Through a Jewish lens

Twelve local Jewish early childhood educators attended a study seminar, Exploring Reggio through a Jewish Lens, in Italy in October.

According to director of Early Childhood Education at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and seminar leader Carolyn Linder, the Reggio Emilia Approach is an innovative and inspiring approach to early childhood education, valuing the child as strong, capable and resilient as well as rich with wonder and knowledge. This approach supports collaboration on all levels and nurtures individuality.

Pittsburghers joined 51 other Jewish early childhood educators from Boston, Chicago, District of Columbia, Maryland and Israel.

Get The Jewish Chronicle Weekly Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up

The Pittsburgh group included early childhood professionals from the Beth Shalom Early Learning Center, the Rodef Shalom Family Center Preschool, the Jewish Community Center’s Squirrel Hill Early Childhood Development Center, the Temple Ohav Shalom Center for Early Learning, the Temple Emanuel Early Childhood Development Center, the Early Childhood program at Community Day School, the Early Learning Center at Yeshiva and the Isadore Joshowitz Early Childhood Center at Hillel Academy, together with two local Pittsburgh Jewish Early Childhood Education Initiative (JECEI)/Bonim Beyachad consultants.

Upon returning, each cohort participant was challenged to introduce at least one change in the school or classroom from something that sparked inspiration in the seminar.

On a community level, the Pittsburgh cohort will participate in two collaborative outcomes from the seminar that will be facilitated by Linder.

The Dr. Solomon and Sarah Goldberg Memorial Endowment Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh provided support for local participants.