A new character is joining the ranks of fictional characters beloved by young children. But this little guy doesn’t live on Sesame Street. Rather, Peer K. Explorer hails — and gets his name — from a classic Jewish text, Pirkei Avot, Ethics of the Fathers.
And he’s at the center of “An Ethical Start,” the new early childhood curriculum developed by and for the Jewish Community Centers Association in New York, the parent organization of JCCs across North America.
Currently, the curriculum is being piloted in 20 JCCs, including the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center’s preschools in Whitefish Bay and Mequon. An open house to introduce the curriculum to the community is planned for Sunday, May 5. (More details will follow.)
“The pilot sites were chosen on the basis of their vision and their understanding of early childhood curriculum and the caliber of their teachers,” according to Dr. Ruth Pinkenson Feldman, director of Early Childhood Education for the JCC Association.
Just as Pirkei Avot, a tractate of the Mishna, is the classic guide to Jewish ethics and ethical self-transformation, Peer K. Explorer will be a children’s guide into a world of Jewish learning. Wearing a backpack and vest, hiking boots, a baseball cap and carrying a large magnifying glass, Peer K. aims to get children off to “an ethical start.”
“The concept is that a Jewish early childhood curriculum should teach that Judaism is more than a series of holidays and traditions,” said Pnina Goldfarb, Ph.D., JCC assistant director and director of educational services. “The curriculum focuses on Pirkei Avot because its values translate into direct practical advice for daily living.”
She hopes that Peer K. Explorer will guide children and families on a “lifetime adventure of exploring the richness of Judaism.”
Nationally, the project began three years ago when the JCC Association had the idea of introducing Jewish ethics through the study of a Jewish text. It received a $200,000 grant from Steven Spielberg’s Righteous Persons Foundation in 1999 to develop a multimedia Jewish text curriculum project for parents, teachers and young children suited for all branches of Judaism.
A core team took two years to develop the six-unit curriculum,, which is geared to children ages three to five and can be adapted for younger children. After examining some 150 mishnaot (teachings), the team chose to focus on personal behavior, social behavior and the relationship to God and the community — concentrating on respect for all people. Teaching tools include six books, a 15-inch doll, original CD, stickers, newsletters for parents and a family activity book.
Locally, the JCC received funding from the Jewish Community Foundation, the endowment development program of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, to purchase the program and provide training to educators.
Goldfarb said that the project has met with great enthusiasm from teachers, “who really seem to enjoy studying the texts and thinking of ways to share them with the children. It’s been a very exciting process.”
“The project,” she added, “gives parents and teachers a shared vocabulary for building partnerships as well as for raising children with Jewish values.”
As the early childhood educators explore the ancient Jewish text, it is their intention to convey their learning of a “Jewish way of looking at Jewish ethical values of responsibility, dignity, kindness, community, tradition and respect — all in an experiential way,” Goldfarb said.
Linda Berman, curriculum coordinator for the JCC Early Childhood Department, said the program is a “wonderful enhancement to our existing curriculum.”
She explained that staff is studying text with Jody Hirsh, JCC Judaic educator, and Idy Goodman, JCC family Jewish educator, “to learn how to bring the concept to our young children. Our study really energizes us and give us a new perspective. Through brainstorming, we’re learning how our lessons will affect the kids — how can we pass on our adult learning to them.”
The educators concurred the new program may help mitigate the pressure for children to perform that has filtered down even to the pre-school level. “Parents worry if their child isn’t reading by the age of three. Nursery schools are changing and I think this program tells us to take a step back,” Goldfarb said.
Berman agreed and added, “Schools are a reflection of society. As educators, we want to make responsible adults, so we need to find what’s missing in education to raise children with Jewish values. I think Peer K. Explorer is a vehicle to help kids see the world in a Jewish way with deeper meaning. He makes the concept come alive.”
Plans call for integrating the program into all 3-5 year-old classrooms by next fall and implementing some of the concepts into the two-year classrooms.
Loading ...