MaTaRoT 2023-2024 Course Descriptions

Leadership Coaching

Instructor: MaTaRoT Faculty
Dates: Agreed upon between faculty coach and participant
Time: Agreed upon between faculty coach and participant
Cost: CJP Congregation: $1000/Small to Medium Congregation; $2000/Large Congregation; National Congregation: $3200
Location: Zoom
Register: Returning Applicants
New Applications
National Applications

Jewish Educators partner with an experienced coach to develop and deepen skills in areas such as change management, interpersonal communication, supervision, leadership, etc. to achieve professional goals.

Building on the success of our current coaching we are pleased to offer several choices for Leadership Coaching in the coming year, including limited spaces for those coachees that would like to continue for an additional year.

Contact Marion Gribetz to discuss financial aid.

Curriculum Coaching

For Senior Educational Leaders: Are you looking to review your curriculum needs? Have you been considering making a change to your curricular goals, scope and sequence? MaTaRoT coaches are available to work with you as you investigate your curricular needs (10 sessions).

Contact Marion Gribetz to discuss financial aid.

Fall 2023 Professional Development

The Soul of Jewish Education
Instructor: Rabbi Dr. Michael Shire
Dates: 9/5/23-10/27/23
Time: Asynchronous with synchronous components
Cost: $360 (CJP School), $420 (Non-CJP School)
Location: Zoom
Register: Register Now

Jewish education has been primarily concerned with the transmission of knowledge, acquisition of skills and developing Jewish identity in people. One aspect of cultivating religious identity has been missing from Jewish educational practice and that is nurturing the spiritual growth of the individual as an explicit aim of our educational practice. We seem to shy away from this practice in our schools and synagogues, often thinking that spiritual practice and a person’s being with God are not part of the Judaism we know. However, not only is nurturing spiritual practice part of the essence of Judaism, it has also been a long component of Jewish education but largely ignored in our times. This module seeks to explore the cultivation of the spiritual life of the individual drawing upon the research, particularly but not exclusively of children’s spirituality. I will offer a Jewish lens with which to view this spirituality that comes from our traditional sources and from contemporary thinking including Social and Emotional Learning, Mindfulness and Thriving. We will explore innovative and creative practices for Jewish education in our educational settings for children, adolescents and adults. Deepening our understanding of this field will determine the very way we see the overall and expanded purpose of a Jewish Education.

Mussar for Educators
Instructor: Rabbi Marcia Plumb
Dates: 11/1/23-12/22/23
Time: Asynchronous with synchronous components
Cost: $360 (CJP School), $420 (Non-CJP School)
Location: Zoom
Register: Register Now

Musar is an ancient Jewish spiritual practice that has been re-energized for the 21st century. It draws upon the depths of Jewish tradition and text along with a unique pedagogy to form and develop human virtues for greater self awareness and broader openness to those around us and the ebb and flow of life’s joys and challenges. We will practice this spiritual art together learning its particular approach as well as reflect on the methodology for educators. No prior experience or knowledge is required and all texts will be provided with English translation. There will be week chavruta requirements as well as a formative assessment. There will be three live sessions on zoom which will be recorded for those who cannot attend.

Instructional Leadership
Instructor: Susan Morrel
Dates: 9/5/23-10/27/23
Time: Asynchronous with synchronous components
Cost: $360 (CJP School), $420 (Non-CJP School)
Location: Zoom
Register: Register Now

Instructional leaders strengthen the teaching and learning in their settings through providing educational supervision and developing professional learning communities. Promoting greater attention to instructional leadership in Jewish schools leads to meaningful and transformative change. In this course, students will develop a shared language and understanding about instructional leadership, drawing on educational learning theories, and exploring tools and strategies that support improving student achievement. Students will engage with instructional leadership practices such as observation, supervision, co-planning, collaboration, and creating a professional learning community.

Organizational Leadership
Instructor: Dr. Barbara Merson
Dates: 11/1/23-12/22/23
Time: Asynchronous with synchronous components
Cost: $360 (CJP School), $420 (Non-CJP School)
Location: Zoom
Register: Register Now

Leadership in Jewish organizations is a highly complex activity. Jewish educators must learn to navigate in an environment that has many participants, often with diverse priorities and perspectives. Effective leadership requires a high degree of self-knowledge, flexibility in approach, and balance between long term vision and shorter-term goals. The goal of this module is to give Jewish educators the tools they need to be successful Jewish organizational leaders.

