Meryl Berger Rosenberg

Co-PresidentMindy A. Hecker

Co-President

Thank you for making our work possible.

James Hyman, Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer

Looking back at the past year we see many wonderful accomplishments that were achieved by a remarkably talented staff. From engaging hundreds of teens in youth philanthropy to leading thousands of educators in multiple professional development opportunities, from proposing new ways to understand community and identity to expanding our work in transforming Jewish education in congregations. This year we have moved forward an ambitious agenda and a challenging mission.

Significantly, the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning’s staff have increasingly been regarded as thought leaders both locally and nationally, shaping the way we understand and discuss issues of community, identity and membership. During the past year, we played key roles in developing the agendas of our national organizations and their conferences.

In addition, our staff have been working closely with ShalomLearning.com, a national company developed in the Bethesda area dedicated to creating vibrant interactive alternatives to traditional Hebrew school through technology and online learning. We have created their curriculum and Teachers’ Guides, and we expect that work to expand in the coming year. With our guidance, one of our key Congregational Education for the 21st Century (CE21) congregations piloted the first ShalomLearning group as an element in their new models of learning.

Working with some of the most creative professionals in the area, we formed a working group to consider how our community might adapt to the changing needs and interests of Jews in the 21st century. At its core this effort is predicated upon the belief that Jewish identity is

much more than spirituality and faith alone, and that by expanding what we mean by Jewish identity not only do we provide a far broader set of opportunities for Jews to engage, but we also strengthen the religious experiences of those same Jews.

The year ahead will be one in which the Partnership expands its role as thought leader both locally and nationally. We will create new initiatives that reflect our thinking about identity and education, and we will convene more and more people, both professionals and lay leaders alike, around the impact of this expanded view of Jewish identity and its implications for the Jewish community of Greater Washington. Please come with us on this journey; it is sure to be an exciting and meaningful ride.

Partnership Co-President Mindy Hecker (left), CEO Dr. James Hyman (center),and Co-President Meryl Rosenberg (right).

Year End Review

FY2012

Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning12230 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD, 20852240-283-6200 / info@pjll.orgwww.pjll.org

The Partnership’s goal of “transforming community through Jewish education” may best be realized through advancing adult learning, the most universal catalyst for personal change and transformation of behavior. To this end, the Partnership worked with partner agencies and congregations to: increase the quality and impact of adult offerings, create vibrant new curricula that will engage adults of all backgrounds, create pluralistic learning communities where learning is joyful and meaningful and offer resources to make Jewish learning accessible to more individuals.

Initiative Highlights:

ROUTES: A Day of Jewish Learning attracted more than 800 participants from 100 zip codes, 40% of whom had not engaged in Jewish learning in the past year. More than 70 sessions offered a refreshing profile of the diversity of Jewish learning topics and modalities, and were highly rated (session evaluations averaged 4.5 out of 5). ROUTES was a collaboration between the Partnership and University of Maryland Hillel enabling college-age adults to easily participate.

The holdings of the Isaac Franck Public Library collection and the Shulamith Reich Elster Resource Center are now online in a searchable database. Visitors can go to our website to find and reserve a book in the library.

25 students graduated from the two-year core courses of the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School. Dozens of other students participated in Melton specialty classes on Jewish history, identity, and text study. Hundreds of Melton alumni continue to meet for study and to build their Jewish social networks.

Responding to “popular demand,” the Partnership created a new curriculum - “God: An Ongoing Conversation.” Other unique offerings included “Turning Points in Modern Israel,” and “Transitions: Using Jewish Texts to Explore Life’s Changes.”

Thousands of households received our holiday enrichment materials, including the Passover “Frog Teller” that encouraged inter-generational dialogue and Hanukkah games and activities that facilitated eight nights of family engagement.

We distributed a series of “Play Like a Mensch” activity sheets that illustrated the Jewish values of sportsmanship and fair play to hundreds at the Washington Wizards Jewish Heritage Night and at Big Train Baseball.

Adult Learning & Resources

“Melton was truly the highlight of my week.The class did a very good job weaving in the seeds of how you teach your children the things we were learning in class, about parenting in a Jewish way.”

