T he number 29 has often portended new beginnings in Jewish history. According to tradition, it was on the 29th day of Av that Moses ascended Mount Sinai to carve the second Tablets. Likewise, the Jewish people were symbolically given a second lease on life on 29 Nisan, 5705 (1945) when U.S troops liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp, outside of Weimar, Germany. And who can forget November 29, 1947, when the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, an event that was greeted by spontaneous and jubilant celebrations and dancing on the streets of the Jewish neighborhoods and settlements in Mandatory Palestine.

As the NRJE enters its 29th year, it, too, is experiencing new beginnings:

• Journal of Jewish Education — After ten years of dedicated service, Dr. Michael Zeldin (HUC-JIR) will be stepping down as senior editor of the Journal of Jewish Education at the end of 2014. Michael was the inaugural editor of the revamped journal under NRJE auspices. With the assistance of Managing Editor Sue Kittner Huntting and a team of dedicated associate editors, Michael did much to revitalize the journal and elevate its quality. Last spring, I appointed a search committee led by NRJE Secretary Dr. Benjamin Jacobs (NYU), and including Dr. Steven M. Cohen (HUC-JIR), Dr. Gail Zaiman Dorph (MTEI), Dr. Jason Kalman (HUC-JIR) and Dr. Joseph Reimer (Brandeis), to identify a successor. I am pleased to announce that Helena Miller will become the new senior editor of the Journal of Jewish Education in January 2015. Helena is the Director of Research, Evaluation and Community Israel Engagement at United Jewish Israel Appeal and holds a Ph.D. in Jewish education from the University of London and is a past recipient of the 2012 Max M. Fisher Prize for Jewish Education in the Diaspora. Helena’s skills as an editor were recently on display in the International Handbook of Jewish Education (Springer 2011), which she co-edited with past NRJE chairs Dr. Lisa Grant (HUC-JIR) and Dr. Alex Pomson (Rosov Consulting). Under Helena’s leadership, I know the

Journal of Jewish Education will go mi chayil el chayil, from strength to strength.

• Annual Conference — Our 29th Annual Conference will be held from June 9-11, 2015, at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, in New York. (See the Call for Proposals on page 3 of this newsletter.) The conference will be co-chaired by Dr. Ari Y. Kelman (Stanford), who will coordinate the program and Dr. Evie Rotstein (HUC-JIR), who will oversee the arrangements. Please note that the conference is being held mid-week, Tuesday-Thursday, which is a departure from the recent past but will allow us to run our second annual Emerging Scholar Seminar, in conjunction with Consortium for Applied Studies in Jewish Education (CASJE) and the Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education, on June 8-9. I am thrilled that for the first time, the NRJE will be co-hosting the conference with the Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry. Bringing together the members of the NRJE and the ASSSJ will energize the intellectual environment at the conference in ways that will be exciting and generative. The partnership promises to bring many new faces to the conference, scholars who may not think of themselves as Jewish education researchers but whose past and present

NEWSLETTER OF THE Number 42 Fall 2014/5775

ADDITIONAL COPIES MAY BE OBTAINED by contacting Melissa Zalkin Stollman

Network for Research in Jewish Education4613 N. University Drive, #348 | Coral Springs, FL 33067

513.815.NRJE (6753) | nrjecoordinator@gmail.com

JONATHAN KRASNER – Chair

BEN JACOBS – SecretaryELI SCHAAP – Treasurer

LAUREN APPLEBAUM 2014 Conference Chair

LISA GRANT Past Network Chair

JONAH HASSENFELD Graduate Student Liaison

CAROL INGALL NRJE Awards Chair and Past Network Chair

ARI Y. KELMAN 2015 Conference Co-Chair

JEFF KRESS Immediate Past Network Chair

JON LEVISOHN 2014 Conference Program Chair

BENJAMIN LEWIS Graduate Student Liaison MICHELLE LYNN-SACHS Newsletter EditorEVIE ROTSTEIN 2015 Conference Co-Chair MICHAEL ZELDIN Senior Editor, Journal of Jewish Education

MELISSA ZALKIN STOLLMAN CoordinatorNetwork for Research in Jewish Education4613 N. University Drive, #348Coral Springs, FL 33067513-815-NRJE (6753)

NETWORK EXECUTIVE

FROM THE NRJE CHAIR

JONATHAN KRASNER | jbkraz@gmail.com

JONATHAN KRASNER

Reflections

continued next page

NEWSLETTER DESIGN Nicole Ray

fall 2014 the network for research in jewish education 2

scholarship has touched on Jewish education and matters of interest to Jewish educators and policy-makers. It also promises to stimulate new research in Jewish education by our social scientist colleagues. As in the past, the conference will be a forum to present unpublished research on all areas of Jewish education, utilizing a wide gamut of methodological approaches. A full day of the conference will be programmed separately from the ASSSJ. While this joint conference is conceived as a one-time event, I hope it will embolden us to think about other potential partnerships and opportunities to broaden our reach and introduce our members’ scholarship to an expanding circle of colleagues.

