Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Phoenix

Thank you to everyone who joined our summer ice cream social at Handel's. Together we raised $150 for fall programming, and greeted some wonderful faces! Coming up next - register now for our brand NEW Tot Shabbat Hop! The first one is September 6th. We are looking forward to it!

Jewish community Day at the Diamondbacks

Thank you Chanen Preschool for having us out to your Preschool Teachers Prep week for a special course on Jewish learning integration for the preschool classroom with Rabbi Aviva’s Torah Alive course! We are so grateful to all of you sharing Torah and Jewish life with our youngest learners!

Join us for our informative text study classes with Rabbi Aviva from September 9 to December 16! This class is 15 sessions long - register at the following link! https://bjephoenix.formstack.com/forms/adultlearningregistration

Shabbat Shalom!
The BJE is excited to announce our Tot Shabbat HOP! Join the Phoenix Jewish preschool community monthly for a Shabbat morning filled with song, followed by BJE playtime in one of the preschool classrooms. This is a wonderful opportunity to explore different schools in our community.

Register for this amazing FREE program: https://www.bjephoenix.org/family-shabbat

Join us at Handel's Homemade Ice Cream 🍦 on August 7th from 2 to 8 PM to fundraise for the BJE! 20% of total purchases will be donated to support BJE programming. We can't wait to see everyone there!

Have you heard? We are happy to announce that BJE's Hebrew High has been voted BEST TEEN PROGRAM and BEST HEBREW SCHOOL for 2024! We are proud of Rabbi Aviva, her Hebrew High staff, and all of our students! Just a reminder that registration for next year is open - visit register.hhphx.org to sign up today!

Shabbat Shalom! Don't miss this amazing tot-Shabbat! Escape the Arizona summer heat at Jordan's Corner while we celebrate. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

We are so proud of this year's IGNITE graduates! These dedicated religious school teachers from across the Valley's synagogues embarked on a year of learning l'shem hinukh, for the sake of learning. This year, our cohort took a deep dive into the Siddur with special thanks to our community's clergy. They also studied the book of Pirkei Avot, Wisdom of our Sages, through the lens of social-emotional learning to both inspire their own sense of Jewish insight as well as better support the needs of their students! Their journey has strengthened their confidence and literacy, filled gaps, expanded knowledge and has already created in impact in the classroom and beyond! Read more about what these educators learned and experienced!
https://www.jewishphoenix.com/read/bje-graduates-2nd-cohort-religious-school-teachers/
Thank you to the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix for the grants that make this program possible. Thank you to the partnerships of Temple Kol Ami Temple Chai Temple Solel of Paradise Valley Beth El Phoenix Congregation Or Tzion Congregation Beth Israel of AZ and for helping to shape this valuable program.
Big Todah Rabbah to our various clergy who brought their hokhma/wisdom, ahavah/love, and Torah to our inspiring sessions!! Cantors Dannah Rubinstein, Noa Shaashua-Tucker, Ross Wolman, Rabbis Emily Segal, Bonnie Koppell Jeremy Schneider, Anemone Nitzan Stein-Kokin Sara Mason-Barkin Debbie Stiel Andy Green

BJE Graduates 2nd Cohort Religious School Teachers Religious School Teachers from around the valley participated in a year-long Jewish learning program

It warming up in Phoenix! Join us for some cool 😎 programs this June!

Shavout Ice cream social at the J- June 5th www.vosjcc.org/program/shavuot-ice-cream-social

Thank you to everyone who came to our Lag Ba’omer celebration on Sunday! We celebrated with kite making, smores, music, Kona Ice, and more. Join us this summer at Jordan's Corner for even more fun!

Join BJE Phoenix on Wednesday, May 15 at 5-7:30pm for a community-wide gathering at the Valley of the Sun J in honor of Israel’s 76th birthday! Free admission, open to all, Registration required! https://vosjcc.secure.nonprofitsoapbox.com/component/events/event/15

Today our Temple SOLEL member and Holocaust survivor Gerda Klein would have been 100. Read more about her here.
- Rabbi Stiel

100 years ago today my beloved Gerda Klein was born. She blessed hundreds of thousands of lives through her writing, her teaching, her courage and her smile. She had an amazing ability to make very personal and lasting connections with people she'd meet just once. -Rabbi Bob Alper (Rabbi Alper and Gerda in picture below)

Below is a beautiful tribute written by Gerda's granddaughter Alysa Cooper.

