Announcing i*Express

Shalom Chevrei:

We are proud to announce that Emanuel Congregation has been chosen to participate in an exciting project that will transform Jewish learning for our children and families. The name of the project is i*Express, and it is designed to propel congregations like ours forward in their practice of engaging children and their families in meaningful Jewish learning beyond the classroom. Offered by the Jewish Education Project, a beneficiary of the UJA Federation of New York, our team (Erin Copland, Devorah Heyman, Myriam Kasper, Tani Prell Epstein, and me) is working with master educator Joy Wasserman, whom we know well from her stellar service to Emanuel a few years ago. Joy will guide us through the necessary steps to choose and implement a new model of Jewish learning for our congregation. We will also participate in a peer network, and our congregation will receive a $1,000 grant in early spring to help us make this transition.

i*Express represents the latest thinking in synagogue transformation that has taken hold in the country over the past fifteen years. It recognizes that, though each congregation has its own personality culture, they share many similarities and are looking for answers to many of the same questions. Engaging children and their families in Jewish living and learning that fits in with what they find meaningful in their lives is key. By considering adopting one of the many new models of Jewish learning that now exist locally and around the country we will be able to begin impacting the lives of our congregants during the upcoming school year.

Expect to hear more in the months to come about how our congregation will be innovating Jewish learning. We invite your input as we take important steps towards providing the best learning experience possible to our community. For more information, please contact me at rabbimarantz@emanuelcong.org or Tani at djle@emanuelcong.org.