While sabbatical leave is a very common practice for clergy in many of our host institutions, it is not often offered as a benefit to early childhood or congregational educators. Sabbatical leave is an excellent incentive for educators to stay in their positions and a way for the host institution to demonstrate their investment in their senior staff. And, of course, give yourself the much-deserved time to learn, rest, and feel inspired and renewed in the work. Here are three early childhood directors who each share a bit about their sabbatical experience:
Ellen Lefkowitz: In 2018, I had the privilege of taking a 3-month sabbatical from my position as Early Childhood Director at my congregation. I started my position there in 2010. The synagogue had a policy of offering their clergy a 6-month sabbatical every seven years and all of our clergy had taken a paid, sabbatical leave.
When the director of education and I started our positions at the synagogue, sabbatical leave was not included in our contracts. There were other benefits that also were not aligned with what the clergy were receiving even though we were all considered part of the senior staff of the congregation. Over time, with the support of the executive director and the board of directors, we were able to move towards parity of benefits such as our pension contributions, similar paid leave based on how long we had served in our positions, and a sabbatical leave.
Consequently, both the Director of Education and I were awarded a three-month paid sabbatical leave every seven years we worked. Fortunately, I was able to come up with a proposal to cover my position with the help of the associate preschool director and our administrative assistant. As part of that proposal, we did increase the pay of the associate director during those three months. While there were no specific obligations on how to use our time, there was an expectation that we engaged in some learning or professional development opportunities during our leave. I chose to do a study tour of the Boulder Journey school as well as visit local Jewish preschools in the Boulder/Denver area. In addition, I visited local early childhood centers and did some Jewish learning through a local organization called Jewish Studio Project. And also took some much needed time for myself, support to transition my daughter in the transition to kindergarten, and visit family and friends. At the end of my three months, I shared my experiences with the board and wrote something for our synagogue newsletter.
Didi Kerler: When my husband was given a university sabbatical, I assumed that I would tender my resignation to the synagogue in order to accompany him. It never occurred to me that the board would offer me half pay for six months to investigate, visit and document a variety of early childhood centers in Israel. So, in January 2016, we set off to a tiny apartment in the city center of Jerusalem. I quickly contacted friends, friends of friends and anyone who might let me visit a preschool. Most importantly, I contacted Naomi Raz, then director of early childhood centers for progressive Judaism in Israel, and Yael Smith, then head of the early childhood program at David Yellin Teacher’s Institute. Through Naomi, I visited sites connected to the progressive Jewish movement in Tel Aviv, Ra’anana, Modi’in, Jerusalem and Ashkelon. Yael oversaw clinical work: she would visit sites with her students to observe and then discuss best practices. She would text me on random mornings and say, “it’s me, want to come along to an Arab village to see a school - meet me at 8:30 at the Mevasseret junction.” I would catch the light rail and then a bus which would dump me off the main highway and there she would be waiting for me in her white Ford Focus. The tiny preschool was located amidst winding narrow streets in a dilapidated, run down building, highlighting a clear lack of funding and investment by the government. Despite the physical dearth, two women welcomed me as children slowly began trickling in - it was Ramadan and as they explained, things slow down during Ramadan. Yael took me to another preschool on a kibbutz outside Jerusalem which had a junkyard playground – everything from old mattresses to ovens, pots, pans, tires, random sofas – incredibly engaging albeit somewhat dubious looking were I an America health and safety inspector. Most interesting was a small school located in the middle of Ir Ganim, a poorer neighborhood on the outskirts of Jerusalem that housed Ethiopian Jews. At this school, we discussed the importance of the early childhood center for the absorption of the parents. While the children were clearly bilingual, most of the parents still only spoke Amharic and had a harder time integrating into Israeli society. Each center I visited expanded my understanding of the complexity of early childhood education and the role it plays in forming an equitable society.
The synagogue board gave me the most precious gift of seeking, exploring, and discovering, the gift that we give every day to our children and families. The sabbatical gave me the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual boost I needed to continue to thrive and serve my community.
Ellen Dietrick: The work of an early childhood director is all consuming and I used my sabbatical time to take life a little more slowly. I spent time volunteering at an orphanage for refugee children in Athens, I caught up on professional reading, but most of all took the meaning of sabbatical literally and I rested. I saw family and friends, took long walks, went on vacation, read novels, and spent time catching up on all the little projects at home that don’t fit into busy workdays. It was a little taste of what I imagine retired life to be like!
I chose the period from Simchat Torah through mid-January to be away because I knew it tended to be a quiet time in the cycle of the school calendar. Back at school many people pitched in to cover my responsibilities in my absence. I did what I could to prepare in advance and some larger school and family events and happenings were simply paused or canceled to make things easier.
We are each happy to share how we were able to make this happen in our congregations, and we want to support other ECE Directors in advocating for this important benefit.
Didi Kerler
Early Childhood Director
Congregation Beth Shalom, Bloomington, IN
Ellen Dietrick
Senior Director of Learning and Engagement
Temple Beth Shalom, Needham, MA
Ellen Lefkowitz
Senior Educator
Jewish Learning Works, San Francisco, CA