Celebrating Gerda Weissmann Klein's 100th Birthday

Today marks what would have been my grandmother, Gerda Weissmann Klein’s 100th birthday!! The impact she made on this world in her nearly 98 years of life is simply immeasurable. I know the influence she had on my life is shared with millions across the globe. She wore many hats in her lifetime---celebrated author, humanitarian, proud naturalized citizen, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient and Oscar and Emmy winner, just to name a few.

She committed her entire adult life until her passing (one month shy of her 98th birthday) to promoting peace, instilling hope and building a better world. There is no single person who had a greater influence on both my personal, as well as professional life. She sincerely believed that each individual had the ability to impact change and she was living proof that one person has the ability to make a difference.

For 7+ decades my grandmother criss-crossed the globe to share her poignant story of surviving the Holocaust in countless communities on 6 continents. She shared her belief that education is crucial to building a more tolerant, caring, understanding world for today and future generations. Two years ago she passed away, and to this day, I still receive dozens of letters and emails addressed to her. Educators, college professors, students, community leaders, business owners, and even suicidal teenagers alike all express gratitude for sharing her personal anecdote and empowering them to re-examine their own lives and live each day to its fullest.

One of the greatest gifts in my lifetime was the opportunity to work alongside my grandmother by managing all of her speaking engagements, writing projects and other business affairs. Throughout our travels together, I was privy to so many incredible elegant events ranging from The White House and The Beverly Hills Hotel to life-changing experiences at small community events in towns such as Moose Pass, Alaska.

In 2008 we co-founded Citizenship Counts to fulfill her dream of giving back to her adopted country for all of the opportunities she had been afforded. What my grandmother loved the most about Citizenship Counts is that its roots stem from joy, happiness and opportunity, as her love for this country ran so deep. The mission of Citizenship Counts is to celebrate our country’s uniqueness as the United States is a cultural mosaic whose richness and diversity weaves us together in a colorful tapestry of citizenry. She proudly waved the flag as she shared what this country meant to her. Next to her family, her American citizenship and passport were her most prized possessions. I am overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of how many lives she has touched, and I remain steadfast in my commitment to advancing the mission of Citizenship Counts in her memory.

She was the eternal optimist. I vividly remember being in New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina. We toured all of the devastation—remnants of what used to be homes, grocery stores and places of worship. In the corner of her eye she saw a tiny yellow flower bud peering through the steps of what used to be someone’s front porch. “It is the promise of a new spring and hope for rebuilding a better world,” she eloquently stated as once again, she perfectly underscored the reality of the situation.

I miss my grandmother more than words can express and there have been dozens of times when I wish I could just hear her voice or be on the receiving end of her wisdom just one more time. Admittedly, I am relieved she was not alive to bear witness to October 7th and the atrocities that have been taking place on esteemed college campuses throughout our country.

Over the past several months, I have often asked myself “what would Grandma Gerda say?” The answer is simple. “Don‘t be silent and stand up for what is right. Education is paramount and it is the best hope we have for restoring peace.”

Today, May 8, 2024 we honor the legacy of Gerda Weissmann Klein and her tireless commitment to leaving the world in a better place than she found it. In her memory, I invite you to do something that would make her smile. Stand up against hatred and discrimination, thank a veteran for his/her service, give back to a cause that is near and dear to your heart or simply enjoy the magic of a boring evening at home.

Together, the power of our actions will elevate positivity during a time when we need it the most! Happy 100th Birthday to my incredibly inspirational and timeless, Grandma Gerda!!

Alysa Cooper

Citizenship Counts Executive Director and Gerda's granddaughter

Did you have a baby in 2024?
Looking for summer plans with baby??
Want to make new mom friends???
Join our six-part workshop series which will focus on mothers’ and infants’ well-being while providing education and exercises rooted in Jewish tenets.

www.bjephoenix.org/famiy-university

Build lifelong Jewish connections and friendships.
Interfaith couples are encouraged to attend.

June 6 • June 13 • June 20 • June 27 • July 11 • July 18
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Scottsdale

$100 per family ( Scholarships available)
✡️❤️

Passover is this week, but we’re already planning for the next community celebration! Join Pardes, BJE and PJ library for our Lag B’Omer summer kick off! Crafts, songs and yummy treats! Register to save your spot!

Today is Arizona Gives Day! Please pitch in $18 to help support our Annual Passover Food Drive before the end of the day. We will be helping 200+ households.

Each Passover Food Box contains Kosher for Passover chicken, salami, matzah, grape juice, gefilte fish, soup & matzah ball mix, cake mix, sweets, and more. Our Jewish elderly and families in need can truly use your help.

