Jewish Kids Rock and Jewish Chicks Rock ( Arts Based Programs, Gender-Specific Programs, Experiential Education Programs)

City: Worldwide, (Based in Brooklyn, but programs available around the globe)
Contact info: Naomi Less, Founder: naomiless@gmail.com; 917-318-9153
Website: www.jewishchicksrock.org/rockprograms
Year established: 2011
Category: Arts Based Programs, Gender-Specific Programs, Experiential Education Programs

What are the goals of the program?

• For both programs, band coaches (madrichim) promote hands-on work, even for kids with little to no previous instrument experience.  Philosophy: Jewish kids rock, in attitude, self-presentation, and talent.  JKRock builds a collaborative Jewish learning atmosphere where kids are encouraged to place their voices and opinions in the center, to take (safe) risks and to support each other in experimentation.  

How is the Program structured?

• The program can be structured as a kick off program intensive (day-long) and then sustained over 6-8 weeks with a performative rock show at the end.  Or it can be built as an alternative winter/spring/Pesach/presidents day/MLK weekend intensive program over 3 days.  Naomi and her team kick off the program and train local band coaches to sustain the program.  

What was the genesis of the program and what need was it meant to serve?

• This program was built off the success of the Girls Rock Camp movement in which Naomi is a long-time volunteer.  It is the perfect hybrid of social/emotional intelligence development and artistic expression with Judaic literacy development.

What are the key elements and underlying principles of the program? 

• This methodology takes into account the work of Dr.s David Bryfman and Joe Reimer's article on Jewish experiential learning - that to fit that definition, you need to nurture socialization, recreation and challenge.  Forming a band creates group norms, morries and dynamics - socialization; it is FUN to rock out in an informal setting - recreation; and it is challenging to create together, collaboratively, learning different ways to come to group agreement, as well as to work towards mastery of a sound and Jewish concepts.

Jewish Kids Groups Afterschool Community (Arts Based Programs, Comprehensive Jewish Afterschool Programs, Hebrew Language Programs, Jewish Text, History, Religion & Values Programs)

City: Atlanta,GA

Auspice/Sponsorship: Jewish Kids Group Foundation

Contact Information: afterschool@jewishkidsgroups.com

Website: http://www.jewishkidsgroups.com

Year Established: 2009

Category: Arts Based Programs, Comprehensive Jewish Afterschool Programs, Hebrew Language Programs, Jewish Text, History, Religion & Values Programs

What are the goals of the program?

• Our goal is to offer a fun-packed, content-rich, meaningful Jewish supplemental education to children and their families, irrespective of affiliation.
• Our mission is to reverse the trend of Jewish discontinuity with a crisp, reimagined, model of Jewish learning.
• Our primary programs are JKG Sundays and JKG Afterschool Community, a Monday through Friday Jewish educational and social community. Many students engage with us for up to 20 hours a week.

What makes Jewish Kids Group unique?

JKG Afterschool Community is unique because it:

• Combines a ridiculously cool Hebrew school and social community with an exceptional after-care program — an ideal solution for working parents.
• Provides a real alternative for families who don’t attend Jewish day schools, but for whom two hours a week at Sunday school just isn’t enough. Children in the afterschool program are immersed in a Jewish environment for up to 20 hours a week.
• Proudly employs a cutting-edge curriculum called Hebrew Wizards, nationally recognized for its innovative program, method, and philosophy. This core curriculum is bolstered by Jewish enrichment programming that varies day by day. 
• Builds meaningful Jewish relationships and community by incorporating the most impactful elements of camp-based education, namely teamwork and community building. Children connect to one other while playing an active role in their own learning.
•  Serves a diverse audience, including both affiliated and unaffiliated families. All of JKG’s parents want something new and meaningful for their children.
• Afterschool Community positions and empowers children to be a part of a Jewish community for the rest of their lives.

What is the structure of the program?

Children attend JKG Afterschool Community up to five days (20 hours) a week. At JKG, Monday through Friday from 2:30-6:00pm you will see Intown children:

• Singing and celebrating together during tefilah time
• Tending to our Jewish experiential garden with Farmer Amy
• Doing homework with tutors
• Learning modern Hebrew vocabulary
• Laughing and playing on our handcrafted playscape
• Building friendships while creating Jewish arts and crafts 
• Writing and performing Jewish-themed plays
• Celebrating holidays and  creating memories together

What was the genesis of the program and what need was it meant to serve?
JKG hosted a series of focus groups in October 2011.  Three findings emerged. 

• Both affiliated and unaffiliated families long for a high-quality Jewish education program that will actively support and engage their children on a Jewish journey.
• There is significant interest in a five-day a week Jewish after school program that provides care, community, and content.
• There is a desire for a “third option” in Jewish education for families who cannot or do not send their children to Jewish day school, but for whom traditional Hebrew School is not substantial enough. (This yearning is in line with research which indicates that more frequent Jewish education is more effective:  “Rises in the level of childhood Jewish schooling are almost always associated with increases in adult Jewish identity years later. Day school alumni outscore supplementary school alumni, who in turn outrank Sunday school graduates” -Cohen and Kotler-Berkowitz, 2004.)

