Professional Development Bonim Beyechad Spotlight:
Why Process Matters
We recently spoke to Jennifer Goldberg (pictured above, left), a Judaic Studies teacher at Congregation Har Shalom in Potomac, MD about her experience as a Hebrew College Bonim Beyechad Fellow. Hebrew College’s Bonim Beyachad program is an online, 10-month national cohort-based fellowship to support adults new to teaching in part-time and supplemental Jewish educational settings. The fellowship provides professional development in pedagogy, Jewish content knowledge, and classroom management for new teachers. Fellows attend a three-day subsidized in-person, fall retreat at Hebrew College. The program is now accepting applications for the next cohort. Learn more and apply here.
Bonim Beyechad is one of many professional development programs for Jewish educators offered by MaTaRoT: Hebrew College’s Center for Jewish Professional Learning & Leadership.
Q. What has been a highlight of Bonim Beyachad for you?
One of the program’s highlights is the one-on-one mentoring program. This has been an invaluable resource to me. From lesson planning advice to handling specific programming issues, my mentor has helped me navigate my classroom dynamics with empowerment and ease. Through her mentorship, I have gained so much confidence and leadership ability.
Q. What have you learned that you have already applied to your classroom?
Bonim Beyachad models and teaches creative and engaging activities and pedagogies that can be directly applied to the classroom. I’ve already used line-by-line Torah study with my students and often use post-it notes to gauge students’ reactions to historic events we are learning about. Every Bonim Beyachad seminar has given me a new creative tool for my classroom and students.
Q. How have your lessons/classes improved?
Bonim Beyachad has allowed me to explore my curriculum in a far more creative manner. Since I started the program, my classes have been more interactive and activity-based.
Q. Tell us about an ah-ha moment.
I realized on the retreat (when I was getting so frustrated with so many art projects) that the faculty were modeling different ways to engage with and connect to our students and the content. Once I realized this, I became far less judgmental of what art I was producing and spent more time watching how our instructors led each activity and how I could adapt it for my students. I think about how it’s about the process more than the product.
Jennifer (second from right) works with her cohort
Q. Why are you grateful to be a Bonim Beyachad Fellow?
I am grateful to be a Bonim Beyachad Fellow because I came into teaching with an enormous amount of Judaic knowledge but very little teaching experience. Bonim Beyachad was precisely the program I was looking for! I wanted a program to round out my abilities and provide me with the teacher education and lesson planning abilities I lacked. Most importantly, I wanted all of this in a Jewish environment that would understand and support the unique environment of religious school.
Q. Why would you recommend Bonim Beyachad to another new(ish) Jewish educator?
The Bonim Beyachad Program is an excellent teacher training program that is tailored to the unique needs of new Religious School educators. It provides hands-on and specific educational techniques that can be used immediately in your classroom.
Q. What have you shared with your colleagues and education director
I have shared all the creative and engaging activities I have learned as ways to connect with my students with their lessons.
To learn more about Bonim Beyachad, please visit our website.
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