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Leafing through the pages of the February 21-27 Jewish Journal, I spotted headlines of Journal stories published 20 years ago.  One caption, in particular, caught my eye.  “Day School Count: A new census yields surprising results on Jewish day school attendance.”

On February 20, BJE’s Reshet-LA will "graduate" eight schools from Tier One of the program, bringing to 15 the total number of part-time Jewish school programs engaged in the practical work of school innovation. As the program continues to grow, participants are benefiting from the unique opportunity to connect with and learn from national experts in the part-time religious school world, opportunities that are only made possible through BJE.

On March 16, 2020 BJE will hold its annual Bebe Feuerstein Simon Early Childhood Institute. The conference provides early childhood educators with an opportunity to learn and practice new skills, network with other educators, and grow as professionals.

On January 12, a sold-out crowd gathered at Sinai Temple for BJE’s annual gala, honoring four exceptional builders of Jewish education – Cheryl Weisberg Davidson, Marlynn and Rabbi Elliot Dorff, and Craig Rutenberg. Attendees, from across the Los Angeles area, represented a broad spectrum of Jewish life. The event helped raise funds to support BJE and its teen experiential programs which engage youth in action and reflection based on Jewish values of helping those in need.

In the fall, BJE welcomed two educators to its professional staff - Experiential Educator Michal Kress and Early Childhood Education Specialist Carly Rosenstein. Both natives of Los Angeles, Michal and Carly bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to BJE. Each has already begun making significant impact through their work at BJE. 

Ever wonder how your teachers get so smart? Well, we can’t take all the credit, but BJE does provide ongoing professional development opportunities for teachers in day schools, early childhood and part-time Jewish schools. Read on for more information about some of the varied programs available to teachers in Jewish schools just this fall!

On Sunday, October 6, more than 80 people gathered at the Japanese Garden in Balboa Park for BJE’s fall Day of Service Learning. Hosted by BJE’s JKidLA and PJ Library, the event was part of BJE’s semi-annual service learning program offered to the community.

On September 19, 28 educators in part-time Jewish education programs gathered for the launch of the 2019-20 calendar year for BJE Reshet-LA and BJE’s Religious School Educators Network. This year represents continued growth for Reshet-LA, a project designed to help schools innovate, from nine participating institutions in year one, to 15 part-time Jewish education programs in this, its third year.

It is a common practice for organizations to ask people to pledge their support in order to meet immediate needs. This is referred to as annual giving. The Torah, however, imagines a much longer-term commitment when it comes to education.

In the story recounted in Parashat Va-etchanan – which we read a few weeks ago – Moshe gave the People a pep talk as they prepared to end their travels in the wilderness and enter the Land of Israel.