Watch JconnecT Session on the Ingathering of Exiles

View recorded JconnecT sessions with Yecholya, our Chinese guest speaker (second from left, pink sweater), who made aliyah 5 years ago from Kaifeng, China.  View it here!  Password is Jconnect. Click the icon of the video camera in the corner of the screen to see Mrs. Goldstein, and hear Jconnecters Yoni Brande, Jordan Rich (Birmingham, AL) and Ariel Schwarzer (NJ).  (PLEASE NOTE: In an actual JconnecT session all participants can see live video of each other.  In the recording, however, only the video of the presenter is visible.)

In the beginning of the lesson, Mrs. Goldstein introduces natural vs. miraculous redemption of Kibbutz Galuyot, the gathering of the exiles, to Israel.  The interview with Yecholya begins at 27:12. Too Funny: Yoni's sister, Sara, came to the camera to practice her Chinese online with Yecholya, as she studies it in school. Yecholya gave her a thumbs up!

Virtually  'meet' Michael Freund, Chairman of the Shavei Israel Organization, who assists Jews from far flung regions of the world to rediscover their Jewish roots and often make the move to Israel. Their stories are moving and inspiring. As Freund states, "instead of us strengthening them, it is they who strengthen us."

Have a look at the Chinese and Indian communities in Israel. 

Inaugural Shabbaton a BIG Success!

Although we would have liked to have had more of the 18 current Jconnecters join us for last week's inaguaral JconnecT shabbaton in Memphis, those who came had a blast.  From the filming of our Jconnect promo video on Friday afternoon to the lively zemirot with our the Memphis Middle and High School students on Friday night, and from Mrs. Goldstein's special class for teens on shabbat afternoon to the overtime Grizzlies-Celtics game on Saturday night, a great time was had by all.

We plan on getting everyone together for another memorable weekend in the Spring.  If it's anything like this past shabbat, it's not something you'll want to miss!  Details will be forthcoming in the coming weeks.

 

Shabbaton Schedule

The schedule for our upcoming shabbaton is set!  Click here to get all the details.  Make sure you notice the Saturday night activity: Grizzlies vs. Celtics at the FedEx Forum!

Shabbaton Sign Up

Join your fellow Jconnecters from across the country for a fun-filled weekend in Memphis November 12-14. The program begins at 2:00pm on Friday at the Margolin Hebrew Academy.

All costs (other than transportation to and from Memphis) will be covered. All you need to do is sign up below!

JconnecT is Live!

JconnecT had its official launch on Sunday with students from Kansas City and Birmingham joining teachers from Israel in stimulating sessions about Judaism, Jewish texts, and the Jewish world.  Additional students from Nashville and New Jersey will be joining this coming week as the program shifts into high gear.

If you know someone interested in joining, it's not too late!  Just encourage them to fill out the form below and we'll take care of the rest.

Gemar Chatimah Tova!

Shabbaton Update

In order to accommodate the wave of new students just now joining our program we've decided to delay the first JconnecT shabbaton.  Instead of Labor Day weekend, we are now looking at a shabbat in November.  Please stay tuned as we hope to finalize the date shortly.

New Program Options

Due to a flurry of interest in our program from various parts of the country, we have slightly altered our course offerings to meet a diverse set of student needs. The program options now are as follows: (Please note the start date for each course)

Day of program	Time CDT	Subject	Grades	Starting date	Cost
Sunday Morning	10:00-10:50	Talmudic Lessons for Today, Introductory Level	7-9	Sept. 19, 2010	$800
Sunday Morning	11:30-12:20	Talmudic Lessons for Today, Intermediate Level	7-9	Sept. 19, 2010	$800
Sunday Morning	10:00-10:50	Parshat Hashavua	8-10	Sept. 12, 2010	$800
Sunday Morning	11:00-11:50	Contemporary Jewish Issues	8-10	Sept. 12, 2010	$800

Pre-recorded Sessions	Subject	Post Date	Grades	Starting Date	Cost
At your convenience	Sefer Bamidbar	Every Monday	7-9	October 4, 2010	$500
At your convenience	Mishnah	Every Monday	7-9	October 4, 2010	$500

If you have not yet done so, please register using the form below and submit your payment via the secure PayPal link located on the right hand margin.

Review of Our Programs

Now that registration has begun, we wanted to review the two programs we will be offering in this inaugural year of JconnecT:

SUNDAY MORNING LIVE: This program will take place every Sunday morning from 10am-12pm CST and will consist of two sessions. One on relevant themes from the weekly Torah portion and the second on Contemporary Issues facing Israel and the Jewish community. For the Sunday Morning Live program each JconnecTer will be placed in a small "class" of no more than 9 students together with their own dedicated teacher from Israel. All of the students and the teacher will interact in real time via webcam.

WEEKDAY EXTENDED PROGRAM: This program will allow those students who want a slightly more intensive Jewish educational experience to do so with the help of an expert educator but at whatever time fits with their undoubtedly hectic weekly schedule. Twice a week, "classes" consisting of short pre-recorded videos from our teachers in Israel, mixed with self-study assignments, will be posted to a special wikispace designed for that course. Through the wikispace, students will be able to view and comment on classmate's work and once a week, the teacher will have designated "office hours" at which time he or she will be available for live questions or clarification of that week's material.

To register, fill out the online application below!

Save the Date!

We're planning to kick off the first year of JconnecT with a Shabbaton in Memphis over Labor Day Weekend. The shabbaton will give our JconnecTers from all over the country a chance to meeteach other in person, before becoming virtual classmates for the year. So, save the date!

First Students Register!

We're excited to announce that our first JconnecTers have begun registering! If you'd like to join them, just fill out the online application below. Tuition can be paid through the Paypal link on the side or through checks made payable to the Margolin Hebrew Academy.

Looking forward to seeing your name on the list of our first ever class of JconnecT!

Open House Videos

If you'd like to see JconnecT in action and weren't able to attend one of our Open Houses - fear not! One of the many virtues of web-based education is that with a click of a mouse every session can be recorded. Below you'll find links to each of the model lessons given at the Open Houses. Enjoy!

Nashville, June 3, 2010:Parshat Shlach, Things Aren't Always What They Seem

New Orleans, May 3, 2010: Parshat Behar: Who is 'Needy' and How Can We Help?

Birmingham, April 26, 2010: Parshat Kedoshim: Who and What is Holy? Not Only Rabbis...!

Extended Program

Course descriptions for our extended program are now available by clicking here. We will be offering two extended courses each semester (either Tanach, Hebrew Language and / or Jewish Law), which will consist of preparatory work, a pre-recorded video from one of our JconnecT teachers, and a follow up assignment. Students may do the work at any time over the course of the week that works well for their schedule. See the link for more details.

Help Us Launch

JconnecT is currently targeting two groups for the Sunday morning program to begin in Sept, 2010, starting with a kick-off Shabbaton in Memphis. Group 1: Grades 6-7. Group 2: Grades 8-10.

We need funding to get this off the ground and are seeking Federation as well as private donations. To contribute click here or on the "Donate" button on the right.

More Info on Extended Program Coming Soon

The Open House in New Orleans was another success, with several families expressing real interest in participating. Perhaps most exciting is that there seems to be growing interest in our extended program which would provide more intensive learning opportunities for students during the week, beyond the 2 Sunday morning sessions, which each student would do at a time of day that worked with his or her unique schedule.

Details on the number of classes that will be offered in this program, the content and format, as well as the pricing structure will be posted shortly.

New Orleans Open House

Plans for our New Orleans Open House are set. We'll be at the Metarie JCC at 8:30 this coming Monday evening, May 3rd. In addition to talking about the program and answering questions, we'll be demonstrating the technology through an interactive session with Mrs. Goldstein in Israel and students in Memphis. See you there!

Birmingham Open House Launches Program

Jconnect officially launched yesterday with our first Open House. Hosted by the Krell family in Birmingham, 9 Middle School students and their parents came out to learn about our program and watch a demonstration of the technology in action.

From the Krell kitchen in Birmingham, these 9 students "sat in class" with two students in Memphis, a teacher in Jerusalem, and a special guest presenter in Tel Aviv. Through the online video conferencing platform, and using nothing more sophisticated than a standard webcam, everyone could see each other, interact with each other, and learn from one another.

The excitement at the end of the presentation was palpable.

Next stop New Orleans, next Monday night...