Does Jewish early childhood education have the potential to radically transform the Jewish community? What impact would federally funded early childhood education have on Jewish early childhood centers in the United States? What exactly is Jewish early childhood education? This week’s guest is Anna Hartman, recipient of the 2021 Covenant Award for her pioneering work in the field of Jewish early childhood education. Anna shares the story of how she first found herself in a classroom, what that means for the field, and what she’s doing to empower Jewish educators in her hometown, Chicago, and across the country.
"We have such an incredible gift here of Jewish early childhood [education]. I no longer think it is negative or unhelpful to state the truths about the field. We need a lot more support to make this work."
Anna Hartman, Jewish United Fund and The Paradigm Project
Chicago, Illinois
Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education is a production of The Jewish Education Project. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released.
This episode was produced by Dina Nusnbaum and Gabriel Weinstein. The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben. This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media. If you enjoyed the show please leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released.
We are a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York.
Thanks for listening.
Additional Resources:
The Paradigm Project
Anna Hartman Covenant Award Profile
Anna Hartman at Jewish United Fund
“Early Childhood Compensation Can Change” by Anna Hartman on eJewishPhilanthropy
“Marking One Year of COVID in Jewish Education” by Anna Hartman on eJewishPhilanthropy
CASJE Study — “Exploring the Associations between Jewish Early Care and Education and Jewish Engagement: Research to Inform Practice”
CASJE Study — “Promising Practices for Engaging Jewish Families through Jewish Early Care and Education Programs: Lessons Learned”
”What Jewish Engagement Means for Families with Young Children” Infographic
Explore The Jewish Education Project’s Work with Early Childhood & Family Engagement
