SEPTEMBER 2019

​Parents Perspective

One of the main pieces of feedback we collected when first starting establishing the "three C"s of the ISJL Education Program - Curriculum, Community Support, and Conference — was that in some instances, parents were relatively un-involved in their child’s religious education. We address this issue with various aspects of the curriculum, including volunteer opportunities and take-home sheets. But there is only so much we at the ISJL can do for your congregation from afar. Putting your parents in perspective can go a long way toward encouraging their involvement.
 
One of the key ways to do this is to survey them and ask them what they would like their involvement to be! It may be that your parents just want that three hours to themselves. Or, it could be that they didn’t even know that there was an option for them to come into the classroom and volunteer/be with their children. Or, it could be that they’re starved for some Jewish intellectual stimulation and the right class just needs to be offered. As the school year begins, we wanted to help all our communities put their parents in perspective with the following articles:
 

• 5 Books All Jewish Parents Should Check Out
• Faith, Trust, and Peaceful Thoughts: A Jewish Approach to Gentle Parenting
• Celebrate & Collaborate With All Family Units
• Why You Should Be Involved In Your Child’s Jewish Education
• An ApPARENT Plan: 5 Ways To Engage Parents During Sunday School 

 
We hope you and your parents get some great ideas out of these articles!