Eilu V'eilu December 1, 2009 Volume 45, Week 1

What is the role of the early childhood educator in our congregations today?



By: Karen B. Goldstein


It was the first week of kindergarten for my son, Ben. When I came through the door at the end of the day, he ran to me and blurted out, “I don’t think I can go to this school, Mommy. They don’t know what they are doing!” I started to tell him that it was only the first week and that public school was different than gan (kindergarten or prekindergarten). But he interrupted me saying, “They didn’t have Shabbat, Mommy. They don’t know what they’re doing.” Now, the “mom” in me felt really bad for my disappointed little boy. But the early childhood educator in me silently cheered, “Yay!” at the confirmation that the development of Ben’s Jewish identity was well underway. And, it started in my temple’s early childhood center—a child care center that serves families with children aged six weeks to five years—which I was lovingly growing.


The role of the early childhood educator is varied, but I see my primary focus as that of a “connector.” I connect young families to the center, the gan staff, other young Jewish families, our clergy, and, if I do my job well, I connect these young families to our temple. I provide the opportunity for our gan families to form a community within our temple community in which they feel supported, included, responsible, and in touch with their sometimes forgotten or neglected Judaism.


I strive to provide an environment where the children and their parents—and even their grandparents—are comfortable asking questions. I’m asked a lot of them, and there are no “bad” questions! Our families learn alongside their children and eagerly digest any and all communication and information provided to them. Because I provide parents with the language, the information, and the courage to support their children’s growing knowledge of Judaism, as well as the more traditional kindergarten readiness curriculum, I am often viewed as an “expert” in all things kid-oriented. It’s assumed that I know all there is to know about such varied topics as: continuing to breast feed while returning to work, toilet training, biting, common childhood illnesses, developmental milestones, redirecting children, getting a child to hold a parent’s hand in the crazy parking lot outside, moving, death, and anything else you can possibly think of!


I am an advocate for young children, parents, and my gan staff, along with our lay leaders and clergy. I wish to be that little voice inside everyone’s head when decisions are being made—the one that whispers, “Will this benefit the children?” I model this by making certain that all my decisions are based on what is best for each child every day. I share with you that this does not make money for the temple. It makes something more precious—it makes members!


Current brain research and a glance at the concept of emotional intelligence support the idea that identity is formed by age five. This includes our children’s Jewish identity. A firm Jewish identity is not easily formed in a two-hour, once-a-week religious school program without some serious input from parents at home, who may or may not have the knowledge and skills to support this teaching. More recently, the impact of learning before the age of two has come to the forefront of educational research. Our children are Jewish at birth—they don’t become Jewish at age two or three or (God forbid) in the third grade—and we as a movement should be supporting and developing quality, early childhood programs that include infant and toddler care. If we don’t supply this community for our youngest learners and their families, where will they go, what will they learn, and from whom will they learn? My role is to ensure that every young child and every young family who chooses to come into our center develops a relationship with our temple in order to prevent Judaism from becoming like an overcoat that is put on and taken off as needed. Judaism should be worn every day, regardless of the weather.

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