- Jess Rosenbaum, Melton Student

Congregational education needs to engage congregants of all ages in a broad range of Jewish identity-building experiences. The Partnership’s CE21 initiative, a guided change process, is helping congregations to re-envision community engagement through lifelong learning. Teams of lay and professional participants at each congregation, supported by Partnership consultants, engage in the hard work of designing new models for children and adults.

Initiative Highlights:

The first cohort of six CE21 congregations began implementing new educational models, including hiring community engagement professionals; offering family-based learning and coaching; conducting online learning; initiating new governance structures; and creating programming for teens and adults in interest-based cohorts.

The Partnership continued evaluation of the CE21 pilot program. Our assessment showed the need to create alternative CE21 processes.

The comprehensive change process has now been shortened to a fourteen-month timeline. In this way a congregation may do the full process from assessment through visioning, design and implementation with multiple congregational conversations.

We have developed ten modules from which congregations can select and target a specific phase of the change process or build on a previous process with one or more a la carte modules. Examples include:

� - Challenging assumptions about Jewish education and learning � - Taking youth education from good to great � - Conducting educational needs assessments � - Identifying educational goals and outcome-based program evaluation � - Developing the capacity to engage all populations in learning � - Aligning Jewish educational opportunities across the congregation � - Visioning a lifelong learning system � - Engaging membership in congregational conversation � - Coaching staff on leadership, management, change and innovation � - Designing innovative educational models

CE21: Congregational Education for the 21st Century

“We are on a remarkable journey of lifelong Jewish learning. At Temple Rodef Shalom, we create formal and informal learning opportunities for all members, toddlers through seniors. We strive to make Jewish learning a primary means by which congregants come to make connections between Judaism and their American lives.”

- Cantor Allen Leider, Director of Education and Co-Chair of J-Journeys at Rodef Shalom

The Partnership’s nationally recognized philanthropy education programs offer young people authentic learning experiences in how tzedakah and tikkun olam are integral parts of our Jewish tradition and expressions of our values. Our goal is to help organizations integrate meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities. The Partnership is a strong supporter of and guide for our community’s service-learning programs, infusing them with Jewish sources, values and traditions.

Initiative Highlights:

This past year, 225 teens from around Greater Washington participated in one of the Partnership’s philanthropy education programs. Our teens’ funding decisions have an immediate impact on the clients and communities their selected organizations serve, plus the funding experience has a lasting and powerful impact on the teens themselves.

Four Jewish Youth Philanthropy Initiative (JYPI) groups awarded grants totaling $50,875 to 27 local, national and international nonprofit organizations. Three of our four funding groups were 8th-9th Grade Collaborative JYPI Groups enabling nine congregations to work together to offer this experience to the teens in their own communities.

The Partnership’s advanced funding group, JYPI 201, was over-subscribed this year. Teens took full responsibility for developing an RFP and soliciting grant proposals before deciding how to award their grant funds.

Students from around our region also participated in Partnership-created programs such as the Hebrew Home’s Youth Philanthropy Program (H2YP), the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School’s 8th Grade Tzedakah Program and Fast Philanthropy Workshops conducted by JYPI alumni at local congregations.

Two of the largest service-learning events in the Greater Washington area included D25, the DCJCC’s December 25th Day of Service, and Good Deeds Day, spearheaded by The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. For both of these events – totaling 2,500 volunteers in all – the Partnership developed educational complements to the programs that were easily integrated and accessible for diverse groups of participants. Partnership staff trained Good Deeds Day group leaders and facilitated “Cocoa and Conversation” sessions at the DCJCC so that D25 volunteers could reflect about their volunteer experiences and connect them to Jewish values.

Held in September, the JYPI Facilitator Training introduced four new facilitators to the structure and expectations of JYPI, to best practices for teen engagement and to particular philanthropy activities – All using Jewish values as a framework for facilitating the group.

Philanthropy Education & Service-Learning

“One of my favorite parts of JYPI is the funding sessions at the end of each year. In this culminating session, I find it interesting to see how all these teenagers, myself included, who according to stereotype can be so apathetic, become so passionate and fight so hard for causes they really care about.”

