Services - Department Of Education

United Synagogue’s department of education serves Conservative synagogue schools and Solomon Schechter day schools.

We serve synagogue schools and early childhood programs by:

Supporting the professional growth of their education directors
Creating the Framework for Excellence program
Providing curricula and materials for middle school
Providing consultations on curriculum questions
Providing professional growth, advocacy, consultation and curriculum development for early childhood programs
Guiding congregations in their search for a director of education or early childhood director

We serve Solomon Schechter day schools by:

Supporting them in their pursuit of excellence in both general and Jewish studies
Developing the MaToK Torah curriculum and workshops for teaching Torah
Providing consultations through school visits on teaching tefillah, issues relating to school governance, leadership, policy implementation, recruitment, and marketing
Linking Schechter schools through 9 listserves and the SSDSA.org website
Providing professional growth, advocacy, consultation and curriculum development for early childhood programs
Guiding Schechter schools in their search for a head of school and mid-level professionals

Placement Consultation Services

Our placement professionals stand ready to assist those seeking to retain education directors for congregational religious schools, Solomon Schechter day school heads and mid-level professionals, and early childhood directors. Contact Dr. Elaine Cohen for Solomon Schechter placements; Maxine Handelman for early childhood placements; and, Wendy Light for congregational school placements.

Other Services

We provide consultations by phone and email and distribute print publications to guide professional and volunteer leaders in synagogue and Schechter schools.

Call-in service - for problem solving and consultation in the areas of early childhood education, Handelman@uscj.org, and synagogue education, Light@uscj.org and Victor@uscj.org.
Ednotes — a newsletter that circulates short, practical, and timely ideas, tips, etc., targeted at the directors of synagogue schools but anyone may subscribe by emailing Victor@uscj.org.
Curriculum consultation on an individual basis to develop a curriculum map for your school. Contact Light@uscj.org or Victor@uscj.org.
Early childhood shiurim for staff meetings — text based guides to enable early childhood directors to have a Jewish discussion with their staffs. Past shiurim can be found here. To receive shiurim each month, email Maxine Handelman at Handelman@uscj.org.
Your Child — for parents of young children is published three times a year. Past issues can be found here. To receive each issue directly, email education@uscj.org.

Seeking Excellence in the Synagogue School

New Directors Institute
Serene Victor, United Synagogue Consultant for Synagogue Education

The New Directors Institute is a program for new synagogue directors of education, defined as having from 0-2 years of experience. New education directors often feel overwhelmed as they learn how to make things happen and how to make decisions in complex situations. At NDI, new directors, working with an expert faculty under the leadership of Serene Victor, explore what it means to be an educational leader as they develop their skills. NDI is a 5- day institute followed by a yearlong coaching support system. Participants join monthly conference calls on specific, timely topics, and use email and the phone for less formal support.

Lilmod U’lelamed— Seminar for Experienced Directors of Education
Serene Victor, United Synagogue Consultant for Synagogue Education

The importance of supporting and coaching teachers as a way to improve students’ learning is a crucial component of the work of directors of education. This program, emphasizing pedagogical leadership, is supported by a staff of experts.

Educators on the Move
Serene Victor, United Synagogue Consultant for Synagogue Education

Experienced synagogue education directors, whose careers are taking them to new jobs at new synagogues, meet to explore the dilemmas and opportunities presented by transitions. Together, we explore how a new director can honor a synagogue’s existing culture and yet make changes that are mandated by the congregation or are otherwise desirable.

Framework for Excellence in the Conservative Synagogue School
Wendy Light, United Synagogue Framework Consultant and Rabbi Marc Sternfeld, Project Director

Using the Framework and accompanying guides, congregations reflect on their education program, and then go on to further define and refine the program. Ms. Light and Rabbi Sternfeld are proactive in offering supportive assistance. When congregations choose a model and then meet the Framework’s benchmarks they are recognized as having Framework for Excellence education programs. Some 94 congregations have been so recognized and others are striving actively to fulfill the requirements. Contact Wendy Light at Light@uscj.org.

Initiatives for Improving Jewish Education

Solomon Schechter Day School Initiatives
Dr. Elaine Cohen, Associate Director, Department of Education; Lead Professional, SSDS Association

The Solomon Schechter Day School Association helps Schechter schools attain excellence. It works to help member schools strengthen their governance, increases volunteer leaders’ ability to understand their various responsibilities, and broadens and promotes professional development. It helps volunteer leaders and professionals develop the skills that will enhance their ability to work as partners and it builds relationships between Schechter schools. The association encourages start-up inquiries and assists new affiliates in opening Schechter schools. To learn more about the wide array of resources and programs generated by the SSDSA that add value to member schools, go to ssdsa.org.

Early Childhood Education Initiative
Maxine Handelman, United Synagogue Consultant for Early Childhood Programs in Congregations and Schechter Day Schools

Recognizing the contribution that early childhood education makes towards lifelong Jewish learning and commitment, United Synagogue offers an early childhood consultation service that provides active support for early childhood programs in affiliated congregations and Solomon Schechter day schools. The ECE consultant is available to early childhood directors to problem-solve, help find resources, and discuss curriculum and other areas of day-to-day operations, and can discuss other synagogue-sponsored early childhood programming such as tot Shabbat. She works to assist clergy in exploring ways in which they can become more involved in the life of the early childhood center and how they can integrate the center more fully into the life of the synagogue. She is also available to assist congregations in beginning new early childhood centers or other early childhood programs. The early childhood education initiative provides listserves for early childhood directors and teachers.

MaToK: Solomon Schechter Day School Torah Curriculum Project
Dr. Deborah Miller, Director of the Melton Research Center of the Jewish Theological Seminary—Project Director

MaToK is a joint project of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism’s Department of Education and the Melton Research Center. MaToK has developed curricula and materials for the teaching of Torah in Schechter schools. Every unit consists of a learning booklet, teacher guides, and other classroom materials. More than 40 schools are now using MaToK. Every year, more of the original black-and-white learning booklets are replaced with multicolored, graphically pleasing booklets.

Project Etgar—A Synagogue Education Program for 6-8 Graders
Deborah Kerschner, Project Director

Project Etgar is a joint project of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism’s Department of Education and the Melton Research Center of the Jewish Theological Seminary. The greatest challenge for synagogue schools is how to teach sixth, seventh and eighth graders successfully in the late afternoon and on weekends. Project Etgar is a student-centered middle school curriculum designed to create a positive and productive Jewish learning experience for early adolescents in Conservative synagogue schools.

It seeks to bring out the best in early adolescents by addressing their continually developing needs as middle school age children.

For more information email Bdkerschner@optoline.net.

Staff telephone numbers and email addresses:

Name Phone Number E-mail

Department of Education 212-533-7800 ext. 2500

Rabbi Robert Abramson 212-533-7800 ext. 2501 Abramson@uscj.org

Dr. Elaine Cohen 212-533-7800 ext. 2509 Cohen@uscj.org

Maxine Handelman 847-641-9963 Handelman@uscj.org

Wendy Light 215-869-1830 Light@uscj.org

Rabbi Marc Sternfeld 212-533-2503 Sternfeld@uscj.org

Serene Victor 617-964-6844 Victor@uscj.org