Educational Exchange Initiative
In previous years partnerships between Boston-area synagogues and day schools were created with classes of the Jewish Day School in Dnepropetrovsk and the partners engaged in numerous activities together through the year.
In 2005, spearheaded by educators, students from eight schools contributed 163 squares of student-made art work for a large quilt that was assembled by a volunteer quilter affiliated with Congregation Beth Elohim in Acton. During an educators trip in May 2005, the quilt was presented to the Jewish Day School in a special ceremony of students, faculty, parents and community members to commemorate the 13th anniversary of Dnepropetrovsk’s Jewish Day School.
The English Language Committee has overseen the JCRC-sponsored educator trips, bringing Boston educators to work with their counterparts in the school, as well as trips of Dnepropetrovsk Jewish Day School English teachers to Boston to meet with ESL professionals. Through these exchanges, English teachers at the Day School have developed a more collaborative approach to teaching, and learned alternative teaching methodologies. The Boston Kehillah Room in the Jewish Day School showcases the many contributions made by Boston schools and educational exchanges. The Committee continues to train on lesson planning, teacher-parent communication, grading, special education and small group learning through in-person exchanges and videoconferencing. New English text books were purchased by the committee and a generous donor to be used for the 2007-2008 school year, and the Committee has been working with teachers and administrators on implementing this new curriculum. In addition, with financial support from CJP, the JCRC contributes thousands of dollars to subsidize the very limited funds that the school receives from the government and provide food for the children.
Louise Lipsitz, who is the principal at Deerfield School in Westwood, MA, is a well-respected Boston educator, who worked extensively on educational issues during her three-month sabbatical in Dnepropetrovsk with her husband Lew. Louise trained teachers in the lower grades on alternative teaching methodologies, consulted with administrators on lesson planning, fostering communication between teachers and students, grading and report cards, special education, and conflict resolution between parents and students. She also gave numerous presentations offering new ideas about active parent participation in school life, fostering student interaction, positive reinforcement and small group learning. Return to Dnepropetrovsk Projects Page
