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The Robert Russell Department of Early Childhood Education: The Center for Nurturing Child Development

The mission of the Robert Russell Department of Early Childhood at CAJE is to elevate the Miami Jewish Early Childhood Education landscape by fostering a nurturing and enriching environment for young learners. We aim to cultivate a strong foundation for future generations, ensuring the vibrancy and continuity of the Jewish people and our beautiful traditions.

CAJE’s Jewish Early Childhood Professional Network (JECPN) consists of 28 Jewish Early Childhood programs in Miami, including a variety of schools across all Jewish denominations and educational philosophies. CLICK HERE to view a list of all our Jewish ECE programs.

CAJE’s Early Childhood work includes:

  • Regular convening of our JECPN directors where they share resources, explore trends, learn and grow together.
  • High quality professional development opportunities for educators, particularly in areas of developmentally appropriate practices, Israel education, child development, and more. 
  • Opportunities to travel to top ECE conferences such as seminars in Reggio Emilia, Italy, the Boulder School in Colorado, and the annual Paradigm Project conference – all subsidized generously through CAJE’s community funding. 
  • Consulting and coaching are offered to our educators to reflect on their practice and broaden their vision as education leaders.
  • The opportunity to be a part of the national initiative ElevatEd, focused on elevating the field of Jewish Early Childhood Education (see press release below). 
For more information on the Robert Russell Early Childhood Department at CAJE, contact Yehudis Smith at yehudissmith@caje-miami.org

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Jewish Early Childhood Education Initiative ElevatEd Launches in Miami

Miami becomes latest pilot community in groundbreaking and collaborative initiative addressing critical teacher shortage in early childhood Jewish education 

ElevatEd, the groundbreaking initiative to transform the field of early childhood Jewish education (ECJE) by addressing the critical shortage of early childcare teachers, is expanding into new cities as part of its three-year pilot. Supported by the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and in partnership with Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE), Miami becomes the latest community to join the initiative to recruit, train, and mentor early childhood educators.

ElevatEd formally launched in July 2023 as a collaborative project between Jewish Community Centers Association of North America, Jewish Federations of North America, and the Union for Reform Judaism. Together with its national funding partners – Jim Joseph Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, and the Samuels Family Foundation – and alongside practitioners, educators, and community leaders, ElevatEd, a $12 million project, is pioneering bold solutions to an urgent crisis around the recruitment and retention of our educators. The initiative increases the opportunity for families to take part in high-quality ECJE, professionalize the field, and exponentially expand the engagement of Jewish families in Jewish communal life through this expansive effort focused on teacher recruitment, training, credentialing, mentoring, and teacher-family engagement in the early childhood setting.

Capitalizing on the success of ElevatEd’s first cohort in five cities (Boston, Massachusetts; Denver-Boulder, Colorado; East Bay, California; Houston, Texas; and Long Island, New York), which has impacted 48 schools and recruited nearly 100 emerging educators, the second cohort is now underway in Miami with an initial focus of recruiting up to 30 new educators. Innovative and expansive recruitment strategies are being supported in Miami through ElevatEd’s community partner, CAJE and community coordinator, Yehudis Smith, who will liaise between the national ElevatEd team and local school partners.

I am thrilled that the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education is now partnering with ElevatEd on its expansion into Miami,” shares Yehudis Smith, CAJE's Director of Early Childhood Education and the new ElevatEd community coordinator in Miami. “Our community’s investment will support the influx of young families, including the influx of Israelis with young families into our area, by tackling the critical shortage of early childcare teacher in the greater Miami area.”

“Investing in the educators who have the skill and passion to create learning communities that build strong Jewish identities and engage families from their earliest years leads to healthy, vibrant communities. Ensuring high-quality early childhood Jewish education supports the very foundation of Jewish life,” said ElevatEd executive director Orna Siegel, a committed Jewish education leader who has witnessed the impact of these issues firsthand over the course of her career.

“ElevatEd is intentionally designed to embrace every single Jewish early childhood center in Miami. This type of partnership is inspirational in terms of both scale and inclusivity, serving schools from every denomination and educators with diverse beliefs, educational experience, and religious backgrounds,” says Sasha Kopp, senior director of ElevatEd education and engagement, who brings a decade of classroom and assistant director leadership experience to the project.

Jewish Early Childhood Professional Network (JECPN)

The Jewish Early Childhood Professional Network (JECPN) is a professional organization for Miami’s ECE teachers and educators who work in Jewish Early Childhood Education settings.

JECPN membership is open to all ECE teachers and directors who work in Jewish ECE programs. Its co-chairs are Sharon Zweig (Yeshiva Elementary School) and Sandra Kopp (Beth Torah Suzy Fischer Early Childhood Academy). Yehudis Smith, CAJE Director of ECE and Congregational Education, is the coordinator of the JECPN. Click here to learn more.

Teacher Support Sessions

Virtual teacher support nights are for you if:

  • You are experiencing behavioral challenges in your classroom
  • You need help with curriculum or lesson planning
  • You want to learn more about balancing the parent-teacher relationship
  • You have any other ECE-related challenge or question
  • You aren't experiencing anything in particular, but want to learn from others
Contact Yehudis Smith to learn more!