The Reconstructionist Education Database goes live March 25, a flick-of-the-digital-switch that will be a boon to educators and learning across the Reconstructionist movement. Hosting troves of curricula in one, searchable spot will not only save educators time but make teaching more effective.
Rabbi Lily Solochek is a key part of a bold new endeavor and has been tasked with taking Reconstructionist education to the next level. They have been named director of Reconstructing Judaism’s new Wenger-Markowitz Family Education Initiative. Funded with a $1 million gift from Reconstructionist leaders Jonathan Markowitz and Ruth Wenger, the initiative will bolster K-12 educational offerings across the Reconstructionist movement.
For many years, Ruth Wenger, the daughter of Holocaust survivors, shared her love of learning and passion for Judaism by teaching religious school at Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation, in Evanston, Ill. One weekend, Wenger — a lawyer, philanthropist and Jewish communal leader who helps leads a weekly minyan at the congregation
For Jackie Land, a lifelong educator, that passion is fueled by the Reconstructionist commitment to egalitarianism and democracy: how each community makes decisions for itself on how best to live Reconstructionist values.
Being a leader requires ongoing learning. You can’t learn to lead by attending a week-long conference or by doing it for a year or two. Rather, we want to impress the idea that learning to be a leader is a lifetime of study and practice.
As more and more places of worship become vulnerable to hate crimes and gun violence and we increase security measures, young people are particularly traumatized. One congregation has created a mental health and resilience curriculum for its students.Â
How can you delight two- and three-year-olds with chanting of Torah in ancient melodies called trope?
Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement
Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis
Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues
Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives
