All Programs

B’More Disability Awareness and Sensitivity Workshops
Fun and creative workshops are available for teachers, classes, camps, synagogues, and Jewish organizations to learn positive and empowering messages about sensitivity and inclusion to foster acceptance of individuals with disabilities. Additional training for teachers on how to weave inclusion and awareness concepts throughout the school year is also available.
Yael Zelinger, yzelinger@cjeb.org
Disability Awareness Guide for Elementary School
Disability Awareness Guide for Middle and High School

Community Connectors
The connector program is an exciting program designed to connect Jewish families with their neighbors all around the Baltimore area.  The program revolves around the work of “Connectors”, who spend two years building a network of Jewish families right in their own neighborhoods.  Learn More

Deafblind Shabbaton
The mission of the Deafblind Shabbaton is to provide a fully accessible Shabbat experience for Jews of all backgrounds living with dual hearing and vision loss. The experience is meant to educate and empower the participants to socialize and connect meaningfully with Judaism and with fellow Jewish participants and staff. Learn More
Yael Zelinger, yzelinger@cjebaltimore.org

Erev Yisraeli
Informal gatherings to bring together Israel and Jewish American families that combines Jewish traditions and Israeli culture. View Flyer

Festival of Jewish Literature
From November 7-17, 2019, our community joined together for the Festival, which incorporates the love of reading and literature and encourages people across the community to participate. CJE was involved in three events: On the Same Page (Nov 10), Beit Midrash (Nov 12) and Layer the Walls (Nov 17)
Zina Segal, zsegal@cjeb.org

G2
Grandparents share with their pre-teen grandchildren their Jewish experiences and values and explore the pre-teens relationship to their family, local community, Israel, and the Jewish people. The program culminates with an intergenerational Global Israel Experience, a week of discovering Israel as one Global Jewish Family. View Program Details
Joan Vander Walde, jvanderwalde@cjeb.org

Gesher LaTorah
Gesher LaTorah is a dynamic, community-based Jewish special education program serving students with significant special needs between the ages of five and 21. Students are usually enrolled in a self-contained classroom and have special needs, including autism, developmental disabilities, language disabilities, or physical challenges. Learn More

Grand/Parents as Listeners
Acquiring and Honing Listening Skills to Nurture and Enrich Intergenerational Family Relationships. In a time of increasingly complex family and cultural dynamics, grandparents cultivate inner strength, self-awareness and acquire listening skills to allow for meaningful connections and conversation throughout a special workshop series.

How to Communicate with People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Workshops available on-site for any Jewish agency, school, or synagogue. Communication is the key to building relationships, and let’s face it; good business is all about relationships. Learn how to include people who communicate differently and much more. Learn More
Yael Zelinger, yzelinger@cjebaltimore.org

Israel Educators Community of Practice
We believe that at the heart of engaging and meaningful Israel Education, are Israel Educators who are deeply knowledgeable, specifically skilled, and nuanced in their approach.  To that end, we convene Israel educators several times a year to discuss complexity and struggle in teaching Israel while reinforcing the foundation of love and emotional attachment to it.  We also connect educators to a variety of Israel education professional development opportunities.

Israel High
CJE seeks to prepare high school students for the anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment they might be faced with on their college campuses. By drawing on resources from the most effective international organizations that train students and educators, Israel High ensures that Baltimore’s students have a strong sense of Jewish identity and their relationship to Israel, have the tools and resources to feel confident and proud of their connection to the Jewish state and are linked to a network of educators and professionals who are trained to support them in their journeys to college. Learn More

JADE ASL Meet Up
Once a month, JADE provides an opportunity for people who sign to get together and shmooze. Each meet up is led by a member of the local Jewish Deaf and hard of hearing community and centers around a Jewish theme. ASL Meet Ups are always fun!  Learn More
Yael Zelinger, yzelinger@cjebaltimore.org

JADE – Jewish Advocates for Deaf Education
JADE’s mission is to support Jewish individuals who are deaf and/or hard-of-hearing and to encourage access to educational and engaging Jewish events. JADE strives to raise the level of awareness in the community about the needs of Jewish people who are deaf or hard of hearing.  Learn More
Yael Zelinger, yzelinger@cjebaltimore.org

Jewish Captioning Initiative
The Jewish Captioning Initiative promotes captioning on videos with Jewish content to allow access for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. JADE advocates for the inclusion of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and can explain how to provide a sign language interpreter or real-time captioning at events.  Learn More
Martha Goodman, mdsnap@cjeb.org

Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month
As a member of the Jewish Special Education International Consortium, CJE helped create Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month – JDAIM, originated to use the month of February to bring focus to the issue of raising awareness of members of the Jewish community with disabilities. Over the years it has developed into a year-long initiative to promote inclusion throughout Jewish life. Disability awareness training session, educational resources, programming such as Introduction to American Sign Language, JDAIM Tot Shabbat at J Town, JDAIM Movie Night, and more are created as a way to keep this important concept in the forefront of our collective consciousness, with February as the kickoff month to this ongoing effort.
Rachel Turniansky, rturniansky@cjeb.org

Jewish Matryoshka Project
Programming for Russian-speaking Jewish families to connect, access resources in the Jewish community, share in Jewish and Russian traditions, enjoy books and events catered to this unique culture, and make new friends.
Zina Segal, zsegal@cjeb.org

J Town
J Town is an innovative play space, ideal for families with young children. Located inside the Weinberg Park Heights JCC. Learn More

Karma Dogs
Shy or reluctant readers are welcome to join us in the CJE Library to read to Karma Dogs from H.E.A.R.T.S. Help Encourage All Readers to Success. Karma dogs are friendly, nonjudgmental and good listeners. First Tuesday evening of the month.
Rachel Turniansky, rturniansky@cjeb.org

Kol Echad
A monthly inclusive Shabbat service for children with disabilities and their families.  This modified service includes songs, movement, and hands-on experiences and rotates among different congregations in the Baltimore community.  Contact Baltimorekolechad@gmail.com or visit us on Facebook .