• Strategic Planning Process — Last spring, in Los Angeles, I announced the commencement of a strategic planning

process to chart the course of the NRJE for the next decade and beyond. I am pleased to announce that this process is underway. Marion Gribetz, the managing director of Gribetz Mencow Consultants and senior research associate at the Maurice & Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University is serving as our consultant. A planning committee headed by Dr. Lisa Grant (HUC-JIR), and including Frayda Gonshor Cohen (Mills College), Dr. Bethamie Horowitz (NYU), Dr. Carol Ingall (JTS), Dr. Meredith Katz (JTS), Dr. Moshe Krakowski (YU), Dr. Jon Levisohn (Brandeis), Dr. Eli Schapp (Steinhardt), and Matthew Williams (Stanford), will be meeting on November 9, 2014, to prioritize issues, lay out an agenda and agree on a process moving forward. Among the issues that will be considered are: core audiences and services; governance; operations; relationship between the Journal of Jewish Education and the NRJE’s other activities; relationships with partner institutions and organizations (e.g., Association of Institutions of Higher Learning for Jewish Education, Consortium for Applied Studies in Jewish Education); graduate student training and mentoring; and, short and long-term sustainability. As the strategic planning committee collects data in the coming months, you may be receiving a survey and/or an interview request. Your responses are critical to ensuring the efficacy of the strategic planning process. Look forward to receiving progress reports on the strategic planning process in the spring newsletter and at our annual conference.

• Administrative Coordinator — As many of you know, Beth Lutzker-Levick, our administrative coordinator from 2012-14 resigned effective September 1. We wish Beth and her husband Michael a hearty Mazal Tov on the birth of their son, Ari Isaac, on September 27, 2014. I am pleased to introduce our new administrative coordinator, Rabbi Melissa Zalkin Stollman. Melissa also serves as the Director of Lifelong Learning at Congregation Kol Tikvah, in Parkland, Florida. Melissa can be reached at the same gmail address that Beth used: nrjecoordinator@gmail.com. However, please make a note of our new address and phone number:

Network for Research in Jewish Education4613 N. University Drive, #348 Coral Springs, FL 33067513-815-NRJE (6753)

I know you join me in welcoming Melissa and will be patient with her as she becomes acclimated.

With so much going on can difficult to catch one’s breath. But each of these new developments holds much promise as we look to the future.

Finally, in the spirit of new beginnings, I’d like to wish you and your families a sweet, healthy and peaceful new year. Shanah Tovah!

Fondly,Jonathan

1 REFLECTIONSFROMTHENRJECHAIR JonathanKrasner

3 2015NRJECONFERENCE–CALLFORPROPOSALS

4 NRJEMENTORINGSEMINAR MeredithKatzandBenJacobs

4 NRJEAWARDSCOMMITTEE CarolIngall

5 JOURNALOFJEWISHEDUCATIONUPDATE–FALL2014 SueKittnerHunttingandMichaelZeldin

6 THECASEFORCASJE MichaelFeuerandPaulGoren

7 NEWSFROMAMERICANJEWISHUNIVERSITY SivanZakai

8 NEWSFROMTHEDAVIDSONGRADUATESCHOOLOF JEWISHEDUCATIONATJTS OfraBackenrothandAlexSinclair

9 NEWSFROMHEBREWCOLLEGE MichaelShire

10NEWSFROMTHEJACK,JOSEPHANDMORTON MANDELCENTERFORSTUDIESINJEWISHEDUCATION, BRANDEISUNIVERSITY SusanneShavelson

10NEWSFROMAZRIELIGRADUATESCHOOLOF JEWISHEDUCATIONANDADMINISTRATIONAT YESHIVAUNIVERSITY RonaNovick

11 JOBPOSTINGFROMSHOOLMANGRADUATESCHOOL OFJEWISHEDUCATIONATHEBREWCOLLEGE

12NEWSFROMNEWYORKUNIVERSITY JudeKramer12NEWSFROMOURMEMBERS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

continued from previous page

fall 2014 the network for research in jewish education 3

THE CONFERENCE

This conference will bring together researchers,

practitioners and policy makers in Jewish education to

present research and engage in conversations around

the role of education in Jewish life. The idea behind this

joint conference is to convene conversations, grounded

in research, around important contemporary issues,

pressing concerns, and new opportunities in Jewish

education and the communities in which it takes place.

As a result, this conference conceives of Jewish

education in the broadest of terms; we seek to include

traditional sites of educational research alongside

domains not typically considered educational. We

invite proposals not only addressing curriculum,

teaching and learning, administration, policy, financing,

teacher preparation, schools, synagogues, camps, and

adult education, but also popular culture, museum

studies, journalism, social media, and politics. We are

particularly interested in new approaches to the study

of Jewish education that will stimulate new research

agendas and directions for the field.

FORMAT AND SUBMISSION

The conference will focus on presentations of basic

and applied research as well as practice-based research.

In order to provide a variety of opportunities for

engagement and conversation the conference will

feature four formats for presentation:

PAPER: Presentations of completed or nearly completed work.

SPOTLIGHT SESSIONS: Open, interactive, facilitated conversation about a single issue.

ROUNDTABLE: Presentation of multiple perspectives on a single topic.