- Matthew Wilson, Class of 2012, JYPI Participant and Teen Council Member

Early childhood is a “prime time” for Jewish family engagement. In addition to an expansive program of professional development for our early childhood Jewish educators, we are responding to the significant challenges we face in drawing families with young children into our community. When a parent has a child, he/she often begins thinking about heritage in new ways. This is a critical developmental phase of life, and it offers significant opportunities to engage and educate both parents and children.

Initiative Highlights:

We have partnered with the JCCs and The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington to develop an outreach and training program for families with newborns. The new “Connectors” program will build on Shalom Baby in an effort to support new parents by creating lasting connections with other Jewish families.

The Partnership has been consulting with many congregations to help them explore their role in the lives of families with young children. Congregations are expanding the connections to families in their congregations beyond their preschools, to those families who may not be members but might participate with the congregation in some way. As part of this effort, we have helped congregation lay leaders and staff raise their level of understanding of the unique needs of this group in a holistic and systemic manner.

We have provided consultations to congregational search committees as they develop job descriptions and expectations for preschool directors and life long learning educators. We have also continued to consult with congregations and their early childhood and educational staff to help them expand the role of these lead educators within their community. As a result, they have envisioned these positions as key staff roles, helping them attract applicants that would ensure the highest level of quality programs and engagement for all young children and their families.

Reggio Through A Jewish Perspective Study Institute included 23 local educators in a year-long study of this educational philosophy, culminating in travel to Reggio Emilia, Italy. Participants learned from renowned Italian educators and explored how to use the Reggio approach to create meaningful Jewish learning.

“The Partnership, specifically Mara Bier, was instrumental in providing useful early childhood expertise at a time of great transition for our organization. She was able to explain to us the realm of the possible, which allowed us to dream big. The Partnership provided important input in our strategic planning, director search, and ongoing implementation. We are a better organization due to her leadership and we look forward to an ongoing relationship with the Partnership.”

- Regina Krasner, Early Childhood Chair at NVHC Preschool, Reston, VA

Early Childhood Education

Jewish educators are the linchpins of our Jewish education system. Only with well-trained, knowledgeable and inspiring educators will our heritage and values be transmitted successfully generation after generation. Therefore, providing a range of opportunities for professional development to Jewish educators throughout Greater Washington is one of the Partnership’s central strategies for transforming and enriching our community.

Initiative Highlights:

Professional Networks The Early Childhood Directors Council of 50 directors and assistant directors met

monthly to focus on Jewish early childhood program leadership. The Regional Youth Group Directors met quarterly to share their expertise and seize

opportunities to collaborate among the different youth groups. The Education Directors Council of Congregational Educators met monthly to

enjoy the collegial support of more than 40 fellow professionals and participate in programs for their own professional development.

Communities of PracticeThe Partnership convened groups of educators for focused study, sharing and planning:

Education directors of CE21 congregations met regularly to discuss leading change, successes and challenges in creating new learning models and collaborative leadership.

Education Havurah of Commended Directors, a group of educators whose schools successfully completed a complex self-study process, met quarterly to support each others’ on-going development.

Israel educators met regularly with Shaliach Anton Goodman to explore authentic ways to bring Israel education into the classroom and congregations.

Special needs educators from the day schools met to share resources and strategies for inclusion of students with special needs.

Retreats In February, Partnership staff provided a retreat for 35 early childhood directors to

deepen their knowledge and skills as they learned ways to work with families and staff around issues of anxiety.

A June Educational Directors Council retreat concentrated on “Meaningful Ways of Engaging Teens.”

Conferences More than 600 congregational educators participated at three regional kallot

(conferences) in October and November. The three topics were “Social-Emotional Growth,” “The PaRDeS of Experiential Learning” and “Finding I-Thou: Connecting with Intention.” Subsequent to the conferences, the Partnership’s Shulamith Reich Elster Resource Center provided the education directors with follow-up materials for additional reinforcement and enrichment.

In December, more than 700 early childhood educators attended the Jewish Early Childhood Conference to explore “The Modern Jewish Family” in over 50 workshop sessions focused on how families and their needs have changed in the 21st century.

