Monthly Archives: December 2017

In the new essential resource The Jewish Educator's Companion: Practical Tools and Inspirational Ideas, educator Batsheva Frankel guides you to explore the depths of Judaism with your students in fun and thoughtful ways. The following is an excerpt.

For a variety of reasons, our students sometimes resist their religious education.  Perhaps it’s because they don’t know the secrets

Inside Intermarriage is Jim Keen’s personal journey as the Christian partner in an interfaith marriage. From deciding to have a Jewish wedding, to raising his children Jewish, to learning about a new culture while maintaining his own religious identity, Keen candidly explores the challenges and opportunities and offers comfort and strategies to couples starting down a similar road.

The following is excerpted from Chapter 20 of the revised edition of Inside Intermarriage, due out later this year:

Imagine it's August: A family calls a school asking for help. Their son has no prior Hebrew education and yet is determined to have a bar mitzvah -  in just a few months. 

That's the call Rabbi Rena Rifkin, director of the religious school at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York City, received last summer. The boy wouldn't be starting school until September, and Rifkin knew there was a time crunch, so she offered the family another option to jumpstart his learning - the Online Learning Center.

The OLC is tool that provides students access to digital materials to extend learning and offers opportunities for extra practice. Rifkin set up the student in the OLC as his own class, so he could use 

Whether you’re new to the Online Learning Center or a seasoned user, sitting down to set up your virtual synagogue for the new school year doesn’t have to be intimidating. We’ve gathered some helpful tips and tricks so you can master the Online Learning Center and guide your students with success.  

1. Know there’s a learning curve
Be patient with yourself. Any new technology takes time to understand, and each and every user started somewhere. We’ve got several resources to help and you can always contact us along the way if you run into any bumps in the road.

2. Know wha

With students back and classes getting underway, now is the right time to set your expectations for student participation in the Online Learning Center, however you choose to use it. Reinforcing those expectations often are key to a successful, engaged year.

Set Expectations

For Hebrew especially, ongoing regular practice is a large part of a successful Hebrew learning experience. When you set clear expectations early on in the school year, you give students and parents guidelines and an idea of how the curriculum will work.

We recommend early communications with families to establish your expectations. A presentation -- perhaps at back-to-school night -- that outlines your expectations also provides

You don't need to be musical or tech savvy to teach Hebrew in Harmony, our new multimedia prayer curriculum.

In fact, we know not every school has wifi or devices for each student. That's why we have options so you and your students can use the digital piece, whatever your tech situation.

The minimal option

When you order a Hebrew in Harmony Curriculum Core, you can get one free digital license. That license includes all the downloadable music, videos, games, Hebrew recording and feedback options, and more. Students will get benefit the most if they have individual access to the digital, but if that's not a reality for your school, you can teach Hebrew in Harmony i

Help your students practice Hebrew with easy-to-access practice and games. Our Online Learning Center portal is full of free games, tools, and samples in an easy-to-navigate format.

Students can now use this link: www.behrmanhouse.com/enterOLC to access these free resources directly, as well as any Online Learning Software they may have. (Our previous links to free practice and games will also continue to work.)

These programs are available to every BehrmanHouse.com user with an email address.

What You’ll Find:

Hebrew in Harmony—the new prayer curriculum for 4th-6th graders—features music from today's top Jewish musicians. This is part of a series profiling some of these talented artists.

Doni Zasloff and Eric Lindberg have had a banner year. Apples & Honey Press released the duo's first children's book, Sing-Along Alef Bet, featuring their upbeat lyrics and charming illustrations by Israeli artist Rinat Gilboa. They are also featured in video and audio tracks in Hebrew in Harmony, the new music-based prayer curriculum.

And the wife/husband team who form the ban