Congratulations 2025 Recipients of BJE’s Early Childhood Awards & Grants!
On March10, 2025, at BJE’s Bebe Feuerstein Simon Early Childhood Institute, special announcements were made of this year’s recipients of the annual Simha and Sara Lainer Distinguished Educator Awards and the Smotrich Family Foundation “What If” Grants. These prestigious awards are presented annually at the conference, and in addition to the financial award, recipients enjoy the opportunity to be lauded in front of their peers.
Simha and Sara Lainer Distinguished Educator Awards
The Lainer family is renowned for its philanthropic, intellectual, and cultural endeavors benefitting Jewish life through Jewish education and learning. To highlight the critical role that educators at Jewish schools play in our children’s lives and in perpetuating Jewish traditions and values, the Lainer family created “Distinguished Educator Awards” for early childhood educators. Cash awards of $2,500 each are presented annually to three exemplary educators from BJE-affiliated early childhood centers who have been teaching at least seven years in a BJE-affiliated school.
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Debbie Abeles
Debbie Abeles was born in North Carolina. Her father was a Rabbi, and her mother opened her own preschool before teaching in the synagogue's religious school. Debbie began her teaching career as an assistant at Pressman Academy of Temple Beth Am ECC. Six years later, she became lead teacher of one of the 3-year-old classes. She attributes much of her success as a teacher and a mom to working with the other amazing ECC teachers. Debbie and her husband, Jerry, raised four wonderful young adults. Becca (David Sverdlov), Jen (Morgan Kaplan), Amanda, and Joey (Maia Nagle), still talk of all they gained from Pressman, including their love of learning and Yiddishkeit. By sharing the Jewish values she learned as a child—those that she raised her children with—in class every day, her Ahlim are learning the richness of being Jewish while absorbing the learnings and characteristics of Torah along the way.
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Joi Burns
Joi Burns (Ms. Joi Joi) has been teaching in the field of early childhood education since 1991. She began her career at Temple Adat Elohim ECC in 2000, working primarily with young toddlers and with the families in the infant/toddler “Baby & Me” program. Joi loves to help support families by providing a home away from home for little ones. Joi loves being involved in welcoming every family to feel safe, included, supported, and experience positive growth through the programs at TAE. Joi has a love for animals of all kinds. Outside of school, she combines her creativity, artistic talents and love for working with young children, by doing glitter tattoo art and face painting at local events and parties.
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Cheryl Winiarz
Cheryl Winiarz has taught at Wilshire Boulevard Temple ECCs for 18 years, including at Glazer ECC since its opening in 2009. With 42 years in ECE, she has worked at various Jewish schools across the city but found her true passion at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, which she calls her home. Cheryl attended UCLA and completed specialized coursework at the Center for Early Education. She is inspired by the curiosity and creativity of her students, and strives to create an engaging, creative and joyful learning environment. Outside of teaching, Cheryl enjoys spending time with her family — her daughter Sophie works in fashion, and Toby recently graduated from Beverly Hills High School.
Smotrich Family Foundation “What If” Grant
Smotrich Family Foundation “What If” Grant recipients are awarded $1,500 to implement a special project within their school where they imagined “What if…they had $1,500 for the project of their dreams?”
The Smotrich Family Foundation Award was established by brothers Marvin and Thomas Smotrich, in memory of their parents, the late Bee and Sam Smotrich, who embodied exceptional commitment to Jewish life, love of Jewish learning and devotion to the education of children.
Kadima Day School ECEC will be using their “What If” grant funds to create a “Wonder Wall” consisting of six large house shaped interactive wood panels including a mirror, chalkboard, tube wall, magnetic wall, easel, and a sensory wall to be enjoyed by all their students.
Tashbar Sephardic Yeshiva Ketana will be using their “What If” grant funds to create a Loose Parts Center and Garden in their outdoor space using natural materials like logs, tree bark slices, wooden building blocks, and crates.
For more information about the “What If” grant program or the Lainer Distinguished Educator Awards, please contact Carly Rosenstein, BJE Director of the Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Education.