In-Service Training Corps (ITC)ITC, piloted this past year by the Partnership, provided a focused program of professional development for congregational school faculty with follow-up and feedback to seven congregations. Due to the positive response from participants, the Partnership has received a grant from The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington’s Initiative in Congregational Education to continue to build the ITC for the 2012-13 school year.

Professional Development

“This conference had a huge impact for me — both sessions! They were very different subjects but both extremely important topics. The first session, “What Helps, What Hurts,” had heartfelt stories shared and concrete suggestions about a delicate matter. The second, “Helping Families Understand the Work We Do,” had the most dynamic speaker and amazing ideas for communicating more clearly with parents.”

-Early Childhood Conference Participant

Financials

FRD 10%

Admin 16%

Program 74%

FY12 Expenses = $2,494,196 FY12 Income = $2,306,437

Rental and Other 2%

JFGW Allocation 34%

Donation and Grants 54%

Program Tuition 10%

Audited financial statements available upon request.Please contact JoHanna Potts, COO, at 240-283-6211 or jpotts@pjll.org.

Mindy A. Hecker, Co- PresidentMeryl Berger Rosenberg, Co- PresidentNaomi Yadin-Mendick, Vice PresidentIrene Simpkins, SecretaryDavid Belkin, Treasurer

Ira BartfieldAnne FeinbergEllen GoldsteinLaurie KaplanRuth Vogel Silberg

New FY13 Members:Connie HellerBob KottConnie KrupinKim PriceMaureen Simon

Terms Ended FY12:Carin DessauerBarry Forman Lisa FriedmanShelley Gunner

2012-13 Board of Directors

James Hyman, Chief Executive OfficerJoHanna Potts, Chief Operating Officer

Mara Bier, Director, Early Childhood InitiativesGerry Champa, ReceptionistMichele Duchin, Associate Program OfficerAndrea Glazer, Director, DevelopmentDoris Greene, Development AssociateJulie Greenwald, Administrative Assistant

Alice Grillo, ControllerEllen Hoffman, Administrative AssistantTirza Kramer, Special Needs Community EducatorBarry Krasner, Co-Director, CE21 Jackie Land, RegistrarDavid Lewis, Communications AssistantRaleigh Polsky Leichter, Director, Special ProjectsNatacha Michel, Executive AssistantSara Milner, Special Needs Concierge

Adva Priso, Director, CommunicationsTrish Quintas, Development and Administrative CoordinatorLeah Siskin, Associate Program OfficerAliza Sperling, Associate Program OfficerRobert Tievsky, Facilities AssistantRebecca Weisman, Co-Director, CE21Avi West, Director, Shulamith Reich Elster Resource Center and Master TeacherMeredith Woocher, Director, Research and Evaluation

FY12 Staff

Shomrim (Guardians): Carol and Gary Berman Barbara and Jack Kay

Amudim (Pillars): Ruth Vogel Silberg and Jay Silberg Irene and Dan Simpkins

Alufim (Champions): Carol and Barry Forman Alan Einhorn Anne and Marc Feinberg Mindy Hecker Laurie Kaplan Karen and Bruce Levenson

Morim (Teachers): The Bender Foundation, Inc. The Jacob and Charlotte Lehrman Foundation Jessie Nathans and Dr. James Hyman Naomi Yadin-Mendick and David Mendick Kim and Daniel Price JoHanna Potts Meryl and Dr. Sam Rosenberg

Madrichim (Guides): Congregation B’nai Tzedek Kathryn and Ira Bartfield Ellen and David Belkin Devorah and Kevin Berman Fay-Ann and Jonathan Brodie Carin Dessauer and Marc Engel The Drescher Foundation The Louis and Helyn Fanaroff Charitable Fund, Ltd. Carol and Jack Feder Andrea and Rabbi Steven Glazer Kathleen Dodson Greenberg and Eric Greenberg Rochelle Gunner and Barry Kabalkin Helen Hecker Connie Heller Stuart Kurlander The Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation Drs. Ellen and Stuart Lessans The Mary Daly MacFarland Foundation Lisa and Tom McLish Amy and Alan Meltzer Elissa and William Oshinsky Rabbi Mark Raphael Jodie and Mark Rasch Deborah Ratner Salzberg and Michael Salzberg Diane Lipson Schilit and Howard Schilit Judith and Joseph Semo Shirley and Jack Serber Caren and Mitchell Shein Nina Simon and Dr. Robert Rosenthal Julie Smith and James Smith III Margot and Philip Sunshine Chagit and Avi West Matlee and Mordechai Yadin Deborah and David Yaffe

