Jewish Women's Archive Hosts Institute for Educators

On July 13, the Jewish Women's Archive welcomed an impressive cohort of educators from across the country to The Power of Our Stories: Institute for Educators. During this four-day intensive program, generously funded by the Dorot Foundation, the educators – together with scholars, oral historians, and master educators – explored themes and resources in Jewish women's history and learned creative techniques for incorporating women's stories into their teaching.

"The quality of the presenters was unmatched by any conference I've ever gone to, and the content was extraordinarily helpful to my work," said Karen Rosenstein, an educator from Michigan.

The application process for this year's Institute was extremely competitive, with 93 applicants vying for only 25 places. As a result, the participants represented a cross-section of the best Jewish educators from across the United States. Sheila Silver of Torrance, California, commented that "the privilege of being with a group of such intelligent, bright, dynamic participants was astounding."

Among the highlights of the program was a session on using oral history in the classroom led by Barbara Rosenblit, a teacher at the Weber Jewish High School in Atlanta, recipient of the prestigious Covenant Award for Jewish Educators, and Archive board member. The program also included a seminar on the 1902 Kosher meat boycotts by Yale Professor Paula Hyman, a performance by storyteller Vered Hankin, and a special screening of Making Trouble, the acclaimed film about three generations of funny Jewish women, produced by the Jewish Women's Archive.

To learn more about the Institute for Educators, please call the Jewish Women's Archive at 617-232-2258 or email us.