"What we need more than anything else is not textbook but textpeople. It is the personality of the teacher which is the text that the pupils read: the text that they will never forget." —Abraham Joshua Heschel

The Institute for Jewish Spirituality helps Jewish educators deepen their own spiritual lives, and better teach, lead and accompany Jewish teens seeking spiritual growth and insight.

Jewish educators strive to be present with an open heart, to touch and enliven the spirit of the young people with whom they work, and to offer them possibilities of connecting with God. The Educators' Leadership Program offers the opportunity to take time from busy, demanding lives to examine the critical elements of successful Jewish education in the formation and nurturing of the teenager's inner life. Through this process, educators develop their spiritual capacities and find connections between Jewish spiritual values and the process of education.

As the program progresses, more attention is paid to the specific ways in which participants can nurture a spiritual culture for their work with teens. In particular, we examine the ways in which teens are taught to pray, and work to understand the most effective ways that educators might work to help their students develop their prayer lives, communally and individually, both liturgically and non-liturgically.

The involvement of Jewish educators in the work of the IJS expands the circle of leaders who are engaged in the process of reviving, deepening, and transforming Jewish spiritual life. We passionately believe that when Jewish educators study this stream of Jewish texts and practices not only will they develop personally, but through shared leadership and practice they will also transform the texture of American Jewish religious life.

The first Educators' Cohort was composed of thirty educators from across the denominational spectrum, with an emphasis on those who work with Jewish teens. Participant worked in a variety of Jewish settings including day schools, supplementary schools, camps, youth programs and specialized programs for teens. We are now engaged in a process of evaluation, research and development to determine the next steps for this program. 

For more information about the Educators' Leadership Program, click here.