 |
 |
 What is Jewish Day Schools for the 21st Century? What beliefs guide JDS21? What outcomes can a school expect from participating in JDS21? What do JDS21 schools do? Glossary What is Jewish Day Schools for the 21st Century? At the dawn of the 21st Century, the American Jewish community faces unprecedented challenges. But the Jewish community also has unparalleled potential to move beyond the obstacles, bring meaning to individuals, and create vibrant communities. Jewish day schools stand as one of the most potent forces for creating the Jewish community of the future - if they can fulfill their potential for educating individuals and building communities of meaning. Jewish Day Schools for the 21st Century (JDS21) helps Reform and community Jewish day schools develop visions for how they can inspire children and adults to pursue Jewish learning and build vigorous Jewish communities for the next century. JDS21 then guides schools as they bring those visions to life. Jewish Day Schools for the 21st Century brings together a diverse group of Reform and community Jewish day schools to:
JDS21 is a project of the Rhea Hirsch School of Education (RHSOE) of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Los Angeles. The expertise of the RHSOE in day school education grows out of two decades of intensive engagement with Reform and community day schools, including research, professional training, and consultation. The RHSOE confers master degrees in Jewish education, grants certificates in day school leadership, and sponsors post-graduate residencies in day school education. In recent years, the RHSOE established itself as a pioneer in institutional transformation by conducting two cutting-edge projects: Day Schools for the 21st Century and The Experiment in Congregational Education. The RHSOE's work with day schools has received funding from the Righteous Persons Foundation, the Mandel Associated Foundations, the Breman Foundation, and the family of L. William Spear of Miami. JDS21 is funded by a grant from AVI CHAI. What beliefs guide JDS21? JDS21 is built on the belief that Jewish day schools can be a powerful force for:
What outcomes can a school expect from participating in JDS21? Based on their unique histories and values, JDS21 Schools discern which Jewish values can serve as the basis for future planning and programming. They encourage broad participation in developing, understanding and taking responsibility for these guiding values. They imagine and implement creative initiatives to enact the values throughout the life of the school. As they move through this process, JDS21 Schools can expect:
What do JDS21 schools do? JDS21 Schools are joining a collaborative partnership with the RHSOE and the other participating schools. Each school creates a Task Force to engage in a process of study, deliberation and reflection. The Task Force meets monthly (including day-long retreats each fall and spring) to study the school's guiding Jewish values, deliberate on ways the school might enact these values, and plan initiatives to translate the values into action. The Task Force of approximately 25 people includes:
The Task Force begins its work by studying a series of traditional Jewish texts which reveal important values which lie at the heart of many Jewish day schools. As the Task Force studies, it attempts to discern which Jewish values have potential to lead the school forward in the future. Task Force members imagine initiatives for students, teachers, parents and board members which can make these values come alive throughout the school community. Some of these dreams may involve long-range planning, but others can be implemented quickly at relatively little cost. These small-scale innovations ("low-hanging fruit") give the broader school community a taste of what the future might bring. After the Task Force decides which values might play a significant role in guiding the school in the future, the Task Force brings these values to the wider school community in a series of Community Conversations. The Community Conversations engage teachers, board members and parents in studying the school's guiding Jewish values, identifying issues and generating ideas related to the values, and imagining the future of the school as it moves ahead to translate these values into action. Following the Community Conversations, the Task Force reviews the input gathered from various constituencies, revises the guiding values and places them into a form that can easily be shared with the entire community. The Task Force then formulates additional programmatic initiatives based on the guiding values, and craft them into an action plan that will carry the school forward for another 3-5 years. Glossary Advisers guide consultants, maintain communication among the JDS21 schools, and coordinate the annual Kallot. An adviser is assigned to work with the head of school as the school is previewing JDS21. Community conversations engage teachers, board members and parents in studying the school's guiding Jewish values, identifying issues, and generating ideas relating to the values. They provide an opportunity for groups throughout the school to become involved in imagining the future of the school as it moves ahead to translate the values into action. Consultants work intensively with the Leadership Team to structure the Task Force deliberations. They provide a link between the project staff and the school, and they are helpful in anticipating and addressing issues and challenges facing the Leadership Team and Task Force. Deliberation is one of the core activities of the Task Force. Deliberation is a process which helps the Task Force develop a rich and textured understanding of issues, challenges and opportunities facing the school. Guiding Jewish Values influence decisions affecting life throughout the school, from curriculum to personnel, from programmatic planning to board activities. The Task Force studies Jewish texts in order to discern which Jewish values have the potential to lead the school forward in the future, and then plan programmatic initiatives to bring these values to life. Jewish Learning Community is a school in which Jewish learning is a core value that is expressed and lived whenever students, teachers, parents or board members gather. Jewish Learning Organization is a school in which a broad range of people come together to plan for the future using Jewish text study, thoughtful deliberation, and reflection on action. Kallah (pl. Kallot) is the Hebrew term for "gathering." JDS21 Kallot are annual 3-day gatherings of Leadership Teams from all the JDS21 schools. The Kallot provide opportunities for intensive work with the advisers and consultants, planning for the next stages of the process, and networking among lay and professional leaders of the schools. Leadership Institute is a gathering attended by the head of school, another administrator, a key lay leader and the congregation's senior rabbi (if the school is attached to a congregation). The Institute is held in the spring prior to the school's joining JDS21. The goal of the Institute is to help the school's leaders gain a deeper understanding of JDS21 and its goals, and to plan for the initial stages of the project. Leadership Team is small group which, along with the consultant, structures the deliberations of the Task Force and guides the JDS21 process. The Leadership Team includes, but is not limited to, the head of school, an additional administrator, a teacher, a board member and a parent or other community representative. Members of the Leadership Team attend the annual Kallah. Low-Hanging Fruit are the first programmatic initiatives that grow out of the Task Force's deliberations. These small-scale innovations can be implemented easily and at little or no cost. They give people in the school a taste of how the guiding values might be expressed in the school in the future. Programmatic Initiatives transform the school's guiding Jewish values into action through the creation of new programs, modifications to existing programs, adjustments in school policies and practices, and the development of new ways approaching issues facing the school. Reflection is one of the core activities of the Task Force. Reflection is a process which helps the Task Force develop greater insight into its dynamics and provides individuals the opportunity to gain insight into their growth. Task Force is a broad-based group of approximately 25 people including administrators, teachers, parents, and board members. The Task Force is the group charged with responsibility for carrying on the work of JDS21. The Task Force meets monthly (including day-long retreats each fall and spring) to study the school's guiding values, deliberate on ways the school might enact these values, and plan initiatives to translate the values into action. Text study is one of the core activities of the Task Force. Text Study can set a tone, provide a common language, enrich deliberations on specific issues facing the school, and build a sense of community. |
