author Today!

We've reorganized Babaganewz as the first open marketplace for Jewish educators to buy, sell, and share their original resources and YOU can help! We believe that real teachers create the most relevant and engaging educational resources. The Babaganewz open marketplace model will promote resource quality, quantity, and availability.

Wow Your Thanksgiving Guests with this Recipe from Get Cooking

We're getting creative this Thanksgiving and you can too with this great stuffing recipe from Get Cooking! A Jewish American Family Cookbook. This simple four-step recipe makes 12-15 servings (and comes with a bonus dairy-free cornbread recipe!)

Hebrew with Intent: Finding Authentic Purpose

In the Spotlight: Temple Emanu-El, Westfield, New Jersey Hebrew is unquestionably a significant piece of what it means to be Jewish. This is the second in a series of profiles of three educators and their experiences developing a clear-eyed purpose for Hebrew in their schools and a program that supports those goals.

Tools for Teachers: OLC Features Keep Directors in Control

As we progress through the school year directors can stay in control with help from tools and features in the Online Learning Center.  Last year we introduced the new feature to help educators never have to deal with the lost password dilemma again!  When Educational Directors select the view all option in the members tab a new 'Reset Password' option is available. 

Hot Topics: Ethical Kashrut

In the past few years, a new awareness of the realities of the industrial food system we live in, and the harms to the earth and to workers because of those realities, has led many Jews to practice what is known as "ethical kashrut."

Hebrew with Intent: Clarifying the Right Why

In the Spotlight: Temple Sholom of Chicago Hebrew is unquestionably a significant piece of what it means to be Jewish. This is the first in a series of profiles of three educators and their experiences developing a clear-eyed purpose for Hebrew in their schools and a program that supports those goals.

Rabbi Professor David Golinkin Helps Us Dig Deeper into As a Driven Leaf

First published in 1939, As a Driven Leaf is still regarded as a major influence on contemporary Jewish life and thought.

Coming Soon: Shalom Uvrachah Goes Digital

Soon, Hebrew learning will be available across all of your devices! With the upcoming Shalom Hebew OLC app, your students will be able to journey through the pages of Shalom Uvrachah - our bestselling Hebrew primer - where vowels talk, letters dance, and students can swipe words across their screens. 

Happy 60th Birthday ARJE!

We're getting ready to celebrate the Association of Reform Jewish Educators' 60th birthday at the URJ Biennial! Will you be celebrating with us? On Friday, November 6th, at the URJ Biennial in Orlando, Florida, the ARJE invites you to celebrate its birthday in the Kikar section. 

Teachers Helping Teachers: Virtual Marketplaces for Educators

Laura Randazzo, an English teacher in California, understands the kinds of resources that other teachers are looking for, and thanks to virtual marketplaces, others have access to them. Her story of creating and sharing teacher resources was highlighted in a recent article in the New York Times. A couple years ago, after hearing about the site TeachersPayTeachers.com, a virtual marketplace where educators can buy and sell lesson plans, Randazzo started posting her own items to the site. 

Babaganewz Gets a Makeover

The popular Babaganewz resource library is returning with a brand new look and a new way to connect educators. Like the original site, the new Babaganewz Jewish Educator Marketplace will offer a growing collection of resources specifically for the Jewish classroom. And now educators can create, share and sell resources themselves using the site.

URJ Update: CHAI Resources for Families are Now Available

Behrman House is pleased to announce the additional of CHAI Parent Education, CHAI Parents: Early Childhood Parent Education, and the CHAI Shabbat Family Workbook to our list of cleared and available titles. 

Shalom Coloring is Available NOW!

The wait is over! - Shalom Coloring is available now! Drawing on the rich history of Judaic objects, art, and tradition, this new collection of exquisite imagery features complex illustrations and patterns that will inspire novice and expert colorists alike. Each beautiful piece is designed specifically for adults and allows them to escape their stresses and mentally relax with a rainbow of choices and beauty. 

The New Alternative to Meditation

Coloring has expanded beyond just a pastime enjoyed by children to help relieve tension and anxiety in adults. According to a recent article on theopenmind.com, of the current top 20 selling books on Amazon six of them are adult coloring books.  "The unlikely pastime for those of us who have successfully graduated from kindergarten has been gaining popularity of late, as an easy means to express oneself and de-stress along the way," Huffington Post writer Pricilla Frank explains. 

What Goals Can You Reach with the Help of Blended Learning?

You work hard to develop learning goals that meet the needs of students and families in your school and keep the student at the center of learning. On Friday, November 6th from 11:15 AM to 12:30 PM you can join Joan Carr, Marlene Myerson and Vicki Weber to discuss how the principles of blended learning can help solve the unique issues your school faces in meeting student and family needs.

Help Reboot Jewish Education!

We're seeking ideas for a NEW digital experience that can help reboot Jewish education! Have you been tinkering with an idea for an app or other digital learning experience for Jewish education? Would you like to get ongoing mentoring about your idea, and take it to a month-long workshop in Israel to bring it to life with help from professional coders, designers and ed tech developers?

Teach Israel

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 Let's Discover Israel

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