Why does congregational education need to change and

evolve?

The basic congregational school model has not fundamentally changed since early in the 20th century.When supplemental schools were started, most Jews lived in tight knit Jewish communities where families were immersed in Jewish life. Therefore, the schools could focus mostly on training children in the skills needed to participate in a synagogue service and study Torah, since a child’s Jewish identity was forged in the home. Today, congregational education needs to engage all of our congregants in a broad range of Jewish identity-building experiences, as well.

Re-envisioning community engagement and

congregational learning

www.pjll.org/CE21

Congregational Educationfor the 21st Century

About the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning:

Since 2004, the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning has been leading a way forward for the Jewish community. We are a team of innovators with a new vision for education. We collaborate with hundreds of organizations to provide an array of learning opportunities for people of all ages who want to explore their Jewish identity, values, and culture. Programs balance innovation with tradition, connecting action with meaning. In developing CE21, the Partnership has collaborated with ECE, the Experiment in Congregational Education, a part of the Rhea Hirsch School of Education of the Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. ECE has been in the forefront of such change efforts for the last 18 years as a national, trans-denominational organization, and has a positive record of helping congregations innovate.

For more information about CE21,contact Barry Krasner at bkrasner@pjll.orgor 240-283-6220.

Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning12230 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD, 20852

www.pjll.org

Scattered innovation and incremental improvement alone cannot address some of the deep structural and cultural challenges that beset Jewish education today. We need as well to rethink the nature of those frameworks themselves, to imagine better ways of deploying and complementing them, to experiment with new models and approaches, and to redesign the system as a whole so that it can more successfully achieve its ultimate objective: inspiring large numbers of Jews to live Jewish lives of meaning and purpose.– Redesigning Jewish Education for the Twenty First Century, A Lippman - Kanfer Institute Working Paper

This process has helped me shift my perspective on education from a top-down to a bottom-up approach and re-emphasized the importance of thelay-professional partnership.– CE21 participant

The consultants have given us organizational and design tools that we would not have been able to find on our own. They have given us direction and incredible reinforcement. Also, the input of their community experience and knowledge of other congregations’ efforts have been very helpful.– CE21 participant

Our educational consultant has been with us through every step of the design process, helping to keep us moving when we were stuck, reframing ideas, and helping us see the forest for the tress.–CE21 participant

For case studies and testimonials, visit www.pjll.org/CE21.

Achieving the Goalsof your congregationWhether it’s engaging new and existing members, creating more inclusive learning environments for all ages, or connecting Jewish values to American lives, the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning’s team of educational innovators has the expertise to help you realize your goals. Through our transformative, guided change process, your staff and lay leaders can together create a healthier, revitalized community grounded in stimulating lifelong Jewish learning.

With CE21, one size does not fit all. Your congregation can choose a linear, 14-month process or a set of a la carte modules to match your goals. Examples include:

Challenging assumptions about Jewish education and learning

Taking youth education from Good to Great Conducting educational needs assessments Identifying educational goals and outcome-based

program evaluation Developing the capacity to engage all populations

in learning Aligning Jewish educational opportunities across

the congregation Visioning a lifelong learning system Engaging membership in congregational

conversation Coaching staff on leadership, management, change

and innovations Designing innovative educational models* Taking youth education from “Good to Great”

* Congregations interested in this module will work closely with the Partnership to assess readiness for authentic transformation and innovation in contrast to improvements or enhancements.

What the Partnership’s CE21process can do for you:As your congregation engages in the process, we help clarify educational goals for all of its interwoven populations. Once goals are defined, your congregation creates a new educational model that embodies the culture, values and vision of your particular community.

The Partnership offers CE21 congregations dedicated consultants from a team of experienced professionals with expertise in Jewish education or organizational development. The consultants help you facilitate the process and provide training for congregational professional staff and lay leaders. The Partnership also develops the evaluation tools required to assess progresVs and success for your congregation.

CE21 will help create overlapping ‘communities of practice’ for both professional and lay leaders. There will be opportunities for reflection, visioning and the design of a new model that fits the needs of each participating congregation.