With synagogue doors slowly reopening and young children eagerly getting ready to go back to school, early childhood directors are scrambling to fill vacant teaching positions.
During COVID, with enrollment in decline, numerous teachers were furloughed. Instead of waiting to come back, many went on to find alternative careers.
Preschool directors are placing ads in Indeed or on Facebook as they desperately try to fill vacant teaching positions. To say that it has been a challenge is understating the crisis. However, the best place to find teachers may be right under our noses: synagogue boards, congregants, and parents of preschool graduates. There is a saying that “it takes a village.” The expression never mentions, “it takes someone else’s village…”.
Many times, a family’s first encounter with the local Jewish community or congregation is when their child attends a synagogue’s preschool program. To strengthen our Jewish communities, we need to make sure this first-time experience is as meaningful as possible. This requires teachers who understand Jewish culture, have experience within the community, and have a personal commitment to seeing early childhood centers succeed. There are several other reasons to hire someone who already has a relationship with the community. These individuals
- Already understand the ECE program’s values and philosophy,
- have a vested interest in the school’s success,
- are not looking to fulfill a personal financial need, but rather a moral, social, or charitable pursuit, and
- would only require limited onboarding because they already understand the school’s operations.
To help directors tap into this pool of outstanding teaching candidates, they need the help of a synagogue’s professional staff and lay leaders. Notices should be placed in the monthly bulletin, emails sent out to members, posts placed on social media accounts, announcements made during services, and posters hung on bulletin boards.
Imagine a Jewish synagogue that could sustain its preschool program with its own community members: a thriving Jewish community would be nurtured and supported.
Dr. Tamar Andrews
Director of ECE Programs
American Jewish University
September 2021
