This summer ARJE educators are gathering in Israel, at conferences, and at camps focusing on growing, learning, and recharging. As a professional organization, one of our primary goals is to connect members to one another and to amazing opportunities for learning and growth. You don’t have to be a member of ARJE’s leadership to organize a meet-up, snap an ARJE photo, or arrange a WhatsApp chat of ARJE members wherever you are. If you need help connecting with other members, email SRigler@reforeducators.org; she’ll be glad to help.
Forty ARJE members traded classrooms for cabins, gathering at URJ Crane Lake Camp to rediscover the joy and magic that make camp such a powerful teacher of Jewish life. The day opened with the Crane Lake team setting the stage, then moved into "Values in Action," where educators tour and experienced camp — not as observers, but as participants — through the lens of Jewish values like Kehillah, Chesed, and Shmirat Haguf. Stacy Rigler deepened the day with a text study connecting those lived experiences to our tradition's sources. After lunch, the group turned to translating what they'd felt into practice, reflecting together on how to bring camp's spirit of belonging, ritual, and joy back to their own congregational schools. The day closed the way any great day at camp should — around s'mores, with L'hitraot until next time.
Next week Stacy will be teaching about how we advance the field of Jewish Education at NewCAJE. This will be a great way to connect with other ARJE members, visit with Boston educators who are coming for the day, and focus on helping educators reflect on where they are as professionals and what they are doing in their various settings, in order to maximize their time over the summer reflecting and connecting.
At its core ARJE is here to inspire excellence in Jewish education. It’s such a joy to watch educators from all over our organization either running summer programs where they execute with excellence or using the Summer to improve themselves and their work.