The RE-IMAGINE Project Guidebook consists of six chapters detailing involvement in the Re-Imagine Project. This guidebook will point the way for the Leadership Team and the Task Force. Each step is described in great detail with many ideas for meetings, exercises, text study, and communicating with your congregation. It also offers suggestions on how to engage people in the process. The chapters reflect the six-part meeting structure.
The first chapter introduces the Re-Imagine Project and explains how to use the guidebook.
The second chapter of the guidebook focuses on setting the stage. It contains activities, text studies, tools, and techniques on forming a leadership team and task force, working with the religious school committee, establishing a calendar and planning meetings, facilitating meetings, and the importance of communication.
The third chapter of this guidebook is about looking inward. Activities, text studies, and meeting overviews will help you identify and appreciate the perspectives of the Task Force members in relation to children’s learning; allow you to get a perspective on your current religious school; broaden your understanding of factors affecting Jewish learning; learn about the concept of adaptation and how to apply it; and begin with process of experimentation with low hanging fruit.
The fourth chapter helps with looking outward. The chapter includes text study and materials for acquiring a body of knowledge that will be used as a reference point in rethinking Jewish education; exploring and developing opinions about four significant issues that innovative congregations have addressed in their programming (Jewish Living and Learning; Community; Parental Involvement; Jewish Memories); and becoming well acquainted with five alternative models for religious school and why they work well.
The fifth chapter is about looking forward. Looking Forward guides you finally to make the decisions that will determine your future path. The goals and outcomes for this chapter include: learning that an educational system should be aligned with a vision; developing a vision for children’s Jewish learning that will guide the ongoing work of the Task Force; thinking broadly about how your vision can be realized; and choosing an alternative model of children’s education that aligns with your vision.
The sixth and final chapter of this guidebook is about moving forward. This is the phase in the Re-Imagine journey in which you develop consensus around the direction that children’s Jewish learning will take in your congregation, and how your congregation can sustain this journey. You are encouraged to choose a first bold step to move your congregation forward with your alternative model; to create create and empower an Implementation Team and determine the governance model for this step. Advice is given for how to maintain your educational innovations beyond the guidebook.
Some of the activities and text studies can also be found as individual posts.
Please note that the Hebrew in the text study section may not display correctly.