Remember last week when we spilled the beans? We told you the biggest deal of the season wasn’t Black Friday or Cyber Monday—it was Giving Tuesday (surprise!). And, wow, did our community understand the assignment!
To everyone who gave: THANK YOU! Because of our generous donors, we can continue to make a real impact on the lives of countless families, individuals, seniors, and students in our community and around the world.
Giving Tuesday might be over, but the work isn’t.
If you didn’t get the chance to donate, it’s not too late. Your support is still needed to keep this momentum going.
We know you must be curious about why your support matters so much. That’s why we wanted to share a little highlight of our impact throughout the year—specifically how Federation is shaping the future of Israel education.
We say it all the time… after October 7, everything changed. Families, educators, and community leaders have been asking hard questions:
How do we prepare our kids to understand Israel in all its complexities?
How do we give them the confidence to navigate tough conversations at school, in college, and beyond?
Here’s the reality. Nearly one in five Jewish families in Greater MetroWest NJ choose to educate their kids in congregational schools from grades K-12 (GMW Community Study, 2020). And the directors have identified a gap—a BIG one—in Israel education for grades 3-7.
As one educational director put it:
“We ask our kids to go from Ahavat Yisrael (the love of Israel) in the early grades to wars and conflicts in high school and college, with no on-ramp in between.”
Federation is stepping in to fill that gap. Our Task Force for Israel Education in Congregational Learning* has launched a 10-month initiative to create age-appropriate, impactful curriculum for kids in grades 3–7.
Here’s what’s been happening:
- A deep dive into creating developmentally appropriate content for elementary and middle school students
- Piloting programs and curricula in schools during the school year
- Sharing tools and resources with educators across Greater MetroWest
We’re building the “on-ramp,” so that when they learn about the complexities of Israel, they are supported and prepared.
We’re also making sure teachers and educators have the support they need. In August, Federation held a special session for public, secular private, and congregational educators, who are on the front lines supporting teens as they face increasing antisemitic acts and language. Rabbi Diana Fersko, author of We Need to Talk about Antisemitism, provided tools and language to help educators feel prepared to support students this year.
This November, we also held our Early Childhood Day of Learning, where hundreds of educators came together to connect, learn, and grow. For the first time, we included sessions on Israel education for early childhood professionals.
From preschool to high school, we’re giving educators what they need to build strong, resilient Jewish identities in their classrooms. The work we’re doing is urgent, and it’s only possible because of the generosity of our community. Click here to donate and be part of it.
To learn more about what your support can do with Federation, check this out. (We kept it short and packed with photos!)
*The Task Force for Israel Education in Congregational Learning and Early Childhood Day of Learning are supported by generous funding from the Cooperman Family Fund for a Jewish Future of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater MetroWest, NJ.