Specific topics will include:

Theories that are useful for leadership (Tzimtzum, Transformative Learning, the Musar perspective on values, wounding/t’shuvah)
Navigating between personal and organizational values as a leader.
Assessment of personal leadership preferences (Personal philosophy/values, Covey, Harvard Assessment Tool).
Approaches to leadership (Charismatic, Authentic, Servant, Adaptive, and Distributed Leadership).
Leadership in times of change

Spring 2024 Professional Development

Creative Expression for Spiritual Development
Instructor: Rabbi Dr. Michael Shire & Guest Lecturers
Dates: 1/29/24 – 3/20/24
Time: This is a primarily synchronous module, though all sessions will be recorded for later viewing.
Cost: $360 (CJP School), $420 (Non-CJP School)
Register: Register Now

This seminar is designed to introduce participants to the diverse creative expressions of Spiritual Development including Music, Mindfulness and Meditation, Expressive Arts, Storytelling, Creative Writing, Poetry, etc. These creative expressions will be grounded in a Jewish articulation of these approaches using faculty and alumni expertise who have honed these expressions in pedagogical programs. The programs themselves will include Torah Godly Play (story telling), The Expressive Arts as a religious imperative, Jewish Meditation and Mindfulness, spiritual writing and journaling, Music and nigunim etc.

Jewish Spiritual Disciplines of Talmud Torah, Tefillah, and Mussar
Instructor: Rabbi Dr. Michael Shire & Guest Lecturers
Dates: 3/25/24 – 5/17/24
Time: Asynchronous with synchronous components
Cost: $360 (CJP School), $420 (Non-CJP School)
Location: Zoom
Register: Register Now

Pirkei Avot teaches that the world stands on three fundamental human endeavors; The Study of Sacred Literature (Talmud Torah), the watchfulness of a prayerful life (Tefila) and the infinite responsibility for the other (Gemilut Hasadim as expressed in Musar). This module explores the Jewish philosophical and theological perspectives of these spiritual practices and provides contemporary approaches to these disciplines for human flourishing and wakefulness.

From Talmud to Tachlis: A Practical Guide for Jewish Organizations
Instructor: Dr. Barbara Merson
Dates: 1/29/24 – 3/20/24
Time: Asynchronous with synchronous components
Cost: $360 (CJP School), $420 (Non-CJP School)
Location: Zoom
Register: Register Now

In addition to knowledge of specific Jewish content, Jewish educators are expected to be able to be a key participant in the day to day activities of their organizations. The goal of this module is to give learners the foundational knowledge in the “tachlis” areas of Jewish organizations so that they can most effectively contribute to the fulfillment of the organization’s mission and be good partners for volunteer leaders and other staff members. Organizational components to be covered include: Governance: organizational structure, presidential partnership; board relations; bylaws and policies; Human resources: talent management and development; Finance: understanding financials; budgeting; Fundraising: types of fundraising; donor relations; ethical and legal considerations; Marketing: types of marketing; pricing of products/services; public relations.

Leadership and Change
Instructor: Susan Morrel
Dates: 3/25/24 – 5/17/24
Time: Asynchronous with synchronous components
Cost: $360 (CJP School), $420 (Non-CJP School)
Location: Zoom
Register: Register Now

“Pivot” is a word which has been frequently used over the past few years as Jewish educators were confronted with the need to quickly change course during Covid. Although “pivoting” for unplanned change is essential, we realize that leading planned change is a complex process, requiring a systemic and thoughtful approach. This course is designed to help students develop a deeper understanding of issues involved in leading change in a Jewish educational setting, and to provide the tools and strategies educational leaders need to be successful change-makers in a rapidly changing field. Students will reflect on their own strengths, challenges and approaches to leadership and change (from module 2), and draw upon Jewish wisdom, as well as the literature of general education and business theories, to consider how to design and implement change which positively impacts learning. Specific topics will include: Change Readiness; Appreciative Inquiry; Asset Mapping; SWOT Analysis; Systemic Thinking, and Enduring Dilemmas.

Short Courses w/ Hebrew at the Center

Planning Instruction: Lessons on Lesson Design
Instructor: Dr. Carmit Burstyn
Dates: 11/7/23 – 12/12/23
Time: 8pm – 9:30pm
Cost: $360/Prizmah School Network; $400/Outside Prizmah School Network
Location: Zoom
Register: Registration for this course has closed.