CONSULTATION: Flexible and constructive workshop a work-in-progress.

We invite proposals of individual papers or full

panels, and we recognize that the most engaging panels

are informed by both research and practice. Panels may

include experts outside the area of Jewish education

per se who can nevertheless inform thinking on Jewish

education.

2015 NRJE CONFERENCe CALL FOR PROPOSALS

The Network for Research in Jewish Education and

The Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewrypresent

THE JOINT CONFERENCE ON JEWISH EDUCATIONHebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion

New York, NYJune 9 –11, 2015

FOR MORE ON THE SUBMISSION PROCESS, THE CONFERENCE PROGRAM, LOGISTICS, OR GENERAL INQUIRIES, PLEASE VISIT THE NRJE WEBSITE.

PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED BY JANUARY 16, 2015.

fall 2014 the network for research in jewish education 4

BEN JACOBS | bjacobs@nyu.edu MEREDITH KATZ | mekatz@jtsa.edu

This past June a group of eight emerging Jewish education scholars, including junior faculty members and advanced doctoral students, joined a group of senior scholar mentors for a day-and-a-half “Emerging Scholars Mentoring Seminar” following the annual NRJE conference in Los Angeles. Through a combination of panel presentations and one-one mentoring sessions, participants explored aspects of the research, writing and publication processes. Emerging scholars and mentors alike expanded their networks and became more familiar with each others’ work. Many thanks to the inaugural cohort of mentors who generously and generatively gave of their time to this important endeavor. Thanks as well to NRJE’s co-sponsors, CASJE and the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education at Brandeis University. The mentoring seminar underscores NRJE’s commitment toward advancing the professional development and research acumen of emerging scholars.

We are proud to announce that the second annual Emerging Scholars Mentoring Seminar will take place on Monday, June 8, and Tuesday, June 9, 2015, immediately prior to this year’s NRJE conference at HUC-JIR’s New York City campus. Building on last year’s success, the seminar will again feature professional development sessions and one-one mentor matches focused on works in progress. In addition, participants in this year’s seminar will have the opportunity to engage in an experimental research think tank around the topic of “Contemporary Youth in Informal Educational Settings.” Teams of emerging scholars and mentors will bring their diverse backgrounds, research skills, and perspectives to bear as they are tasked with developing research plans for this evolving field.

Emerging scholars should look for the seminar application to be posted via email and the NRJE website shortly! For now, please note for your planning purposes that participants are required to attend the full seminar on June 8-June 9 and to attend the full NRJE conference following the seminar, from June 9-June 11. For further information, please contact Meredith Katz at mekatz@jtsa.edu. Senior scholars interested in serving as mentors should contact Ben Jacobs at bjacobs@nyu.edu.

NRJE Awards CommitteeCAROL INGALL | caingall@jtsa.edu

To all NRJE members, students and faculty alike: It's time to think about applying for the NRJE Awards. The Emerging Scholar Award, given annually since 1999, is open to students, preferably doctoral students who have completed a proposal hearing or its equivalent. Previous award winners have included Ofra Backenroth, Susie Tanchel, Meredith Katz, Miriam Heller Stern, Ben Jacobs, Barry Kislowicz, Tracy Kaplowitz, Beth Cousens, Alan Selis, Tali Hyman Zelkowicz, Michael Kay, Leslie Ginsparg, Rebecca Shargel, Sivan Zakai, Zohar Rotem, Aliza Segal, Orly Denman, Rafael Cashman, Frayda Gonshor Cohen, Arielle Levites, Greg Beiles, Owen Gottlieb, and Dan Held. The deadline for applications is March 15, 2015. Further information about the award can be found on the NRJE website, along with FAQ.

Our second prize, the NRJE Research Award, is open to researchers who have received doctorates since 2009. This award, for an outstanding article or book, was first presented in 2012. Winners have included Sharon Avni, Orit Kent, and Sivan Zakai. The full announcement, application form, and information for referees can all be found on the NRJE website. The deadline for this award is March 22, 2015. The NRJE Awards Committee, consisting of Isa Aron, Shani Bechhofer, Shira Epstein, Carol Ingall, Miriam Heller Stern, Harold Wechsler, and Sivan Zakai, is eagerly awaiting your applications.

NRJE MENTORING SEMINAR

fall 2014 the network for research in jewish education 5

• By now, all NRJE members should have received the Journal’s 80th Anniversary issue containing reflections on the last ten years in Jewish Education written by colleagues addressing six areas and a ten-year retrospective of the Journal’s content. This issue complements the 80th Anniversary panel discussion and dinner celebration at the 2014 NRJE Conference at the American Jewish University in June. The Sylvia Ettenberg Philanthropic Foundation has underwritten the cost of this significant issue.

• The next issue of the Journal, which will be published in December, is a testament to Michael Rosenak, z”l. It will contain five articles on the life and work of this remarkable thinker and teacher, seven personal reminiscences from those who worked and studied

with him, and a review of Covenant and Community by Daniel Pekarsky.

• In March 2015 look for a timely themed issue on Israel Education featuring authors from around the world.

