Benefits Of ARJE For Congregations
The ARJE offers a number of services to congregations.
Placement Service
The ARJE’s placement service assists congregations and day schools affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism who are searching for an educator, religious school principal, youth director or specialist in family, parent, adult or informal education. There is no charge to the congregation for this service. As a URJ congregation or Reform day school, the ARJE will provide guidance with developing a job description, provide resumes of qualified candidates, advise congregations during contract negotiations, and supply information on compensation and benefits. Contact Rabbi Stan Schickler, ARJE Executive Director.
Standards for Educator – Congregation Relationships
The ARJE participates in a publication entitled, Guidelines for Educator/Congregational Relationships which can help a congregation and educator define a positive and supportive working relationship. These guidelines are available, without charge, to all URJ congregations.
Religious School Accreditation
You can enrich the quality of the Reform Jewish education in your school by using The ARJE’s Accreditation and Consultation program which provides a basic, standard set of criteria for evaluating congregational schools. These criteria can be used by educators and education committees as a starting point for their own long-range planning. Congregations may also choose to pay a fee in order to invite experts to visit and evaluate their school in cooperation with their school committee and educator. Contact Marlene Myerson, ARJE Accreditation Committee Chair.
Professional Development for Your Educator
Continuous professional development is vital to any quality educational program. ARJE offers extensive professional development for its educators. This includes frequent opportunities for increasing professional skills through high-caliber workshops and study sessions at annual conferences and kallot, contact with other creative colleagues and access to the latest advances in Jewish education.
Reform Jewish Educator (RJE)
The Reform Jewish Educator Title Granting Commission grants a professional certification to educators that meet the set of requirements. The commission is comprised of representatives from the American Conference of Cantors, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Commission on Lifelong Jewish Learning, the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, the Association of Reform Jewish Educators, and the Union for Reform Judaism. Contact Robin Eisenberg, RJE, RJE Title-Granting Commission Registrar, and / or Julie Vanek, RJE, RJE Title-Granting Commission Chair.
All this and more…
For more than sixty years, the ARJE and its members have provided unparalleled leadership in Jewish education.