In this 6-week course, teachers will be familiar with principles of effective language instruction and apply them to their own lesson planning. We will begin with learning how to set lesson objectives that integrate meaningful content, communicative practices and linguistic knowledge. Teachers will receive templates for designing effective and interactive lesson plans for various proficiency levels, and be able to explain the function of each part of the lesson. Teachers will gain strategies and activities for maximizing student participation and engagement in the three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal and presentational. By the end of the course, teachers will design 1-3 lesson plans or upgrade 1-3 existing lesson plans for one of their instructional units. #General Ed – Curriculum Design

Teaching Language Form in Context – From Vocabulary and Grammar to Communication
Instructor: Dr. Rina Kreitman
Dates: 1/14/24 – 2/8/24
Time: 12pm – 1:30pm
Cost: $360/Prizmah School Network; $400/Outside Prizmah School Network
Location: Zoom
Register: Registration for this course has closed.

Since the shift from traditional approaches to language teaching to the communicative approach, teachers are sometimes lost in regards to how to introduce vocabulary and grammar in context, and whether grammar should, at all, play a part in language teaching. This course will survey different approaches to grammar and vocabulary teaching. In this course teachers will be introduced to the P.A.C.E model and to instructional activities and strategies on how to introduce and practice both grammar and vocabulary in the communicative classroom. #Hebrew Language Ed – Knowledge of the Language

Assessment 360: Everything You Need to Know to Support Your Hebrew Language Learners
Instructor: Dr. Esty Gross
Dates: 3/11/24 – 4/15/24
Time: 8pm – 9:30pm
Cost: $360/Prizmah School Network; $400/Outside Prizmah School Network
Location: Zoom
Register: Register Now!

If you want to learn how assessing your learners can help shape your teaching in class and, in turn, support each student’s progress, this class is for you. In this course, teachers will be introduced to a range of assessment types and their purposes as well as strategies on how to use different types of assessments that align with unit goals and expected outcomes. We will also discuss the relationship between assessment, feedback and grading practices. By the end of the course, teachers will design one assessment or more for one of their instructional units.

Short Courses

Teaching in the Jewish Classroom for New(ish) Educators
Instructor: Robin Kahn
Dates: Tuesdays, Oct. 24; Nov. 14, 28; Dec. 5; Jan. 9, 16, 23, 30
Time: 8pm – 9:30pm
Cost: CJP Schools: $218; Non-CJP Schools: $240 (Fee adjustment for multiple teachers from the same school)
Location: Zoom
Register: Register Now!

This short course is designed for teachers new to teaching or those who have been teaching and don’t have a background in education and are eager to apply theory to their practice. Each session will introduce a new theory or pedagogy and offer practical classroom applications. Topics to include: Child Development and setting reasonable expectations, Social Emotional Learning, Getting to Know our students, our teaching environment and setting up our space.

Workshops

Using Social Media to Create and Tell our Stories
Instructor: Micah Hart
Date: October 17, 2023
Time: 12 – 1pm
Cost: Free
Location: Zoom
Register: Register Now!

It’s hard to get people’s attention these days – there’s a never-ending bombardment of the senses from every possible outlet – but it’s also never been easier to tune out the things you prefer to ignore. The answer is simple: if you want people to give you their time, you have to give them something of value in return. This workshop will give you the tools to help you do that by using storytelling to build relationships with your community.

Writing and Telling Stories
Instructor: Susan Meyer
Date: November 14, 2023
Time: 12 – 1pm
Cost: Free
Location: Zoom
Register: Register Now!

Award-winning children’s author Susan Lynn Meyer will discuss the inspiration and research behind her latest book, A Sky Full of Song, a novel about eleven-year old Shoshana and her large family, Jewish refugees from persecution in Tsarist Russia, who take up homesteading in a dugout on the North Dakota prairie. She will also talk about the ways that children can interview family members and use the recordings as inspiration to write their own stories.

Learn more about A Sky Full of Song, and purchase it here.

Jewish Stories and their Influences
Instructor: Rabbi Ben Rosen
Date: December 12, 2023
Time: 12pm – 1pm EST
Cost: Free
Location: Zoom
Register: Register Now!

Judaism, and its strong storytelling tradition, has never existed in a vacuum. Across thousands of years, Jewish stories have come into contact with the traditions and myths of their neighbors and emerged stronger and more fascinating with each passing generation. In this session, we will compare and contrast various Creation myths and try our hand at adaptation.