• By the time the next NRJE Newsletter is distributed, the Journal will be publishing under the guidance of a new Senior Editor. Michael Zeldin has worn several Journal hats over the past eighteen years, none as important as his stewardship of the Journal as it re-launched in 2004 and expanded in scope, depth and quality. Our deepest appreciation goes out to Michael for, indeed, making the Journal of Jewish Education the “journal of record” in Jewish education.

JOURNAL OF JEWISH EDUCATION UPDATE — FALL 2014

SUE KITTNER HUNTTING | journalofjed@aol.com

A NOTE FROM DEPARTING SENIOR EDITOR, MICHAEL ZELDIN:

When I volunteered to co-edit the first issue of the Journal with papers from the 1996 Network conference in Israel, little did I know that I was setting out on an 18-year journey. I am so grateful to the many Jewish education scholars who have joined me in transforming the Journal: the associate editors, the many, many reviewers, the authors, and of course our managing editor, Susan Kitner Huntting, without whom no issue of the Journal would see the light of day.

Last week Network Chair Jonathan Krasner asked me why I chose the title “senior Editor,” and I told him that I did not choose the title. Alex Pomson, who was chair of the Network at the time we purchased the Journal from the Council for Jewish Education, called me and told me I would be called Senior Editor. At the time, I didn’t feel very senior. But I do now. When I became senior editor, I set aside one morning each week to work on the Journal. Sometimes that was enough; other times it was not nearly enough. Since I was named Senior National director of the Schools of Education at HUC-JIR (another title with the word senior!), my responsibilities at work grew. I have found it harder and harder to carve out as much time for the Journal as I would like. I have begun to realize that the Journal demands more attention than I can now give it. So after 18 years, I will be stepping down from my position at the Journal at the end of the year. Jonathan has appointed a search committee to find my successor. When that person is chosen, I will gratefully turn over the reins and will eagerly await the arrival of the Journal in my mailbox to enjoy what next stage in the life of the Journal will bring.

fall 2014 the network for research in jewish education 6

The Consortium for Applied Studies in Jewish Education (CASJE) is a remarkable venture set in motion by lead funding from the Jim Joseph, AVI CHAI, and Mandell and Madeleine Berman Foundations. It is managed by Rosov Consulting, and its advisory board is chaired by Lee Shulman, Professor Emeritus at Stanford and former President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Its goal is to enrich and expand the evidence base to guide the improvement of practice and investment of resources in Jewish education. CASJE’s basic proposition is that rigorous interdisciplinary research (hence the idea of “consortium”) can generate useful knowledge for the field. “Applied” study means research that is rooted in theory and evidence, oriented to practical problem solving, and fueled by early and sustained engagement between researchers and potential users of research.

Why is CASJE so special to us? For the dean (Feuer), CASJE is a bridge connecting two of his passions: applied social science research for education and the advancement of Jewish life and learning. For the school chief (Goren), CASJE reconnects him to his Jewish roots and gives him a new opportunity to think about the two-way relationship of research and practice.

Feuer comes to the project with 30+ years of experience at the busy and somewhat hazardous intersection of social science

research and education policy. At the National Academy of Sciences he led efforts to bring high quality scientific research to bear on daunting policy challenges in education: testing, standards, access, instruction, governance, and finance, to name a few. In his role at the National Academy of Education he continues this work. Feuer has a long and deep involvement with the Jewish community: he has lived and studied in Israel, led the Washington branch of the American Jewish Congress, served on the board of Temple Micah, and was a senior scientist at the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute. His two children lived and studied in Israel too. During his years at the NAS and now even more so in his capacity as Dean at GW, Feuer has established strong ties with the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the Western Galilee College, the Interdisciplinary Center, and the Mandel School of Educational Leadership. One of his recent ventures is a new Masters degree program at GW. Supported by a generous grant from the Jim Joseph Foundation, the program prepares students for careers in museums, Jewish community organizations, camps, and other organizations where Jewish learning is less a matter of content delivery and more a matter of experience.

Goren has spent over 30 years at that same hazardous intersection of education research, policy and practice, curious

The Case for CASJEMICHAEL J. FEUER | mjfeuer@gmail.com PAUL D. GOREN | pdgoren1@gmail.com

T his is the story of an education school dean and a district superintendent who have had a longstanding conversation about the virtues of applying education research to the

improvement of practice, an idea they both have worked on for more decades than they care to admit. When an invitation to join the advisory board of the Consortium for Applied Studies in Jewish Education (CASJE) came our way, we jumped at the opportunity. Why — you might ask?

fall 2014 the network for research in jewish education 7

about how evidence can inform and improve practice and even more curious about why research does not do so more often. A former middle school teacher, he has worked and led research, evaluation and accountability offices for the San Diego City Schools, the Minneapolis Public Schools and the Chicago Public Schools. After three years leading child and youth development at the MacArthur Foundation, he served as Senior Vice President at the Spencer Foundation leading efforts to link research to practice and to understand how educators make sense of the data and information available to them. Goren knew Shulman as a professor while earning his doctorate, and as a member of the Spencer Board, Goren remembered the call he received from Lee (“an offer I could not refuse”) when Goren led the Consortium on Chicago School Research. That Consortium has spent over 20 years examining and analyzing the Chicago Public Schools in collaboration with district partners – in the service of helping teachers, administrators and decision makers improve their practice. Goren currently serves as Superintendent of the Evanston/Skokie (IL) elementary school district where he needs, on a daily basis, useful, useable and rigorous information to inform and improve practice.

