SAN DIEGO (Press Release) –Beginning in July 2011, AJE’s current adult education, teacher professional development and teen programming, resources and services will be integrated into JCC/CJC’s program offerings.
- Adult Education: JCC/CJC will be offering Melton classes both at the JCC and in North County and Lecture Series in both Coronado and North County, all under the direction of AJE’s esteemed adult education director, Noah Hadas. The Goldberg Trust Makor, AJE’s online adult education and cultural catalogue, will also be produced and maintained by the JCC.
- Teacher Professional Development: JCC/CJC will be offering professional development workshops and seminars for San Diego’s Jewish educators under the direction of AJE’s respected teacher professional development director, Marcia Tatz Wollner. Teacher recognition awards will continue to be granted and the Principal’s Council will continue to be convened all under the auspices of the JCC. In addition, the Lipinsky Teacher Resource Center will relocate to the JCC and will be available to our community’s Jewish educators.
- Teen Programming: Partners in Prevention and J*Serve will be run by the JCC’s teen department.
- Yom Limmud – San Diego’s Community Day of Learning: This community wide event will continue in its seventh year, under the auspices of the Center for Jewish Culture.
JCC/CJC is committed to building upon AJE’s 44 years of providing innovative, creative and effective Jewish educational programming, services and resources to the San Diego Jewish community and has enthusiastically embraced its new role as a central provider of Jewish education. JCC and CJC will each invite some members of AJE’s current Board of Directors to serve on their boards. In addition, an Education committee is in formation at JCC that will advise and guide professional staff in furthering Jewish education in San Diego.
Also beginning in July 2011, Federation, in their role as community convener, will form the Jewish Educational Services Council (JESC). Convening together representatives from AJE, JCC, CJC, Federation leadership and other community educational stakeholders, the JESC will continue AJE’s mission of advancing Jewish education in the community. JESC will be a visionary, planning and advisory forum that will help to identify Jewish community educational needs, provide community feedback, and enhance community involvement in Jewish education. The JESC will provide leadership in exploring best practices and innovative delivery of creative Jewish educational programs and will research, discuss and recommend Jewish educational priorities.
We are confident that this framework for Jewish education maintains the high level of teacher training, adult learning opportunities and teen engagement programs that AJE has nurtured in this community for 44 years. While maximizing the use of community resources, this framework also ensures that Jewish education will remain a priority in the San Diego Jewish community for many years to come. As Jewish communities across the country seek to reinvent themselves, we expect that they will look to San Diego as the role model for cost effective, collaborative, innovative and creative efforts.
*
Preceding was provided by Cheryl E. Bender, AJE president