Up Close and Personal: A Talmudic Tale about a Teacher and a Learner
Instructor: Elie Holzer
Date: January 9, 2024
Time: 12 – 1pm
Cost: Free
Location: Zoom
Register: Register Now!

We tell ourselves “stories” about the kind of teacher we are, and we tell ourselves “stories” while observing other teachers and students. What intricacies of these two types of stories might be at play in our day-to-day experience? This experiential workshop is designed to explore that question as we delve into a short rabbinic story.

Magic Unlocked: Bringing Education to Life with Mystery, Play, and Storytelling
Instructor: Sari Kopitnikoff
Date: February 27, 2024
Time: 12 – 1pm
Cost: Free
Location: Zoom
Register: Register Now!

For the last number of years, experiential educator and game designer Sari Kopitnikoff has been creating educational games and mystery experiences for learners of all ages on a host of topics. The games have been very successful – both in encouraging teamwork and building community as well as creating meaningful and engaging learning experiences. The games build on stories that are anchored in Jewish history and text but are fictionalized and allow for student interaction and creativity. Learn how to create such magic in your own learning environment. Discover the value of such learning, play one of Sari’s mystery games, and finally, learn the process of creating your own.

Sari’s books, Sometimes When I Pray, Only Kidding!, My Davening Diary, My Escape from Egypt, and Jewmagine That!, have all made best-seller lists on Amazon. Order your copies here.

Check out Sari’s free educational packets, virtual games, and more. Click here.

Healing Hearts: Telling my Family’s Story is Telling my Story
Instructor: Irene Stern Frielich
Date: March 12, 2024
Time: 12 – 1pm
Cost: Free
Location: Zoom
Register: Register Now!

Author and daughter of a Holocaust survivor Irene Stern Frielich will share the importance of the stories she knew and the emptiness of those she didn’t have. She will discuss how storytelling helped transform her from a quietly suffering inheritor of intergenerational trauma to a woman engaged in her path toward healing; healing she hadn’t been aware she needed.

Check out Irene’s website: www.shatteredstars.org and Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ShatteredStarsHealingHearts

Israel Story: Behind the Scenes
Instructor: Mishy Harman
Date: April 9, 2024
Time: 12 – 1pm
Cost: Free
Location: Zoom
Register: Register Now!

Israel Story, or ‘Sipur Israeli,’ was born as a late-night project in 2011 at the hands of childhood friends Mishy Harman, Yochai Maital, Shai Satran, and Ro’ee Gilron. Their hope was to step outside of their social bubbles and explore the diversity of Israel. By 2014, Israel Story launched its English podcast. The focus of the English podcast was the same. The Israel people loved, as well as the Israel people hated, was – largely speaking – an imaginary place. Israel Story on the other hand, tells stories of the ‘real’ Israel; to showcase a different, more nuanced, and more diverse, Israel.

As soon as the war started on October 7th, Israel Story halted regular production and devoted all operational resources to sharing voices and testimonies to try to paint a picture of life in Israel during these trying times.

Join us with Mishy Harman as we learn about the power of stories from Israel as created by Israel Story. Mishy’s session will be current and provide us with examples of real stories from Israel.

Engaging Diverse Families with PJ Library
Instructor: Kayla Reisman
Date: May 14, 2024
Time: 12 – 1pm
Cost: Free
Location: Zoom
Register: Register Now!

How well do the families involved in your organization reflect the wider population locally? This virtual interactive workshop will bring together PJ Library books and engagement strategies as an opportunity for participants to reflect on the stories that they tell in their communities, and how to use them to reach new families.

Questions, Questions: Interrogating Jewish Storytelling
Instructor: Caren Schnur Neile
Date: June 4, 2024
Time: 12 – 1pm
Cost: Free
Location: Zoom
Register: Register Now!

It is often said that great stories don’t provide answers; they pose questions. The same can also be said for a great storytelling series. Asking questions is inherent in Jewish culture. What questions has this series raised in your mind about the importance, meaning, and utility of Jewish storytelling? What do you still wonder about how—and why—to use storytelling in your own life and work? Do you want to tell better stories? Learn how to adapt personal anecdotes to telling? Start your own storytelling tradition, or group? Come bring these questions and others for a lively and informative discussion with a “community storytelling activist” who has employed story in hundreds of places and in dozens of different situations.