Applying his experience to an emerging venture focused on the improvement of practice in Jewish education was, as he told his friend Michael, too delicious an opportunity to turn down. Goren had just celebrated his youngest son’s bar mitzvah and during that process for all three of his kids he had found a renewed connection to Jewish education, how traditions continue across the generations, and how the development of Jewish identity occurs for young teens. This journey continues this fall as his eldest started her college career at Brandeis. To be able to apply his knowledge and experience from the worlds of practice, policy and research and to engage with colleagues to develop a new model that can make a difference in the lives of Jewish children and Jewish institutions means a great deal professionally and personally.

We assume that our invitation to join the CASJE board is based on the hope that our prior and ongoing experiences will contribute to the implementation of CASJE’s complex goals. But it’s a two-way relationship, and we are grateful for a healthy “balance of trade:” contemplating the definition of leadership as it pertains to Jewish day schools, for example, and helping craft a set of research questions and metrics to guide improvement, provides a new lens through which to examine problems in our rather more secular settings. Similarly, thinking about Hebrew language instruction or about Jewish camping has both obvious and subtle implications for some of the toughest questions facing education policy, practice, and reform generally.

We are honored to be part of this venture, and humbled to work with our brilliant colleagues. We welcome the opportunity

to speak with any member of the NRJE community and beyond about CASJE’s enormous potential and why we are so excited to be a part of it.

Michael Feuer is Dean and Professor of Education at The George Washington University and President of the National Academy of Education. He can be reached at mjfeuer@gmail.com.

Paul Goren is Superintendent of Schools at Evanston/Skokie School District 65 (pre-k to grade 8) in Evanston, Illinois. He can be reached at pdgoren1@gmail.com.

NEWS from American Jewish UniversitySIVAN ZAKAI | szakai@aju.edu

We are pleased to announce the launch of

the AJU Teaching Israel Fellowship, a year-long

fellowship for professional Jewish educators

designed to explore and enrich their teaching

about Israel. Led by Dr. Sivan Zakai, the fellowship

has chosen a diverse group of seasoned educators

representing Los Angeles area Jewish educational

institutions across the denominational spectrum

to study together monthly for the duration of this

academic year. Participants reflect a plurality of

backgrounds, viewpoints, generations, teaching

audiences and subject matter specialties. What

they share is a passion for Israel education and

a desire to make teaching about Israel relevant,

nuanced, and meaningful for their students. By

examining the leading thinking on Israel education

today, working as a Critical Friends Group

focused on examining their own Israel education

practices, and participating in ongoing research

about Israel education and teacher professional

learning, the fellows will emerge as a cadre of

thought leaders who will be prepared to enhance

the teaching of Israel in their own classrooms,

programs, and institutions.

fall 2014 the network for research in jewish education 8

OFRA BACKENROTH | ofbackenroth@jtsa.eduALEX SINCLAIR | alsinclair@jtsa.edu

Eight students returned this fall from Israel after completing Kesher Hadash, the semester in Israel program of the

Davidson School. In the words of one of the students, “My semester on Kesher Hadash was filled with challenges, growth and transformation. As the school year winds to a close and in reflecting on my first year with the Davidson community, I come to the conclusion that I don’t think I could have asked for much more from an institution. I was introduced to many new ideas and concepts, challenged to think about the nuances of teaching Israel education on Kesher Hadash, and have participated in the process of transformation and growth that comes with almost any immersive environment like that of Davidson. I feel extremely grateful that I have been given this opportunity.” (DF, 2014)

Kesher Hadash, now in its fourth year, is an immersive program in Israel education; its core goal is to create a cadre of Jewish educators with a specialty in Israel education. Its philosophy rests on two central tenets:

1. Commitment to Israel through Complexity: engagement with Israel should include all of Israel’s rich and multifaceted diversity, including aspects that are frustrating, difficult, and challenging. Seeing Israel through its beguiling and intricate complexities will ultimately lead to a deeper and fuller relationship with it.

2. Immersive Encounters with Israelis: whenever possible, Israel engagement should include extended and deep encounters with Israeli peers. The development of relationships with Israeli peers leads to a richer and more immersive understanding of Israeli society than can be formed in any formal class.

During their time in Israel, participants study a variety of courses, including a course on modern Israel from the first Zionist thinkers through contemporary political and sociological issues, Hebrew Ulpan, an education course focused on the challenges of teaching Israel in contemporary Jewish education, an education course on curriculum design and implementation, a course focusing on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in Jewish education, and a wide range of field trips experiential activities, many of which explore arts and culture as windows into issues in Israeli society.