Haverim (Friends): Nancy Abramowitz and Mark Ellenberg The Wendi and Daniel H. Abramowitz Family Foundation Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation Randi and Steve Adelberg Rabbi Bruce Aft Rise Ain Barbara and Gerald Alexander Sandy and Dr. Clement Alpert Lynn and Alfred Altschul Sally Amster and Augie Arnstein Anonymous Gail and Norman Antin Margi Helsel-Arnold and Scott Arnold Lynn Arons and Mark Rosen Susan Auerhan Congregation B’nai Tzedek Brotherhood and Sisterhood Carol and Sam Backman Kathy and Stephen Baker Marla and Bobby Baker Judith Ball Ruth and Bruce Barkan Joanne and Brian Barlia Susan Barocas Amy Beckman Karen Beiley and Eric Fingerhut Esther and Steve Bender Ted Benjamin Mona and Mark Berch Jane and Les Bergen Paul Berger Toby and Philip Berman Marilyn and Charles Bernhardt Cookie and Nelson Blitz Elizabeth Boas and Arthur Spitzer Marcia Bordman Robert Braun Donna and Glenn Cafritz Rabbi Leonard Cahan Daniel Chiat Bev and Jordan Cohen Cyna and Dr. Paul Cohen Pat Alper-Cohn and David Cohn Elizabeth Colbert David Connick Rita Corwin Laura and Michael Cutler Marni Darby The David Project Suzanne Davidson Kim Dettelbach and Steve Sachs Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb Deborah Droller Andrea and Michael Druckman Sue Ducat and Stan Cohen Michele Duchin Rutie Eckdish Abbie and William Eckland Harriet and Robert Einziger Lisa and Mitchell Eisen Dr. Shulamith Elster and Rabbi Sheldon Elster Eleanor Epstein and Barry Krasner Ellen Epstein Paula Evans Eve Farren Farber and David Farber Danielle Feist Nancy and Cary Feldman Renee Fendrich Susan and David Fink Nancy and David Finkelstein Ben Firschein Howard Forman Dr. Andrea Foster and Steven Katz George Franklin Harriet Fredman Bridgit and Frederick Fried Marvin Friedman Erica and Richard Friedman Zachary Fromberg Sharyn and Arthur Fuchs Cheryl and Michael Gabai Peg and David Gamse Arlene and Dr. Harry Gildenhorn The Gluck Family Charitable Foundation Meg and Marc Gold Barbara and Sanford Gold Marcia Goldberg Nancy Goldberg Deena Goldsmith Ellen and Marvin Goldstein Elaine and Dr. David Goodman Amy and Eugene Goot Barry Gorman Judith Greenwald and Michael Samuels Julie and Martin Greenwald Rosa and Elliott Greher Alice Grillo Melanie Grishman Jonathan Groner Marilyn and Ralph Grunewald Brenda Gruss and Daniel Hirsch C.M. Hall and Robert Cole Tamara and Dr. Harry Handelsman Robin Harvey Hanerfeld Stephen Harris Marilyn T. Heebner Foundation, Inc. Juliet and Scott Heimberg Debbie and James Heller Linda and Jerry Herman Vivian Hirshberg Ellen and Arnold Hoffman Susan and Martin Hoffman Alexandra and Michael Horowitz Mindy Horowitz and Mark Mellman Molly Hullinger Phyllis and Andrew Isaacson Laura and Jerold Jacobs Teresa Jones and Joshua Zimmerberg Joel Kaufman Linda and Kenneth Kaufman Naomi Kawin Andrea Kay Judy and Steven Kerbel Elizabeth Kingery Doris Kirschbaum Lanna and Aaron Klapow Sherri and Howard Kohr William Konick Julia Korenman and Howard Tracer Elaine and Bob Kott Marjorie and Dr. Lawrence Kravitz Francine and Robert Kretzmer Susan and William Kristol