Our aims

The Jewish Educators' Network aims to:

• strengthen the teaching and learning of Jewish texts and other related content in Jewish schools and communities,
• empower educators and learners by providing them with tools for lifelong Jewish learning
• combine a commitment to serious engagement with Jewish tradition and a spirit of open-minded questioning,
• teach Jewish texts in a way that is meaningful and relevant,
• work in partnership with diverse schools and communities and in other educational settings, respecting the values and ethos of each.

Our members

Membership of the Jewish Educators' Network is open to teachers,programme directors, informal educators and lay-leaders from across theJewish community.  Religious or secular, experienced or just enteringthe field, you're welcome to join.  To become a member, just sign up to our email discussion group and for our regular email updates.  Membership is free.

Our services

Our services are aimed at educators in full time and supplementary schools, synagogues, educational organisations and family education groups.  They include:

In-service educator training, from individual sessions to entire courses, in the following areas:

• The Jewish bookshelf
• Entering dialogue with Jewish texts
• Making Hebrew meaningful
• Creating curriculum around Jewish values
• Contemporary issues through a Jewish lens
• Jewish texts 'through the back door' - creative techniques
• Engaging with prayer - children and family services
• Consultancy for programme directors, head teachers and lay leaders

Meet the Team

The Jewish Educators' Network has a core team of professional educators, led by Matt Plen and Rina Wolfson. The educators contributing to the Jewish Educators' Network reflect the diversity of Jewish teaching across the community. This ensures that the network remains open and welcoming to teachers across the spectrum of Jewish life. 

Matt Plen is the Movement Director of the Assembly of Masorti Synagogues.  Living in Israel from 1998-2008, he taught and developed educational resources at the Masorti high school, the Conservative Yeshiva and Melitz (Centres for Jewish Zionist Education). He has trained teachers in the areas of Jewish studies, values and identity, and family education.  Matt has an MA in Judaic Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary and is pursuing a doctorate in Jewish Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.   

 Jeanie Horowitz has an MS in Education from the University of Pennsylvania and an Advanced Diploma in Jewish Education from Leo Baeck College.  Jeanie is Education Coordinator for Assembly of Masorti Synagogues and is the Head Teacher at Belsize Synagogue Cheder.  Jeanie has worked in a variety of positions in Jewish Education including National Education Director for Young Judaea and has taught supplementary School in London and in New York.  In the summers Jeanie teaches Jewish Studies at Camp Yavneh in New Hampshire.