In order to achieve the second goal of immersive encounters, two core classes are taken in Israeli institutions with Israelis. One of these classes, Diversity in Israeli Society, is taken at David Yellin Academic College of Education, with both Jewish and Palestinian education students. The second is a “Beit Midrash on Jewish Peoplehood,” in which our students meet once a week with student activists at the Hillel of Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

One of the major innovations of the program is our collaboration with the Ma’aleh School of the Film,

Television and the Arts. The students learn basic movie-making skills, including sound, editing, scripting, directing, etc. They collect footage and eventually edit the collection into a 5-8 minute movie that grapples with some of the questions they are thinking about during the semester. The movie-making offers our students an opportunity to synthesize their learning together, and create a personal "performance assessment" of their semester in Israel.

A more extensive research article about Kesher Hadash appeared in a recent issue of the Journal of Jewish Education (2014, 80/2, pp. 121-147), and further research papers are planned. We believe that Kesher Hadash presents a new paradigm for the preparation of Israel educators which has the potential to transform the field of Israel education. But we leave the last word in this short glimpse at Kesher Hadash to one of the program’s recent graduates:

Living in Israel this semester has enabled me to develop a connection and relationship to the land and the people. I recently had dinner with an Israeli student from the David Yellin class and we discussed our almost opposite experiences of Judaism (she became secular, I became religious) – together we represented just a sliver of the colorful tapestry of Jewish peoplehood. Another day I had lunch with fellow Kesher Hadash participants and Palestinian students from the David Yellin class, and we discussed everything from favorite movies to what we eat for breakfast. I believe strongly that peace and coexistence is developed through personal interactions, so it is these memories and so many more that I will carry with me in my heart as a Jewish educator in the future. Thank you Kesher Hadash for this truly once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will treasure forever. (YR, 2014)

In January 2015 Davidson School is sending another group of students to Israel for the fourth cohort of Kesher Hadash. We wish them a wonderful semester.

The Davidson School is pleased to welcome our new Dean, Dr. Bill Robinson!

News from the Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education at JTS

fall 2014 the network for research in jewish education 9

The PartnershipThis is a PhD in Educational Leadership with a specialization

certificate in Jewish Educational Leadership as a combined program of Hebrew College and Lesley University. Hebrew College is the leading pluralist institution of Jewish Higher Learning in Newton Massachusetts with a graduate school of Education as well as a rabbinic and cantorial school. Lesley University is an acknowledged leader in the field of teacher education based in Cambridge Massachussets with a national outreach. Both institutions have excellent experience in offering programs at doctoral level with graduates in the field of educational leadership. This is the first time we have partnered together to bring the best of educational research design and methodology with the subject specialization of Jewish Educational Leadership.

Aims of the PhD program for scholar practitioners

The aim of the program is to develop educational leaders in their roles in Jewish educational settings as scholar practitioners. There is an important need to have innovative, skillful Jewish leaders reflective of their educational work capable of addressing change and transformation with 21st century challenges. The Doctor of Education in Jewish Educational Leadership is tailored to meet these needs for Jewish educators or professionals who want to take on greater leadership responsibility in Jewish educational institutions and communal organizations. Since this is a part-time program designed for working professionals, the importance of being in a current position of Jewish educational leadership is a component of the integrated nature of the learning program.

This program is well suited for a variety of educational professionals including

• Leaders at Jewish day schools, colleges, universities or nonprofit organizations

• Rabbis, cantors and other congregational leaders• Educators who want to transition into a new Jewish

educational leadership role

ProgramThe program consists of 48 credits of which 33 are taken

as part of the doctorate in educational leadership at Lesley

University and 15 are taken as part of the Hebrew College doctoral certificate in Jewish Educational Leadership.

HEBREW COLLEGE COURSESPhilosophies of Education and Leadership in Jewish Thought and Practice Curriculum and Ethics in Jewish EducationResearch Trends in Jewish EducationCase Studies in Jewish Educational LeadershipJewish Education Leadership Seminar (no transferable credit)

LESLEY UNIVERSITY COURSESFoundation Courses:Interdisciplinary Seminar I The Purposes of Schools in a Democratic SocietyCritical Contexts in Educational LeadershipChange is a Process Schools as Systems Communities of Practice

RESEARCH COURSESQuantitative ResearchQualitative Research Dissertation Seminar Doctoral Seminar (x2)

Course DeliveryThe course of study takes place online and in three summer

residencies. The program is designed to be completed in 3-4 years with a doctoral dissertation completed. The required three summer residencies consisting of 11 days take place at Lesley University (9 days) and Hebrew College (2 days). Two courses are taken online each semester over six semesters utilizing the online learning platforms of the two institutions. Hebrew College operates on the award winning schoology platform which offers synchronous and asynchronous modes of learning.

Financial AidFinancial Aid is available through Lesley University only. The

partnership program operates a consortium agreement whereby Lesley University acts as the matriculating university solely able to offer Federal Financial Aid.

NEWS FROM HEBREW COLLEGEMICHAEL SHIRE | mshire@hebrewcollege.edu

Innovative Partnership for a new PhD in Educational Leadership for Jewish Educators

fall 2014 the network for research in jewish education 10

We’re pursuing several new projects at the Mandel Center this year. Among them are CHILDREN’S LEARNING ABOUT ISRAEL, which studies how American Jewish elementary school students think and feel about Israel, and how that thinking changes over time. This longitudinal study, directed by Sivan Zakai at the American Jewish University, where the research is being conducted, will track students from kindergarten through fifth grade. Its aim is to produce knowledge for scholars as well as a broader audience of educators and parents committed to teaching children about Israel. Learn more at brandeis.edu/mandel/projects/learningisrael.html.

