South African Jewish community launches enriching educational project
JOHANNESBURG – The Jewish symposium looked at the role of the Jewish educator in the sustainability of the Jewish community and served as a platform to create new partnerships.
The Academy of Jewish Thought and Learning hosted South Africa’s first National Symposium for Jewish Education on 29 May and featured local and international speakers.
The academy is dedicated to exploring trends in the South African community’s Jewish identity and what educators can do to ensure it is sustainable.
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In January, the academy launched the National Education Development Project to enrich and develop Jewish educators by making training and enrichment available to them all the way up to the level of a master’s degree in Jewish education. According to Judi Reznik, an administrator from The Academy of Jewish Thought and Learning, it offers training and enrichment for schools, teachers, rabbis, rebbetzins, informal educators, adult educators and lay and professional leadership in the educational space.
The symposium, hosted by Investec, ran for two days and the theme was ‘Community and Sustainability’.
“The impact of the conference was tremendous as it firstly created a space where educators from all parts of the Jewish educational space could meet, share ideas, and create partnerships,” said Reznik.
Professor Howard Apsan of Columbia University and Rabbi Professor Adam Ferziger of Bar-Ilan University were the keynote speakers.
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“Beyond this, speakers and facilitators like Chief Rabbi Batya Bricker, Rebbetzin Natalie Altman, Rabbi Goldman, Rabbi Moffson, Ryan Davis, Reviva Hasson and Rabbi Kacev raised key issues in the educational space.”
Over 50 participants from around South Africa joined for the symposium representing almost every Jewish school in the country and many key Shuls and Jewish organisations.
Reznik said the next stage of the programme was the webinars and local mini-symposium for educators as well as a second group beginning a master’s degree in Jewish education in September.
“Our student intake for the master’s degree in Jewish education was split into two groups (cohorts). The first cohort started the first semester in January and the second cohort (intake of students) will potentially be in September this year.”
Details: info@theAcademy.org.za; 010 104 2099.
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