The Coalition for Jewish Learning, the education program of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, will be doing in January several things for the first time.
First, the agency will be holding a special “Salute to Jewish Educators” event. Previously, this ceremony, which includes presentations of awards, was held as part of the annual Day of Discovery at the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center.
This year, it will be a separate event, scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 26, 3:30 p.m., at the JCC, 6255 N. Santa Monica Blvd.
Steven Baruch, Ph.D., executive director of the CJL, said that in conversations with principals of area Jewish schools about the challenges they face, “a common thread was educator recognition.”
Having one event dedicated to this, rather than having it as part of another event, “will raise educator recognition to a higher level,” said Baruch.
Second, the agency this year for the first time will be presenting two Educator of the Year Awards, to Tziporah Altman Shafer, a teacher at the Milwaukee Jewish Day School, and Karen Torem, a teacher at Yeshiva Elementary School who has done additional work in the community.
Baruch said the selection committee for the award “could not choose between” these candidates, and so decided this year to honor them both.
Third, CJL has created two new awards that will be presented this year for the first time: A “Teacher Impact Award” for teachers who are “great at something special,” or have made “a special contribution” to their school; and a “School Support Award” for non-educators who have provided distinctive support to a school.
Area Jewish schools will select people for these awards, Baruch said.
Finally, CJL will show at the event a new video titled “Educators Impact Lives.”
The CJL will also present its traditional awards at the event: The Rabbi Emanuel and Deborah Lifschutz Mitzvah Award, this year to the Milwaukee Jewish Day School; and the Gill Incentive for Teachers Award, this year to Roger Carp.
The event is planned by a CJL-sponsored committee of Milwaukee Jewish educators, chaired by Sherry Blumberg. Blumberg and Susie Rosengarten, chair of the CJL advisory board, will be the emcees of the event.
For more information, contact CJL, 414-963-2710.
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