HEBREW IN AMERICAN JEWISH SUMMER CAMPS, led by Jonathan Krasner of the Mandel Center, Sharon Avni of CUNY and Sarah Bunin Benor of HUC, is documenting and analyzing how Hebrew is used and taught in Jewish overnight camps in the United States. The work will provide a robust evidence base that can be used by Jewish educators and policy makers to improve Jewish learning and socialization. In addition, this project will be relevant for historians, Jewish studies scholars, applied linguists, and linguistic anthropologists. Learn more at brandeis.edu/mandel/projects/hebrewatcamp.html.

Inspiring Teaching: Preparing Teachers to Succeed in Mission-Driven Schools, edited by Sharon Feiman-Nemser, Eran Tamir and Karen Hammerness, has been published by Harvard Education Press. It emerges from the Choosing to Teach project, which provided a more nuanced understanding of what draws people into teaching and what keeps them there, by studying teacher preparation programs for Jewish, Catholic and mission-driven urban public schools. Learn more: brandeis.edu/mandel/projects/choosing/index.html.

A new report from the Longitudinal Survey of Day School Teachers provides some clear indications of what it takes to attract, prepare and keep good day school teachers. The study followed alumni of the Delet program at Brandeis and HUC from 2007 to 2014, and found that the program’s combination of pedagogical training and a year-long mentored internship accounts for its success at preparing teachers with a long-term commitment to day school teaching. The complete report is available at tinyurl.com/deletreport. Learn more about the project at brandeis.edu/mandel/projects/delettracking.html.

The Beit Midrash Research Project studied the pedagogy and practice of partnership learning, or havruta study, of Jewish texts. A new video shows how this work—in this case, in a seventh-grade supplemental school class—can empower learners in different settings and with varying skill levels to engage in meaningful Torah study with their peers, and how we can turn seemingly incidental moments of discovery and connection into intentional design and instruction. See the full version at http://vimeo.com/97982899, or a shorter one at http://vimeo.com/98067637. Learn about the project at brandeis.edu/mandel/projects/beitmidrashresearch/index.html.

FROM THE JACK, JOSEPH AND MORTON MANDEL CENTER FOR STUDIES IN JEWISH EDUCATION AT BRANDEIS UNIVERSITYNEWS

SUSANNE SHAVELSON | shavelson@brandeis.edu

RONA MILCH NOVICK | rnovick1@yu.edu

The Azrieli Graduate School received approval to offer a fully on-line Master's degree in Jewish Education. This teacher preparation program includes 30 credits of coursework and additional 6 credits of student teaching. The program is taught by the multidisciplinary faculty at the Azrieli Graduate School, including faculty members located in Israel. The fully on-line program allows students to participate from anywhere in the world, and with rolling admissions, is a resource for students ready to begin their master's degree in the Fall, Spring or Summer semester. The program, along with 6 other Master's programs, is directed by Dr. Moshe Krakoswki.

Azrieli Graduate School has been involved in providing on-line and blended courses for several years. The majority of the AGS faculty has participated in the E-Learning fellowship, sponsored by the Jim Joseph Foundation, honing their skills in on-line and blended course development and implementation. The fully on-line Master's program at AGS allows students and faculty to further expand their experience with e-learning, and significantly increases accessibility to a Master's degree in Jewish Education. Further information is available by contacting srosenb7@yu.edu.

NEWS from AZRIELI GRADUATE SCHOOL of JEWISH EDUCATION andADMINISTRATION at YESHIVA UNIVERSITY

fall 2014 the network for research in jewish education 11

JOB DESCRIPTION

EMPLOYEE’S TITLE: Assistant Professor of Jewish Education and Academic Director of doctoral program in Jewish educational leadership

EMPLOYEE’S DEPARTMENT: Shoolman Graduate School of Jewish Education

EMPLOYEE’S SUPERVISOR: Rabbi Dr Michael Shire, Dean of Shoolman School

PRIMARY PURPOSES OF POSITION:Teaching and research in Jewish education and overseeing academic portion of doctoral program in Jewish educational leadership.

RESPONSIBILITIES/FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION:

1. Teach courses (Master’s and/or Doctoral as required) annually: online and on campus as required 2. Conduct research in Jewish education and disseminate through teaching, conferences and publication. 3. Oversee curriculum development for Jewish Educational Doctoral Leadership courses track offered at Hebrew

College in conjunction with the Dean of Shoolman School4. Advise students in the MJEd program and the doctoral program (in conjunction with Lesley University doctoral

advising procedures) including serving as external member of doctoral students’ advising committees at Lesley University.