Local Author Series
On the second Tuesday of the month, CJE brings in Baltimore’s finest local Jewish authors to learn more about the books they wrote and the stories behind them. Books being presented and discussed by the authors will be available for check-out in the library.
Jessica Fink, jessicafink@cjeb.org

Maryland Special Needs Advocacy Project
Maryland Special Needs Advocacy Project (MDSNAP) provides free educational advocacy services for Jewish children with special needs, from birth to age 21.  Our staff representative listens to concerns and helps parents help their children. Learn More

Odessa Sister City
In November of 2017, Amalia Phillips, Director of Israel and Overseas Education, led a cadre of Jewish educators on a mission to our sister city of Odessa in Ukraine funded by The Baltimore Odessa Committee of the Associated.  The participants explored the value of Jewish peoplehood that would lead them to collaborate on meaningful and authentic Jewish educational experiences that will energize our partnership and foster new possibilities for long-lasting impact.  Learn More

On the Same Page
A “community read” program incentivizing book clubs, organizations, and groups of friends to read the selected book and then host events around the book. CJE provides mini-grants and educational support to run a discussion, lecture, or workshop.  This year, the Baltimore community is invited to read Boris Fishman’s book Savage Feast.
Zina Segal, zsegal@cjeb.org

PJ ABC
A program funded by the Baltimore Ashkelon Partnership, which pairs preschool families in Baltimore and Ashkelon and provides programs focused on volunteerism, PJ Library books, and community connections. The program is a collaboration of PJ Library and CJE.
Stacy Jarvis, sjarvis@cjebaltimore.org

PJ Library
PJ Library sends free, award-winning books that celebrate Jewish values and culture to families with children 6 months through 8 years old. Each child in your family will get the gift a new book every month delivered to your home – for FREE! Learn More

PJ Our Way
PJ Our Way is the next chapter in the PJ Library family, available for kids ages 8.5 through 12 years old.  Every month, kids choose a book from a selection of four high-quality titles that have been reviewed by a panel of PJ educators, parents, and kids. That’s 12 free books a year! Learn More

PJ Our Way Design Team
If you are between the ages of 8 and 13, join other literature-loving tweens on a real committee to create engaging programming for your peers.
pjlibrary@cjeb.org

Puzzle Project
As an exploration of identity through art, implemented initially in Baltimore as a celebration of Yom HaAtzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim, the CJE organized a collaborative puzzle art project in partnership with our sister cities, Ashkelon and Odessa. Puzzle pieces are still available for decoration.

Sensory Kit and Sensory Kit To – Go
The Kit includes Items that are designed to provide calming equipment to individuals who may be overstimulated or overwhelmed by activity at events. Kits are available to borrow for Jewish organizations running events or individuals and families attending events.
Rachel Turniansky, rturniansky@cjeb.org

Shalom, Baby!
A range of services and programs for expectant and new parents and grandparents, Shalom, Baby! programs are designed to help connect families with Jewish experiences centered on the day to day reality of life with infants and toddlers. Learn More

Shevet Achim
Shevet Achim is an innovative school twinning model funded by The Baltimore Ashkelon Partnership of the Associated and supported by the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI).  Shevet Achim cultivates direct relationships between 5 schools in Baltimore and 5 schools in Ashkelon, and of course, their students and teachers as well. Educators collaboratively envision and implement engaging and creative educational experiences to foster meaningful relationships between learning communities in both cities. Learn More

Shinshinim Hub
A Hebrew acronym for shnat sheirut (or year of service), eight pre-army young emissaries from Ashkelon board with local families and work in the schools and community to enthuse Baltimore about Israel through informal Israel education experiences. Learn More

Tot Shabbat
Join us for a sing-along, storytime, and Shabbat snack. Every Friday at 11 AM in J Town AND First Friday of the month at 9:45 AM at Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC. pjlibrary@cjeb.org

Tweens Talk Ashkelon
Tweens in Baltimore and Ashkelon are matched and discuss selected readings and their Jewish values over skype WhatsApp and email and build a lifetime of connection to each other.  Funded by the Baltimore Ashkelon Partnership.
Stacy Jarvis, sjarvis@cjeb.org

Tweens Talk Odessa
Tweens and their families in Baltimore and Odessa are matched and provided with a PJ Our Way chapter book.  Tweens and their families will discuss the book and its Jewish values over Skype, WhatsApp, and email and build a lifetime of connection to each other.  Funded by the Baltimore Odessa Partnership.
Stacy Jarvis, sjarvis@cjeb.org

Tzipur Sipur: Traveling School Librarian
A Community Librarian visits schools that do not have a library or librarian on staff. The librarian brings stories, research materials, and books for the children to check-out. The program is designed to help students access appropriate books (level and content), as well as, help reinforce a community of readers.
Jessica Fink, jessicafink@cjeb.org