City: Berkeley, CA
Auspice/Sponsorship: Community Initiatives
Contact
Information: (510) 545-EDAH, or edah@edahcommunity.org
Website: www.edahcommunity.org
Year Established: 2010
Category: Comprehensive Jewish Afterschool Programs, Experiential Education Programs, Hebrew Language Programs, Jewish Text, History, Religion & Values Programs
Category: Comprehensive Jewish Afterschool Programs, Experiential Education Programs, Hebrew Language Programs, Jewish Text, History, Religion & Values Programs
By the end of fifth grade, Edah participants will realize the following learning outcomes in age-appropriate ways: (1) have a positive perception of him/herself as a Jew, (2) feel a sense of belonging to the Jewish people, (3) know Hebrew language and Jewish texts, (4) embody Jewish values—Middot, Gemilut Chasadim, Tikkun Olam, Talmud Torah, Ahavat Israel, (5) be capable of engaging in diverse Jewish ritual and cultural activities, and navigate doing so within a secular society, and (6) master and practice life skills inspired by Jewish concepts and values.
We
offer amazing Jewish learning experiences for children after school and
during school breaks. We bring your child to our site, welcome them into our
safe and nurturing space, provide healthy snacks, and engage them in creative
and meaningful Jewish learning. At Edah, we engage children in project-based
experiential Jewish learning. Children spend time in both multi-aged and
intimate learning groups and engage through nature, drama, arts, music,
movement and sports, all infused with modern Hebrew.What is the structure of the program?
1:30-5:30 Monday-Friday; 3 weeks of day camp; full-day programming when school's out. 3 day minimum for participation; K-5 program; rents space from a Berkeley-based synagogue.
What was the genesis of the program and what need was it meant to serve?
Shocking, but true! It is next to impossible to find substantive Jewish education for school-aged children in the United States outside of day schools. The religious education traditionally offered by synagogues, once the dominant form of Jewish Education in the US, has been found to fall short by participants and researchers (Wertheimer, 2009). Most school-aged children receiving a Jewish education are in supplementary settings that meet less than four hours per week (Kotler-Berkowitz, 2005 and have minimal impact on their Jewish practice as adults (Cohen, 2006); this despite millions of dollars spent in the last decade promoting the day school option (Forward, June 24, 2011). Accordingly, there is a strong movement afoot for reform (JESNA, 2008). Edah is at the forefront of this movement, offering an innovative approach to Jewish learning that serves the needs of its community and a transformative paradigm for Jewish education in the US. Prior to the inception of Edah, options for Jewish Education in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area had been relatively typical, limited to synagogue-based Hebrew schools and day schools. Focus groups conducted by Edah founders indicated that parents were interested in something different: extensive and intensive Jewish learning experiences to complement their children’s secular school experience.
What was the genesis of the program and what need was it meant to serve?
Shocking, but true! It is next to impossible to find substantive Jewish education for school-aged children in the United States outside of day schools. The religious education traditionally offered by synagogues, once the dominant form of Jewish Education in the US, has been found to fall short by participants and researchers (Wertheimer, 2009). Most school-aged children receiving a Jewish education are in supplementary settings that meet less than four hours per week (Kotler-Berkowitz, 2005 and have minimal impact on their Jewish practice as adults (Cohen, 2006); this despite millions of dollars spent in the last decade promoting the day school option (Forward, June 24, 2011). Accordingly, there is a strong movement afoot for reform (JESNA, 2008). Edah is at the forefront of this movement, offering an innovative approach to Jewish learning that serves the needs of its community and a transformative paradigm for Jewish education in the US. Prior to the inception of Edah, options for Jewish Education in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area had been relatively typical, limited to synagogue-based Hebrew schools and day schools. Focus groups conducted by Edah founders indicated that parents were interested in something different: extensive and intensive Jewish learning experiences to complement their children’s secular school experience.
Mission & Vision
Edah’s mission is to inspire and engage children and their families through experiential, Hebrew-infused learning, nourishing collective commitment to Jewish living.
We envision Edah as a community of Jewish learning and living that: (1) Creates premier immersive Jewish learning experiences for children and their parents in North America, (a) empowering participants with positive Jewish identities and the will and skills to engage in Jewish practice, culture, and community and (b) offering an innovative model and laboratory for the field. (2) Leads a thriving national movement of Jewish experiential learning that provides program, professional, and organizational development support, advancing innovation and quality in Jewish education. (3) Engages in rigorous research, evaluation, and assessment development agenda, contributing new knowledge and practices to the field. The combined impact of these efforts will transform the Jewish education paradigm to foster more powerful Jewish learning and living across North America.
We envision Edah as a community of Jewish learning and living that: (1) Creates premier immersive Jewish learning experiences for children and their parents in North America, (a) empowering participants with positive Jewish identities and the will and skills to engage in Jewish practice, culture, and community and (b) offering an innovative model and laboratory for the field. (2) Leads a thriving national movement of Jewish experiential learning that provides program, professional, and organizational development support, advancing innovation and quality in Jewish education. (3) Engages in rigorous research, evaluation, and assessment development agenda, contributing new knowledge and practices to the field. The combined impact of these efforts will transform the Jewish education paradigm to foster more powerful Jewish learning and living across North America.
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