5. Support the work of student recruitment and enrollment and act as ambassador for the School through teaching and collaborative work in the professional development work of the Shoolman School

6. Participate actively in the Jewish Education networks and conferences7. Participate in Shoolman School Management team and course team meetings, school wide faculty meetings,

college wide committees contributing actively to development of the role of the Shoolman School within and outside Hebrew College

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO FULFILL THE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Doctorate in Jewish Education or equivalent

Jewish Educational experience including proven experience in teaching in Day School and/or Supplementary/Informal settings.

Proven experience in graduate school settings including teaching and/or administration

Skills and knowledge required to fulfill the job responsibilities:

• Hebrew and English spoken, written and reading fluencies• Research Interests related to the world of Jewish Education or Religious Education• Networking for Jewish educational leadership• Academic understandings of the field of Jewish education• Computer fluency in excel, word, google docs/forms, website management, social networking skills including FB

and Twitter, LMS knowledge for developing and building online courses• Knowledge of curriculum and instruction content as well as theory translated into practice • Interpersonal skills for advising and support of students• Evidence of excellence in teaching and impact on student progress and development• Good organizational skills as well as commitment to collegial relationships and team planning and

implementation

Job Posting from Shoolman Graduate School of Jewish Education at Hebrew College

fall 2014 the network for research in jewish education 12

In 2009 the Israel Association for Research in Jewish Education (IARJE) and the Mandel Leadership Institute jointly hosted a very successful conference on "Multiple Identities in Jewish Education" at Oranim and in Jerusalem. This conference gave rise to a book project, and a separate call for papers was then issued. In order to generate maximum impact in the field, the editors' goal was that the resulting volume would come out both as an on-line collection and as a printed publication. Earlier this year we were pleased to announce the e-publication of the volume as a special issue of the International Journal of Jewish Education Research (IJJER Special Issue). We are delighted to announce that the book has now been published and is being distributed to libraries and Jewish studies programs in North America. The book was generously published by the Kelman Center at Tel Aviv University, together with IJJER, and the IARJE. We hope readers will find it thought-provoking and useful. — JEN GLASER, DAVID MITTELBERG, and ERIK H. COHEN (eds.)

OWEN GOTTLIEB has been hired as assistant professor (tenure track) of Interactive Games and Media at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) where he teaches graduate and undergraduates and continues his research in Jewish and multifaith Games for Learning. He is also affiliate faculty of the RIT Center for Media, Arts, Games, Interactivity, and Creativity (MAGIC).

Congratulations to MICHAEL SCHATZ, who successfully defended his dissertation at Gratz College on October 23. The title of Michael’s dissertation is “The Impact Of Teen Leadership

In A Jewish Religious Youth Organization On Adult Jewish Observance And Identity.” His committee included Chair Marsha Bryan Edelman, Ed.D, and committee members Saul P. Wachs, PhD and Rela Mintz Geffen, PhD.

NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS

Dear Colleagues,

With deep sorrow I must share with you the sad news that our dear colleague Professor Erik H Cohen from the Department of Education at Bar Ilan University, passed away after a serious illness.

The funeral took place in Jerusalem on October 15th.

Erik was a prolific and original social scientist who contributed a great deal to the study of Jewish identity amongst Israeli and Diaspora youth and served as Co-editor of the International Journal of Jewish Education Research (IJJER).

It was a special privilege to have known Erik and his work for many years and most recently to have worked with him and Jen Glaser on our book, Multiple Identities in Jewish Education.

Erik was a scholar and a gentleman, a mensch with a deep Jewish soul. He will be sadly missed by us all.

David

Editor’s note: Sadly, I received this note from David Mittelberg just after he submitted the announcement about the IJJER special issues. – Michelle Lynn-Sachs

JUDE KRAMER | jude.kramer@nyu.edu The NYU Program in Education and Jewish Studies

congratulates the following students on completing their doctorates in 2014. We wish them much luck in their future endeavors.

DR. MENACHEM HECHT — “Jewish Prep: Negotiating among Multiple Priorities in Jewish Day Schools”

DR. JANET BORDELON — “Beyond Separation: Jews, Parochial, Schools, and the State. 1945-Present”

Congratulations also are in order for the following students who have defended their dissertation proposals in the past year and are assiduously working toward completing their studies in 2014-2015: Mijal Bitton, Ben Lewis, Gad Marcus and Rabbi Simcha Willig.

This year, the programs are delighted to welcome the following incoming students:

SINGLE MASTERS PROGRAM (MA STEINHARDT)DANIEL INFELDREBEKAH THORNHILLAMANDA WINER

DUAL MASTERS PROGRAM (MA STEINHARDT/MA SKIRBALL):DANIELA LEHMANN (JIM JOSEPH FELLOW)NINA KRETZMER SEED (JIM JOSEPH FELLOW)

DOCTORAL PROGRAM (PH.D. STEINHARDT):DAVID GALPERT (AVI CHAI FELLOW)TALIA HURWICH (AVI CHAI FELLOW)JOSHUA KRUG (STEINHARDT FELLOW)DANIEL OLSON (STEINHARDT FELLOW)

Further updates and information about the NYU programs in Education and Jewish Studies, including biographies and job placements of our students and alumni, recent publications by faculty and students, and more, are available on our program website: http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/humsocsci/jewish.

News from New York University