400 Jewish educators, clergy and performers from across North America gathered earlier this month for the 7th annual NewCAJE conference. There were over 240 sessions taught by attendees as well as featured presenters such as Yehezkel Landau and Joyce Schriebman who taught about The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and how to facilitate constructive conversations or Jennifer Zunikoff who empowered teachers with The Jewish Storytelling Classroom.
NewCAJE promotes networking and professional development – both of which retains and recruits new educators into the field.
Additionally, over 40 performers participated including musicians like Sam Glaser, Doni Zasloff and Eric Lindberg, Naomi Less, and Rick Recht of Jewish Rock Radio.
The conference is a microcosm of Jewish life in the United States – with Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, independent and cultural Jews all learning together in one of the most pluralistic environments in the United States. Jews of color and non-Jews who work in Jewish schools were also part of the mix of this diverse learning environment.
The conference was dedicated to the memory of Dr. Abraham Gittleson of Miami, Florida. Dr. Gittleson died this year at the age of 87. The conference was generously supported by the Community Foundation for Jewish Education of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and other donors who sponsored local educators.
An important thing that came out of this conference was a special issue of the educational journal Jewish Educator consisting of resources for the teaching of the TIshrei holidays. You can find it at https://thejewisheducator.wordpress.com/tishrei-resource-book/
Whether its the “old” CAJE or NewCAJE, this organization has elevated the investment in our teachers. I am so happy to know that its noble mission continues to enrich, enlighten and energize our very precious asset!