Rooted in Values, Leading with Vision
Posted on 08/08/2025 @ 06:00 AM
Miami Jewish Early Childhood Professionals Network (JECPN) Educators at ElevatEd Workshop.
By Yehudis Smith, M.Ed, Director of the Robert Russell Department of Early Childhood Education
When people ask how I found myself at CAJE, I usually smile and say, “It was the natural next step.” But the truth is, this journey began long before job titles, consulting work, or doctoral programs.
It began in a public high school classroom in Tampa - with bagels, orange juice, and a lot of heart.
I was raised in a family of six by traditional Jewish South African parents who instilled in us a deep sense of pride in our Jewish identity. We didn’t attend Jewish day school, but Judaism was part of everything - Shabbat dinners, Hebrew school, Israel bonds tucked into birthday cards.
In high school, I became president of the Jewish Awareness Club. Every meeting came with “bagels and Jews” - a playful misprint that stuck, and one that reflected the joy and authenticity of our gatherings.
We served bagels and juice, and we talked about what it meant to be Jewish in a public-school setting. It was grassroots Jewish pride, and it lit a fire in me.
Later, at the University of Florida, I earned my bachelor’s degree in English Literature. I’ve always loved to read and write, and I thought maybe I’d become a journalist or a professor.
But then I walked into the Chabad house on campus - and something shifted.
The warm, welcoming, and deeply authentic community felt like coming home. That spark turned into a flame, and by the time I graduated, I had begun living a more observant life.
After college, I moved to New York City and, almost by accident, took a job as an assistant teacher for a classroom of two-year-olds on the Upper East Side. I was hooked.
There was something magical about those little humans and the worlds they were building through play, wonder, and curiosity.
After spending a year in Jerusalem studying Torah at Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies, I quickly enrolled at Touro College, earning my master’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education.
Fifteen years ago, I was blessed to meet my husband, and together, we’ve built a full, lively, beautiful life.
We’re raising five children - including four that came all at once… and then, six months ago, a fifth, born after the events of October 7th ignited a deep spiritual pull to bring more light into the world.
Professionally, I’ve spent the past twenty years working in Jewish early childhood education in nearly every capacity - educator, mentor, coach.
Seven years ago, I founded Imagined Educational Consulting to support schools, educators, and communities around the country.
Through professional development, coaching, keynote speaking, and thought partnership, I’ve helped hundreds of educators deepen their understanding of children’s behavior and reimagine their responses.
I specialize in Emotionally Responsive Practice (ERP), a developmentally grounded, trauma-informed approach to behavior guidance.
I believe children’s behavior is communication, and that the adults around them hold tremendous power to respond in ways that promote safety, regulation, and resilience.
That belief led me to write my book, Rethinking Discipline, a guide for conscious parenting and emotionally attuned teaching.
Thanks to CAJE, I’m currently pursuing my doctorate in Early Childhood Education at American Jewish University as part of the inaugural EdD cohort.
My research explores how Jewish values and Reggio Emilia-inspired pedagogy influence educators’ perceptions of young children’s challenging behavior - work that feels especially urgent and meaningful in this moment.
Joining CAJE was a natural extension of everything I believe in.
I’m now entering my third year as Director of the Robert Russell Early Childhood Department, where I lead several core initiatives to elevate the field of Jewish early childhood education across Miami.
These include:
- the Miami Jewish Early Childhood Professionals Network (JECPN), which brings directors together in a collaborative space for learning and support
- ElevatEd, a national initiative funded by the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, that focuses on recruitment, tailored training, mentorship, and credentialing
- Professional development for educators and school leaders
- Israel education through our CAJE Israel Corner articles and upcoming professional development opportunities
- Teacher support nights, where I lead discussions and workshops focused on the most current and emergent challenges that educators experience.
- And so much more…
In everything I do, I strive to create spaces where early childhood professionals feel a deep sense of dignity, purpose, and possibility.
Through my work with CAJE and the Miami Jewish ECE community, I aim to model the very practices we want to see in classrooms: empathy, curiosity, presence, and respect.
My mission is simple:
- To help early childhood educators see themselves not as babysitters, but as brain architects, relationship-builders, and spiritual guides.
- To nurture the people who nurture our children.
- And to remind our community that Jewish early childhood education isn’t a “nice to have” - it’s an essential investment in our collective future.
This work is personal. It’s professional. It’s spiritual. It’s mine.
And I feel incredibly lucky to be doing it here at CAJE, with colleagues and partners who share a vision for what’s possible when we invest in our youngest learners - and those who care for them.
Learn how you can support the important work we do for our youngest learners, their educators, and their families in Miami by contacting me: yehudissmith@caje-miami.org