What We’re Doing About It:

• In response to these focus groups and the understandings that resulted from them, research on best practices, and site visits to unique programs across the country, JKG created JKG Afterschool Community. The “newest and most innovative idea in Jewish education.” 
• Afterschool Community combines a premium afterschool-care program (homework help, snack, hangout time) with a ridiculously cool Hebrew school (experiential learning, community building). 
• Our 2012 pilot program is four months old and is an inspiring, hamish, loving community where kids learn and play together up to 20 hours a week. 

What are the key elements and underlying principles of this model/initiative? 

1) More Jewish educational experiences as a child positively correlates to having a Jewish identity as a adult. 

2) Above and beyond Jewish education, having Jewish friends in the childhood years impacts Jewish identity later in life. 

3) Many families want to offer their children a Jewish education but are not willing to join a synagogue or a day-school  to do so.

What do the parent's have to say about it?
• Mom, Rachel Silverman was quoted in the Jewish Week, “[JKG is] the best of both worlds, and we got our Sundays back.”

• Barbara Horowitz said, “[the teaching approach] is so different, it’s a breath of fresh air!”

Jewish Lens (Arts Based Programs & Resources, Culturally Based Programs & Resources, Experiential Education Programs & Resources, Jewish Text, History, & Values Programs & Resources, Online Programs & Resources)

City: National 

Auspice/Sponsorship: Independent 501c3

Contact Information: 330 Seventh Avenue, 21^st Floor, New York, NY 10001, 917.558.9018, info@jewishlens.org

Executive Director: Alisha Goodman, agoodman@jewishlens.org

Education Director: Karen Jarmon, kjarmon@jewishlens.org

Website: www.jewishlens.org, www.facebook.org/jewishlens 

Year Established: 2005

Category: Arts Based Programs & Resources, Culturally Based Programs & Resources, Experiential Education Programs & Resources, Jewish Text, History, & Values Programs & Resources, Online Programs & Resources

What are the key elements and underlying principles of the model/initiative?
The Jewish Lens (TJL) is based on the understanding that meaningful education must be experiential, have emotional impact, and empower students to develop their own ideas and follow their own passions.  By engaging students in the art of photography, TJL enables students to find personal relevance in Jewish values while expressing their own views, opinions, and creativity.

What was the genesis of the program and what need was it meant to serve?
TJL was founded by the world-renowned photographer Zion Ozeri in 2005 out of a personal desire to provide an alternative to the age old methods of Jewish teaching and learning.  Working in tandem with a curriculum writer and a diverse group of Rabbis, lay leaders and educators, a successful pilot with six supplementary and day schools in New York and Los Angeles spawned the creation of a program that is used across the denominational spectrum and in a variety of settings.  In 2009, TJL produced a more robust and user-friendly curriculum, expanding the reach of TJL to over 260 schools and other organizations across the country and in Israel.

The Jewish Lens addresses many student's indifference and boredom with established methods of Jewish education.  Today's media-saturated culture, which relies heavily on imagery, has changed the way youth interact with content.  TJL elevates the art of photography and uses it as a compelling way to engage youth with our traditions and teachings. 

What are the programs goals?
Our goals are to create a deeper, richer connection for the Jewish youth to their individual Jewish identity and community, as well as a better understanding of the unity and diversity of the Jewish people. 

Describe the Program/Methodology.
The Jewish Lens (TJL) provides experiential educational programming that facilitates students' exploration of Jewish values, identity, tradition and peoplehood using a methodology that couples photography with Jewish texts. TJL trains educators to implement curriculum in varied settings including congregational schools, day schools, camps and youth groups.

Through the modality of photography, TJL teaches participants to analyze visual content with Jewish values (such as global Jewish communities, ritual and Israel).  Images are also interpreted using traditional rabbinic and contemporary texts.  Participants take their own photographs and create their own personal commentaries. 

What is the structure of the program?

• Grades 5-12
• Hebrew schools, day schools, camps and youth groups.
• 50 minutes per lesson; 6-20, or more lessons per year
• a private social networking site where educators and students can post and share photos with participants across the country and in Israel. 

What factors make this model/initiative successful?
The combination of photography and text has introduced students to fresh ways of interacting with and creating new Jewish content.  Furthermore, by producing an end of year exhibition students are empowered to not only direct their own learning, but to then share it with family and friends. Additionally, TLJ connects students to America and Israel, cutting across geographic and language barriers through the use of images and social media. Finally, educators are provided with new tools through curriculum trainings and ongoing consultations, enabling them to integrate the methodology into their programming.