Vision for Conservative Early Childhood Programs: A Journey Guide

Working With Clergy
(and Other Key Community Members)
Two facts guide the relationship between a United Synagogue early childhood program
and the synagogue’s rabbi:
1. The rabbi is the mara d’atra, the religious authority in his or her community. This
means that for questions of religious observance in the early childhood program,
the rabbi is the ultimate decision maker.
2. Research shows that the involvement of the clergy is a key feature in a successful
early childhood program.
This section of the Vision will provide suggestions to early childhood directors and
teachers on building a successful relationship with the clergy and other synagogue
professionals, and for supporting them in active roles in the early childhood community.
Encouraging Jewish professionals in the synagogue community to get involved in
early childhood
1. Benefits for children
Professionals such as rabbis, cantors, education directors, and building administrators
play an important role in making connections for young children. Jewish professionals
can represent the wider Jewish world to children, if they take the time to become part of
children’s lives. When children form relationships with rabbis and cantors, their pool of
trusted adults in the Jewish community expands. As they get to know adults involved in
Jewish life in a consistent way, children come to understand that being Jewish is not just
for children, and it’s not just something that happens at home or in their classroom. By
example, children learn that being Jewish is a serious, grown-up, and fun thing to be.
Jewish professionals can be significant resources for children with questions about God
and other areas of Jewish life.
2. Benefits for families
Jewish professionals get children excited about being Jewish. Once a relationship has
been formed, children become excited when they see their rabbi in the hall, when the
education director joins them for snack, when the cantor sings songs with them on
Shabbat, when the building administrator takes them on a tour of the building’s kitchen.
This excitement and familiarity spills over to help forge a connection between the child,
and the child’s family, and the host organization of the early childhood program. After
being in the four-year-old room at the preschool, children become excited to go to
Sunday school at the synagogue, so they can continue to see their friend the rabbi. As
parents become familiar with the synagogue professionals through their child, they
become more comfortable approaching synagogue professionals and becoming involved
in the synagogue. These connections are crucial in drawing families into the synagogue
as members. Jewish professionals are invaluable players in making this happen.
Vision for Conservative Early Childhood Programs: A Journey Guide
Maxine Segal Handelman
USCJ Department of Education
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