Can we count on you? Here is the link to donate today! https://bjephoenix.formstack.com/forms/donations

We are so excited about our new course happening this spring! Are you spiritually minded (or curious) and interested in bringing mystical inspiration to your counting of the Omer, please join us for this soulful 6-week experience, Wednesday evenings starting May 1!

LEARN MORE & RSVP https://www.bjephoenix.org/course-events/2024/05/01/mystical-journey-through-the-omer

Please help the BJE with our annual Passover food drive. Now accepting donations!

Learn more about building a family!

Register here: https://vosjcc.secure.nonprofitsoapbox.com/pathways-to-parenthood

Please join us for an informal panel conversation with Q & A, followed by a resource
fair focused on unique paths to building a family. Refreshments will be provided! All
are welcome.

Learn from partners:
Dr. Evan Reshef, Fertility doctor from Arizona Center for Fertility Studies
Sarah Cox, Genetic counselor from Minkoff Center for Jewish Genetics
Ellen Sacks, Executive Director of Jewish Free Loan
Chani Levertov, founder of Fruitful, a fertility support group
Alli Goozh, Program Manager, YATOM, an organization that supports
families through the foster and adoption process

Join the BJE for our Passages finale! Come make your own pickles and learn the history of Jewish pickles!

It's always exciting when our IGNITE fellows gather for learning in our monthly sessions with clergy from around the valley as we make our way through the siddur. Tonight was a fabulous session with Cantor Noa Shaashua-Tucker of Temple Kol Ami on the Amidah - brining history, meaning and of course...melody to our zoom room. Thank you so much for the amazing insights and discussion!

JEWISH FAMILY UNIVERSITY: BUILDING RESILIENT FAMILIES IS BACK!

Don't miss the series that sold out last year. Join the BJE in a five-part series for families with children ages 3 - 8.
Families will learn ways to manage complexities surrounding marriage, parenting, and discover rich Jewish traditions to bolster family resiliency.
Excited to have .leshin join us for parenting and raising resilient children. Brooks Counseling AZ for creating a reslient marriage and family and for building resiency through Judaisim.

REGISTER NOW: https://www.bjephoenix.org/family-university

Join the BJE for The Jewish History of Pickling with Jeffrey Yoskowitz
Sunday, March 17th
2:00 p.m.
All attendees will make their own pickles!
for tickets, go to https://www.bjephoenix.org/programs/passages

What is your family doing for Spring Break??

Join the BJE, and for a morning of fun and celebration! Walk through a terrific live action Purim Story and Carnival.

Join us in costume and have fun!

Register now!


🎭

Another fabulous Jewish Preschool Educator Conference in the books! This morning we (and our incredible volunteers) welcomed 250 educators from 11 different Jewish preschools from across the valley for a morning of learning and experiences to nurture the body and soul! This years theme, shmirat haNefesh /shmirat haguf (caring for the soul and body) gave our community’s teachers a chance to be taken care of (sound healing, meditation, Zumba) and to explore how to take even more care of their students (baby massage, innovation play, mindfulness). We had classes on exploring Israel, Torah stories, Jewish prayer and more!

Thank you to our keynote Arizona Science Center for all the hands-on science 🧬 🐛 fun!

We are grateful to all of you for your support - and to these amazing teachers and directors to dedicate their lives to our youngest Generation! Am Yisrael Chai!

Do you need March Break plans??
Join the BJE, and for a story walk and carnival celebration for PURIM!

Costumes encouraged!!
!

**Special Free learning session** January 31st at Or Tzion
There were many forks in the road that led Israel to find itself shocked and surprised on the morning of October 7th.
Come learn about how this catastrophic event that changed the Middle East came to be.

Register easily here: https://congregationortzion.shulcloud.com/form/2024-the-road-to-october-7th.html?fbclid=IwAR1S1XYdKsXm2EYHx7NqvbxIy0vDOwVvy1wJTGIu-wi2fdoqko0aI5_LzpU

2024 The Road to October 7th - Form - Congregation Or Tzion

BJE Passages with Allan Naplan
My Jewish Music Journey
Sunday, January 28th
6:30 p.m.
Temple Chai
Tickets available at www.bjephoenix.org

This Sunday, January 21st - Don't Miss Out
THEODOR BIKEL: In the Shoes of Shalom Aleichem
Presenter: Aimee Ginsburg Bikel
6:30 p.m.
Tickets @ www.bjephoenix.org
Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus