Publications

The Shefa Center, a division of The Shefa School, is dedicated to strengthening the capacity of Jewish day schools to support diverse learners. The Center has worked with hundreds of schools and thousands of educators to provide professional development, consultation, partnership, and training across a range of topics.

Betzelem Elohim. Every child is made in God’s image. This idea is fundamental to creating learning environments that honor the unique potential and worth of every child in a school. When truly embraced, this belief fosters a culture of deep respect, equity, and belonging, ensuring that every student feels valued and seen.‍

Research shows that teacher effectiveness has the greatest impact of any variable on student outcomes. Given this clear correlation, why is it that so many devote significant time and allocate outsized resources to utilizing new curricula, implementing specialized programming and purchasing cutting-edge technology while neglecting to properly nurture the growth and development of our teachers?

Finding great teachers today seems harder than ever. According to a recent survey, 75% of first year teachers report that they were insufficiently prepared to meet the needs of students. At the same time, recruitment and retention challenges are leading to severe teacher shortages in schools across the country. We believe the solution for recruiting, developing, and retaining strong teachers begins inside the classroom.

What makes teachers feel that they belong at a school? Explore the different aspects of community that teachers participate in within a school. Based on Shira Hammerman's chapter "Designing Schools Around Five Dimensions of Community" in the volume , this conversation features school leaders sharing practices, stories and reflections on ways that they support teacher culture and belonging in their schools.

Together We Thrive: Strengthening Foundations for Diverse Learners in Jewish Day Schools was hosted by The Shefa Center at The Shefa School, in partnership with Prizmah, REACH-Chicago, Gateways, and Hidden Sparks. The conference brought together educators, school leaders, and organizations to share and learn best practices for supporting students with diverse learning needs.