j*Journeys

Contact for j*Journeys:  Cantor Allen Leider (703) 532-2217, ext. 231 aleider@templerodefshalom.org

Jewish Learning is About to be Transformed!

j*Journeys is our model for transforming Jewish learning for adults, families, teens and youth at Temple Rodef Shalom.

Check out our latest video introduction to j*Journeys at:
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/12628906/j-journeys-introduction

"j*Journeys: Shabbat Guests"

Host a Shabbat dinner or Havdalah home gathering on the 3rd Friday or Saturday evenings of February, March, April, or May and experience firsthand what it means to be a part of our vibrant Temple Rodef Shalom community. Home gatherings are a meaningful way to celebrate Shabbat and build our temple community. Sign up today and let us know how many guests you can accommodate and what demographic you'd like to invite. You may also personally invite your own friends and neighbors; the possibilities for outreach, engagement and bridge-building with the greater Washington, DC Jewish community are endless.

We'll have "kits" with all the ritual items you need as host. Hosts provide the main course, and guests bring the side dishes and dessert. Participate by hosting or attending and many times as you like.

Want to host a Shabbat dinner for other young professionals in their 20's & 30's? Families in their 30's and 40's? Want to get to know other 3rd and 5th grade families?  Hosting an adults only event for your class, group, or Torah study? We've made it so easy to designate exactly who you'd like to invite and to alert potential guests about any dietary restrictions or pets in the home.

Host a Shabbat or Havdalah home gathering in Feb, March, April or May: here

Attend an upcoming  "j*Journeys: Shabbat Guests" Shabbat or Havdalah home gathering: here

Questions? Please contact Melissa Hill Jones, j*Journeys Shabbat Guests Coordinator, jjourneys@templerodefshalom.org

Three Years in Development

Our nine initiatives and alignment strategies were created by our Task Force through the work of CE21 (Congregational Education for the 21st century), a five-year program that began in 2009 in partnership with Hebrew Union College’s Experiment for Congregational Education and our Federation’s Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning. Six other DC area congregations were also part of this first cohort of CE21. The specific initiatives were developed through the work of our Task Force and Design Team using information from home-based Learning Conversations, Task Force and Design Team discussions, our Visionary Description and Design Elements, and research done into best practices of other congregations.

Vision for Jewish Learning

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.

Why should we be engaged in Jewish learning?

♦ Jewish learning provides a framework for daily living
♦ Jewish learning enriches our relationships to others
♦ Jewish learning helps us better understand ourselves and our place in the world
♦ Jewish learning provides the tools to face sacred moments in our lives

Who are we as learners?

♦ We are all on individual Jewish journeys as we connect to others on their journeys
♦ We are each at a different stage in our Jewish journey
♦ We seek community and connection

How do we learn best?

♦ We connect personally to what is being taught
♦ We model Jewish learning and living for our children
♦ We form personal mentoring relationships for learning
♦ We learn by doing and through authentic Jewish experience

Design Objectives

Our Model seeks to help our learners to:

• Engage where they are at (stage of life and Jewish knowledge)
• Choose among various pathways to learning
• Deepen personal engagement in Jewish learning
• Experience personal relevance and meaning in learning
• Deepen relationships to other learners (building community)
• Engage  in Jewish self-discovery
• Connect in Jewish time
• Learn from trained facilitators who can further these objectives

Initiative Timeline

Initiative	Start Date
New Parent Workshop	Sept. 2011
Teen Mentoring	Sept. 2011
"Doing Jewish" 5th/6th grade  Curriculum	Sept. 2011
Shabbat Guests	Jan 27, 2012
Shabbaton Program	Apr 14, 2012
Program Leader Training	Aug/Sept. 2012
Casual Conversations       (about being Jewish)	Sep 2012
Jewish Action Plans	Jan 2013
Jewish Value of the Month	Jan 2013