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Teachers & Educators

Reinforce Your Expectations for a Respectful Learning Environment Today

No classroom is perfect. Any educator can tell you that; but our friend and Jewish educator Diane Zimmerman can help you establish routines to guide your learners. When students push the limits (and your patience) what do you do? Diane's number one key is to base your reminders on clearly established expectations.

Free Apps Offer Fun Hebrew Learning

Spend family time practicing Hebrew with these fun and FREE Hebrew apps. Help children successfully learn to decode the Alef Bet with Unlimited Alef Bet. Behrman House's interactive mobile app for the iPhone, iPad, and Android devices introduces children to Hebrew letters and simple words while enjoying animated Hebrew words that talk.

New Hot Topics Series Kicks Off with a Free Lesson Plan

Our new Resource Libraries series, Hot Topics, presents a balanced investigation of some of today's thorniest issues, and provides opportunities for teens to develop personal responses to them. Students will explore eight issues from a Jewish perspective featuring:

#Blogelul Day 15, LEARN

Have brains changed? When I was young the standard knowledge about the brain was that it started out with all the cells it was going to get, and that the best we could do was to hope not to lose too many to profligate living along the way. I recall especially a public service ad of an egg frying: "This is your brain on drugs."

Hineni is Coming to the OLC and We Need YOUR Help!

The Hineni series has been a long time favorite for teaching prayer with meaning and soon we will introduce Hineni for the Online Learning Center! We're looking now for teachers to sign up to be testers later this fall. Hineni for the OLC testers will test one of the seven modules that will be available for the OLC. The full seven modules will feature 35 prayers and blessings, including:

Welcome Students Back to School with Refresher Hebrew Exercises

It's been a long summer!

Videos to Help You Share Some Fun for Rosh Hashanah

L'Shanah Tovah! Get your classroom celebrating with these fun Rosh Hashanah videos. Shanah Tovah Rosh Hashanah a la Hanna Montana Muppets Call Me Maybe- Chana Tova (It's in French!!)

Prepare Parents for a Smooth Start to this Year's Classes

The new school year is here and we want to help you guide parents for a quick and smooth start. Help parents (and yourself!) be classroom ready by including permission forms right along with registration packets. If your parents register online you can use a check box in an online form.

Connect Parents and Students with the Magic of Shabbat Interactive

Families with children, ages 6-11, can explore Shabbat on their own terms with Shabbat Interactive. This online game helps children make meaning of all the core elements of Jewish identity and is a great resource for educational family time. Usually $9.99, Shabbat Interactive is available free through the Behrman House Online Learning Center this year.

It's Time to Add Music to Your Tefillah Program

Teachers and youth group leaders can relate directly to their teens’ lives as they bring music, digital devices, Facebook, and personal discussion into the classroom. The purpose? For teens to identify core Jewish principles embedded in Jewish rock music.

Blogging Jewish Values

Our friends at the Paradigm Project recruited 29 educators to share a tip for families each day of the month, using 29 values from the new Jewish Values Challenge playing cards as prompts. Each micro-blogger is writing a 2-3 sentence tip for families, demonstrating one way to realize the day's Jewish value. You can find them throughout the month below. 'Perseverance' ElulFamilyValues blog, by Lyndall MIller:

How Your Religious School Worship Can Empower Prayer in Communities

As Jews we cherish both the freedom to express ourselves and the obligations we have toward our community in a dynamic tension that can give rise to either inspiration or alienation. Saul Kaiserman from Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York, discusses how to help students manage that tension, and give rise to creativity, by helping them become sophisticated, empowered participants in their prayer community.

How to Talk to Students and Parents About Israel and the Gaza Conflict

Many of us are struggling with the question of how we address Israel and the Gaza conflict with our students this fall. We have collected many resources to help you feel comfortable addressing your students and parents questions.

Micro-Bloggers Help You Implement Jewish Values in Your Learning Space

The Paradigm Project teamed up with Behrman House for a Blog Elul project to return core values of Judaism and Jewish early childhood education this Elul. Our friends at the Paradigm Project recruited 29 educators to share a tip for families each day of the month, using 29 values from the new Jewish Values Challenge playing cards as prompts. Each micro-blogger is writing a 2-3 sentence tip for families, demonstrating one way to realize the day's Jewish value.

New Features Now Available for the Online Learning Center

Your excellent feedback about the Online Learning Center has led to big changes to better suit your classroom needs. Improvements and new features are to ensure that you can provide your teachers with a flexible, easy-to-use, and transformational tool that lets students engage in Jewish learning using the kinds of technology they use for the rest of their lives. You will now see the following changes to your learning space:

Blogging About Jewish Values: How You Can Help

You've mastered enriching your students' experiences with core values in your learning space. Now you can share with other educators and families AND get a free set of our Jewish Values cards. The Paradigm Project has teamed up with Behrman House for a Blog Elul project and wants to include you.

Gearing Up for the High Holidays

Feel more comfortable participating in services this year. Don't sit silent just because you feel nervous about Hebrew. We have tools to help learners of all ages practice Hebrew reading skills. Don't understand what the prayers say or why we say them? Hineni Prayerbook Hebrew for Adults goes beyond teaching rote prayer. It helps you understand the themes, the origins, and the deeper meaning of each one.

It's Time to Get Your Books!

Here at Behrman House we are prepared and ready for you to place your orders for the coming school year. Our customer support is available by phone 9-5:30 Monday - Thursday and 9-5 on Fridays to place your order and our online store is open 24/7. We ship within one business day of your completed order, guaranteed. Order before 10 A.M. and it will go out the same day!

Guide Students to Make Meaning of Jewish Holidays

How can students learn Jewish values from our Holiday traditions? Jewish holidays are based on the Hebrew calendar, which follows the cycles of the moon and causes holidays to fall on different days every year. Guide students as they grapple with challenging questions about Jewish Holidays and traditions with help from some of our newest educational materials. Suggested materials include: