Launched in 2019, TalentEducators’ first cohort includes close to 40 educators placed in schools and Jewish educational institutions across the US and UK.
(Courtesy of TalentEducators) TalentEducators, an initiative dedicated to fostering new talent in Jewish education around the world, opened applications for its second cohort and announced plans to double the number of educators for the 2021-22 school year. The program also plans an expansion to Canada and Scotland.
TalentEducators, a joint project of Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Ministry and The Jewish Agency, was founded in 2019 with the goal of addressing the growing challenge of recruiting and retaining high-quality educators in Jewish education. The program’s first cohort consists of close to 40 Jewish educators, spread out across 22 cities in the United States and England. The organization has now opened applications for its second cohort with the goal of doubling the number of program participants for the 2021-22 school year. In addition to placing educators in the U.S. and in England, TalentEducators is launching with Jewish educational institutions in Canada and Scotland.
Prospective participants can apply through the TalentEducators’ website, indicating preferences for formal or informal education, location and student ages. Following a vetting process and interview, TalentEducators’ staff will match the accepted educators to an appropriate position within one of the program’s partner educational institutions. The candidate then goes through that institution’s internal hiring process. Once an offer is accepted, TalentEducators provides support through ongoing training and funding for professional development and mentorship. Additionally, TalentEducators provides a community of support through regular programming and interaction with the other members of the cohort.
TalentEducators works with all educational institutions—both formal and experiential—that deliver Jewish content, such as Torah, Talmud, Navi, Jewish history, Hebrew language, and Israel education. This includes but is not limited to preschools, day schools, Jewish community centers, Hillels, supplemental schools (U.K. cheders), synagogues, charities, nonprofit organizations, youth movements and adult education.
“TalentEducators’ purpose is to help educators—both those who are already in the classroom and those who aren’t yet—realize their full potential while impacting the lives of their students, their colleagues and their communities,” said Aharoni Carmel, CEO of TalentEducators. “When we launched our first cohort last year, it was with the goal of supporting and empowering educators on their journey to success as well as to help Jewish educational institutions overcome significant staffing challenges. Looking at the first year of the program, the achievements to date have far surpassed our expectations and we are excited to increase the strategic impact of TalentEducators and grow its reach.”
“We are a small school in a small Jewish community without a lot of resources to search for candidates outside our area,” said Liat Walker, Jewish studies coordinator, Martin J. Gottlieb Jewish Day School (Jacksonville, Florida). “TalentEducators matched us with a perfect candidate we would have never found on our own.”
“One of the most incredible ways TalentEducators has impacted my teaching career has been the mentor I was paired with through BetterLesson,” said Naomi Levy, Jewish studies teacher, Yavneh Primary School (Hertfordshire, England). “My mentor has been an absolute godsend during the pandemic as she has given me the tools needed to teach amazing virtual live lessons using an array of different technology ideas. I can’t praise TalentEducators enough for all their support and collaborative ideas for teachers in the 21st century.”
