Sukkat Shalom Reform Synagogue

£40,000 Awarded To Reform And Liberal Religion Schools

Thursday, 12 March 2009

As part of a UJIA and Leo Baeck College 2008 Cheder Challenge, over £40,000 was distributed to 53 Reform and Liberal chadarim throughout the country. Chadarim were asked to submit a project that they wished to conduct in 2009 and for which they needed extra funds. Each cheder applying automatically received £500, with the possibility of an extra £1,000 dependent on criteria including creativity, innovation and best practice. All projects were required to have a teacher training element.

The Leo Baeck College and UJIA undertook to invigorate the cheder system in the light of recent major developments for Jewish day schooling. Recognising that 50% of our children will continue to be Jewishly educated at cheder and that Jewish day schools serve mainly North London and Manchester, it was determined that providing resources for the development of chadarim would be extremely helpful.

Rabbi Dr Michael Shire, Vice-Principal of Leo Baeck College commented “We are extraordinarily grateful to UJIA for providing these funds for the development of new and exciting programmes for our chadarim. The creativity and innovation of many of the applications bode well for the teaching and learning throughout the cheder system”.

Some of the projects include:

Oral history project connecting the past to the future for children in the life of a congregation.
A Pesach art project for the whole religion school involving preparation by teachers and parents.
The development of a children’s library at the synagogue for parents and children to use.
A parental empowerment programme offering sessions for parents to support them in raising Jewish children and building their own Jewish skills for the home.

The director of education at Finchley Progressive Synagogue thanked Leo Baeck College by saying, “I was thrilled to get this grant to enable my students and staff to delve more deeply into researching our synagogue’s Czech scrolls.”

It is hoped that UJIA will pursue its funding for future religion school development and Leo Baeck College is working closely with them on possibilities for 2010.