English     Español    עברית  

Teacher Trainings

We offer professional development programs for Jewish educators of all denominations in teaching Israel-focused Jewish education.

Goals:

  • Bolster Jewish educators’ awareness and knowledge of Jewish environmental teachings and empower them to teach on Judaism and the environment
  • Engage and inspire young Jews concerned about the planet’s future by linking a core area of concern for them to Jewish teachings
  • Reinvigorate Jewish education, enhance Jewish continuity, and catalyze a Jewish response to the environmental crisis

Objectives:

  • Serve as a bridge connecting a cohort of dynamic Jewish environmental educators based in Israel and North America to institutions that either already train Jewish educators or that seek for their teachers in-service and pre-service professional development on teaching Judaism and the environment
  • Provide professional development training and educational materials on Judaism and the environment for 200 educators who will reach 2000 participants in the 2010-11 academic year
  • Expose educators to a range of curricula and teaching materials developed by a broad range of Jewish environmental organizations
  • Teach educators how to teach sample lesson plans and experiential, outdoor activities that relate to the textual learning
  • Offer follow-up support to ensure the integration of the seminar’s lessons into the educator’s regular teaching

Testimonials from Participants in the Seminars:

  • “Rabbi Neril’s Jewish Eco Seminar put a spiritual foundation to the challenges we face with the environment.”
  • “Transcendent moments at Jewish Eco Seminars!…Jewish values grounded us in bringing heaven and earth closer together to do Tikkun Olam for the environment.”
  • “Jewish Eco Seminars provided me with electrifying insights into Judaism and its teachings on the environment.”
  • “An inspiring educational experience that created an interactive dialogue for what Judaism teaches about caring for the environment.”
  • “I felt very connected to the fruits and nuts we were eating because of their explanations and symbolism.  It was fun to meet new people and hear their perspectives on the text we studied.  Rabbi Neril’s teaching encouraged me to think of how I use and consume in my daily life, and how I can use products less wastefully as a result of this experience.”