Our Venture of the month features a congregation that has gone through a systemic change process while working with Jewish Learning Venture. This month, we are featuring Mishkan Shalom in Philadelphia, who incorporated PJ Goes to School into their curriculum for the year. Gabby Kaplan-Mayer and Mindy Dorfman, Gan-Alef-Bet Teachers at Mishkan Shalom, shared their experiences with us.  JLV: Please describe the change, innovation, or transformation your organization has achieved: Mishkan: We are entering our third year of participating in PJ Goes To School--a companion program to PJ Library to enhance Jewish content in classrooms through Jewish books and [...]

By Rabbi Margot Stein, WCI Consultant I’m watching my 14 year old son with autism get on the van that takes him to a special school, a place where they have known him for 8 years. A place where they have watched him grow from a behaviorally-challenged 1st grader to a budding high schooler eager to participate in the life of the community. I’m thinking about the value of being known, of being seen for your strengths and weaknesses. Especially when it comes to education, how important it is that they know how to help my son learn. If you [...]