Jewish Kids Groups

Organization Name:

Jewish Kids Groups

Location:

Atlanta, Georgia

Program Website: 

https://jewishkidsgroups.com/jkg-afterschool

Grades of Participants:

Pre-K, K-5

Number of Participants: 

Over 100

Target Audience

Jewish families ranging from unaffiliated and interfaith to modern Orthodox.

Schedule

Everyday after school from 2:45 pm-6:00 pm

Location/Program Space

JKG rents spaces to create hyperlocal sites that serve a particular neighborhood. Each site is equipped with several classroom spaces, an accessible outdoor play space, a kitchen or place for cooking, and a place where the students can build some ownership and a sense of belonging. Each site also has a Pinat Shalom (Peace Corner), which serve as places where students can rest and self-regulate. The Pinat Shalom has kinesthetic, mobile sensory supplies, comfortable seating, and auditory relief.

Staff

5 full-time educators, 21 part-time educators, 1 full-time administrator, and 1 part-time administrator. They also engage alumni as madrichim and board members and grandparents as volunteers in the program.

Goals

Jewish Kids Groups prioritizes:

1. Teaching, learning and practicing Jewish living skills and Jewish literacy.
2. Developing connected communities, connections with Jewish peoplehood, and life-long Jewish friendships.
3. Inspiring positive personal relationships with Judaism.
4. Empowering Jewish exploration through student interests and passions.
5. Preparing young children for the next stage of their Jewish journey.

Overview

JKG meets the goals, needs, and realities of contemporary families combining the afternoon services parents need — like transportation from school and homework time– with fun, experiential Jewish education, Monday through Friday, 2:30-6pm.

JKG serves 200 kids and their families at four locations across Atlanta.

At JKG, students:

1. Build meaningful friendships with neighborhood Jewish kids.
2. Participate in engaging activities like art, music, yoga, team building games, sports and outdoor play from a Jewish lens.
3. Learn Jewish values, culture, holidays, prayers, songs, traditions, history and Hebrew language.
4. JKG’s approach is relationship based and intentional. Because JKG is held every afternoon during the week, students and teachers have the opportunity for a consistent experience where they are living Jewishly and engaging with Jewish ideas and values every day.

At JKG, you will see:

1. Consistent and immersive Judaism.
2. Student choice activities intentionally built for different learning styles and interests.
3. Jewish values based experiences.
4. Jewish living as a routine
5. Jewish family, friendships, and community.

Origin Story 

Jewish Kids Groups was founded by Ana Robbins. When, as part of a research project she was leading at Emory University, Ana learned that 60% of Jewish elementary aged students aren’t enrolled in Jewish education programs, she decided to use her skills as a start-up entrepreneur to disrupt the field. In 2012, Ana established JKG at a single site. Today JKG serves 200 students a year at four sites across Atlanta. From the start, JKG’s ethos was intentionally aimed at serving kids and parents. It promised a Jewish summer camp-like feel that kids would love, and an after school schedule that would solve family childcare needs. Families responded enthusiastically to the new model. During this time, JKG was recognized and widely invested in by the Jewish Innovation sector including by Upstart, ROI Community of Schusterman Family Philanthropies, and other Jewish social accelerators in NY and Jerusalem.

Creating Jewish Community

JKG is designed with intention. Every choice is made through the lens of whether it supports the learning needs and diversity of the classroom and whether it builds a positive and strong Jewish community. Teachers are trained to foster connection and empower students to build Jewish identity and community. The structure of the day also supports community building. While most of the programming is done in small choice-based groups, the whole afterschool community gathers each day for Zman Kehillah, Community Time, during which students and teachers sit together in a circle to learn more about each other and build Jewish community through games, questions, skits, songs, and prayers. Also, the JKG curriculum is designed to support the building of strong and positive communities. One curricular unit called, “Building Community: Kehillah” focuses on learning about ourselves and one another. The community has also continued to expand through regular potluck Shabbat dinners for JKG families called “Shabbat-lucks” to give space for JKG parents to interact socially, deepening their own connection to JKG and understanding of the broader Jewish community.

Creating Content-rich and Accessible Learning

In addition to daily Jewish learning designed around Torah, history and values, everyday time is dedicated to learn Hebrew language (letters, decoding, reading, and speaking). They sing Jewish songs, learn Jewish customs, traditions, brachot, and tefilot. Each day at JKG is lived Jewishly, connecting to Jewish practice intentionally through actions, activities, and the community.

Creating Values-based Learning

JKG curriculum is framed around Jewish values. Using the Foundation for Jewish Camp's "Making Mensches: Periodic Table," they focus on 6 core Jewish values. Each year, these values are used as lenses to explore content through a variety of perspectives and challenge questions, thickening universal values such as courage and justice. Students experience Jewish values as part of their daily lives and see these values as rooted in their ancestry, history and traditions.

Creating Life-relevant Learning

At JKG Jewish behaviors are both modeled and invited. Whether it’s Shabbat blessings or the Pesach seder, educators teach by modeling and inviting. The goal is to give students access and understanding of how to participate in a ritual, but without any coercion or expectation, always by invitation. For example, each day starts with Nishnushim (snack) by identifying and saying the food blessings together. Their art projects aim to create high quality Jewish items students can use and bring home to facilitate Jewish practice in their own homes. Students are also invited to identify when they see others exemplifying Jewish values and praise them during community time for these actions and behaviors.

A Story of Our Program at its Best

During Zman Kehillah (community time) students learn about and sing Debbie Friedman’s z”l “Misheberach l”Cholim.” Each person is invited to share the name of someone for who is in need of physical, mental, or emotional healing. Usually, prayers are made for family members, JKG friends, teachers, school friends, and neighbors. One afternoon recently, JKG students– while riding from school to JKG– saw the aftermath of a serious car accident at a main intersection. Teachers shared that upon seeing the fire trucks and police sirens, students began singing the Misheberach for anyone who may have been hurt in the crash. This unprompted moment highlights how students internalize the Jewish values and skills they are learning at JKG.

JKG Sample Lesson Plan

Sample lesson - Passover

Sample lesson - Purim

Sample lesson - Courage to Question