David Harris
Vibrant learning: Federation funds innovative educators whose programming fosters Jewish identity
“It’s about relationships.”
That’s how Valley Temple Director of Education Alison Weikel knows what she’s doing is working.
Take, for instance, one relationship that blossomed between two children on an overnight retreat Weikel helped plan.
“I noticed two kids whom I had not seen interact in our building, where they see each other once a week,” Weikel said. “On this retreat, they seemed to gravitate towards each other, and I saw them laugh, pray, eat, discuss text, play games and participate in serious discussions together in a way that deepened both their connection to each other and to Judaism.”
It’s Weikel’s job to build relationships, primarily with teachers and madrichim (teaching assistants). Educators then help students and their parents form their own relationships with Judaism’s traditions, stories, texts, and values. The process starts with Weikel, whose position is funded in part by SEED grants from the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.
In all, twelve congregations benefit from a SEED-funded position, which means more than one thousand kids across the Cincinnati area are deepening their connections with each other and their Jewish heritage, thanks to SEED dollars at work.
“SEED grants provide an excellent opportunity for congregations to stabilize and expand vibrant and creative programming for their congregations and for the community,” said Linda Kean, Director of Family Life Education at Jewish Family Service. “SEED recipients also appreciate the opportunity to meet several times a year to share ideas, successes, and best practices in Jewish education.”
That collaborative process inspires a myriad of innovative field trips, holiday celebrations, movie nights, speaker presentations, and other engaging programs that teach and enhance Jewish identity through community experience.
In the spring, Congregation Ohav Shalom and Congregation B’nai Tzedek/Beit Chaverim crafted a ketubah to “marry” the two congregations together under the new name of Etz Chaim. The exercise celebrated the values of each and formed a guide for moving forward together. Seventh graders and the confirmation class from Adath Israel Congregation spent Martin Luther King Day with dozens of teens from the Avondale Youth Council. The group heard from Hamilton County Judge Fanon Rucker about the day’s historical significance before attending a commemorative civil rights march downtown and then ending the day at The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education. In November, The Valley Temple joined forces with Dayton-area congregation Temple Israel at the Goldman Union Camp Institute, where 4th, 5th and 6th graders used the story of Joseph to talk about bullying. All three initiatives and countless others like them wouldn’t have been possible without SEED-funded collaboration.
At Isaac M. Wise Temple, the relationship cycle comes full circle in the congregation’s Madrichim program. Assistant Director of Education and Youth Engagement Melissa Bellows said SEED funding has allowed her to develop initiatives that engage 82 teenage teaching assistants. They pass their enthusiasm for their Jewish identity and community on to religious school students, and the result is self-propelling.
“There’s a culture here that those students want to grow up and become Madrichim when they’re in high school. A lot of that is not only because of the relationships they have with staff and rabbis, but also the relationships they had with their Madrichim when they were growing up and going to Sunday school,” Bellows said. “They have a desire to be that for our kids.”