Shelly and Jeffrey Kupfer Annette and Richard Lakein Jackie and Eric Land Linda Landau Rabbi Lynne Landsberg Lacy LeBlanc Raleigh Polsky Leichter and Seth Leichter Harvey Leifert Ina and Lawrence Lerman Drs. Judith and Jonathan Levin Ronni Levine and Marco Sainati The Levitt Foundation Deborah Levy and Richard Hoffman Jennifer and Fred Levy Sharon and Steven Lieberman Elaine and Daniel Mann Phyllis and Philip Margolius Judith and David Marwick Lou Ann and Clifford May Karen and Dr. Robert Meister Adina and Dr. Sander Mendelson Becky and Ira Mendelson Jeremy Mendelson Drs. Susan and Allen Miller Randi and Martin Meyrowitz Natacha Michel Sara and Stu Milner Jill Minneman and Thomas Fulcher, Jr. Leslie and Mark Montroll Miriam and Theodore Mordfin Dr. Pamela Nadell Laura and Eric Naide The New Israel Fund Ruth Newhouse Jodi and Peter Nordby Melanie and Lawrence Nussdorf Ohr Kodesh Congregation Stefanie and Lawrence Parizer Sharon Parrott and Ari Blumenthal Tammar Paynter The Pew Charitable Trusts Harriet and Ira Platt Alexandra Pollakoff Estee and Elliott Portnoy Donna Potemken and David Friedman Sigla and Marshall Potter Laura Primakoff and Henry Kahn Adva and Steven Priso Michele Probst Marcy and Ronald Prussick Patricia Quintas Shirley Radack Sabina Radin and Seth Ornstein Jenn Rafael Nancy and Dr. Gerald Reed Linda Reisner Shelley Remer Nechama Retting John Riehl Rabbi H. David Rose Dale Rosenthal and Michael Cutler Gary Rosenthal Judy and Michael Saks Diana Savit Susan and Laurence Schor Karen and Howard Schulman Daniel Schwartz Gail and David Schwartz Judith and Paul Schwartz Amy Reichert and Richard Sergay Donna Shakin and Howard Gershen Temple Shalom Dianne and Eric Shangold Marge and Lawrence Shapira Nancy and Irving Shapiro Lisa Sheldone Barbara and Raymond Sherbill Anne and James Sherman Rona Shor Norman Shore Jodi and Mark Shulimson Roberta and Lawrence Shulman Daphna Shye Sue-Ann and Eric Siegel Michael Simball Maurine Simon and Dr. Mark Rubinstein Barbara and Alan Siskin Bonnie and Samuel Sislen Susan and Robert Skitol Leslie and Alan Slan Faith Roessel and Matthew Slater Lynn and Jeffrey Snyder Debbie and Jonathan Sokobin David Sokoloff Audrey Solomon Eileen Solomon and Josh Schwartz Nancy and Jonathan Solomon Adiva Sotzsky Aliza Sperling Karen and Ned Steiner Randy Steiner Holly and George Stone Susan Stregack Amy and Judy Subar Laurie and Robert Sunshine Murray Tenenbaum Amy and Matthew Tietze Catherine and Dr. Jonathan Tuerk Arline Dell Udler Joan and Joe Vander Walde Sherry and Lawrence Wachtel The Washington Wizards Sarah and Bruce Waxman Deborah and Mark Weber Robin and Matthew Weinberg Rebecca and Steven Weisman Shelly and Donald Weisman Melissa and Lee Weiss Celia and Vaughn Winchell Dr. Marilyn and Gary Wind Jody and Steve Winter Carol Witt Dr. Meredith Woocher Roberta and Henry Wulf Linda Yitzchak Cindy and Richard Zitelman

gen • er • os • i • ty (jen’ ros’ i te), n., Donors to the Partnership during the past year whose gifts have made our work possible.

JFGW Allocation 34%

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