Vision for Conservative Early Childhood Programs: A Journey Guide

Family Education and Learning
Fact: Teaching Torah to toddlers can lead to a lifetime of Jewish learning.
Fact: Jewish preschools serve as a gateway to Jewish life for the entire family.
(Sue Fishkoff, Beyond Torah for Tots, 2006, JTA special report
http://joi.org/bloglinks/Preschool,%20JTA.htm)
The importance of the family in early childhood education has been validated by many
educators, because early childhood education provides the ultimate opportunity to reach
these young Jewish families. They are there, seeking a school with a good reputation,
enrolling in Jewish programs and thus taking the first step to connect to the Jewish
community. In many instances, consciously or subconsciously, gaining the skills and
knowledge they need to create a Jewish life for their families is a key reason they pursued
a Jewish early childhood experience for their child (Defining Excellence in EC Jewish
Education: 2002). For others, the Jewish education components become an added benefit,
but not their primary goal in selecting a Jewish preschool. In either situation, as Ilene
Vogelstein, in her role of special projects director of CAJE, explained, “the early
childhood experience, as the start of Jewish practices at home and the understanding of
Jewish values, is the gateway for families to move into future Jewish experiences.”
The fact that preschools have a profound effect on the Jewish life of the entire family
highlights the need to bring parents into the preschool process. This may be many young
parents’ first connection or reconnection with Judaism in any way since their own
childhoods. It is therefore most important to be open and welcoming to all Jewish
families, support these families, and nurture that connection, thus leading to continuity
for both the child and the family. We know that the family’s relationship to Judaism can
positively influence the child’s own relationship to Judaism, and that the child’s exposure
to formalized Jewish learning can inspire parents to start thinking about their own
relationship to the Jewish community, practices, identity, and life. Early childhood
programs often become mini-communities and offer support while bridging the gap into
Jewish institutions and the larger Jewish community.
“Teach the child – reach the family” surely is the strongest statement supporting family
involvement. Giving parents the tools they need to take their family on a Jewish journey
must be a priority in a Conservative early childhood program. This means providing
parents with the tools, time, and opportunities to learn everything that their children are
learning, and more. It means crafting easy ways for parents to take home what their
children are learning in school. It means meeting parents where they are, and drawing
them into a journey of Jewish learning. It means connecting parents to the synagogue and
to the broader Jewish community, so that the learning continues when their children leave
the early childhood program.
Vision for Conservative Early Childhood Programs: A Journey Guide
USCJ Department of Education
Maxine Handelman
Handelman@uscj.org
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