On Thursday, November 15, 2007 the BJE sponsored its “We Must Bear Witness: Teaching the Holocaust in Indiana Classrooms Fall Workshop”.  The evening was a success and we would like to thank everyone who participated.  The evening began with our featured guest, local Holocaust survivor Michael Blain.  The workshop also featured sessions presented by the Indiana Museum Fellows of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.  This year’s topics included: “A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words”, “Effective Use of Film to Teach the Holocaust and Other Genocides”, and “Teaching the Holocaust through Interdisciplinary Studies”.  The BJE will be offering a full-day educators workshop on April 30, 2008 featuring Peter Fredlake, USHMM’s Coordinator for the Museum Teacher Fellowship Program. For more information, please contact Tracey Friedman at tfriedman@bjeindy.org or 317.255.3124.

On October 15^th the BJE Early Childhood Teachers attended a workshop at the BJE presented by Efrat Srebro, manager of Early Childhood Musical Center in Acco-Israel.  This program was offered to all Early Childhood Educators in the community through the Partnership with Israel program. 

Efrat’s workshop “Music that Counts” is a hands on program that integrates math and music through songs, dances and rhythm activities. Children acquire math skills through musical activities.  Her focus is on kindergarten, but many of the activities are easily

adapted to younger children.

Efrat has presented her workshops in Thailand, Nepal, Romania and the U.S.

This was a wonderful workshop that most of our staff along with Ms. Jill our Creative Movement teacher, and Ms. Ruthie our Music teacher also attended.

Efrat returned the next day and along with Ms. Ruthie demonstrated during music class.  The staff had the opportunity to observe how the activities presented in the workshop were used with kindergarten and four year old children.

“Music that Counts” reinforced what our Music teacher Ms. Ruthie and Creative Movement teacher Ms. Jill present to your children in their weekly classes. Skills are being developed through body movement, listening, singing, using musical instruments, or props in movement class, that reinforce reading and math skills.

 The workshop demonstrated to the staff how to incorporate these techniques back into their classroom activities and learning stations.

Have Biblical texts ever challenged your understanding of the world? If so, you have the chance to take a deeper look through Shivim Panim, offered at the BJE.  Adult learners will encounter the development of varying interpretations, the influences of existing historical realities at the time of the passage composition, and the contemporary implications of these perspectives upon their own lives. Students will have the opportunity to study the “Stories of the First Jewish Family” during six, 90-minute sessions.  You will get to explore the text, ask questions and discover the ambiguities and issues raised by it.  Students will learn in an interactive, pluralistic environment. Classes are planned to begin in 2008.  For more information, please contact Tracey Friedman at 317.255.3124 or tfriedman@bjeindy.org.

     1    Jaimie Leon DeCastro    BEZ

     8    Daniel Lipson                   BEZ

     8    Nathan Lipson                 BEZ