The Shalom Curriculum Project, housed in the Wisconsin Center for Education Research within the UW–Madison School of Education, is featured in a recent Columbus Jewish News article highlighting its efforts to expand understanding of Jews of Color.
The Shalom Curriculum Project (SCP) provides learning tools for Jewish early childhood educators aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of the diversity of the Jewish people. It is also engaged in a research pilot focused on reducing antisemitism in high school and a community of practice for Black educators in Jewish day schools.
According to the article, a typical SCP lesson plan begins by explaining what diversity means within the Jewish community. It then introduces Jewish values through stories and classroom experiences, such as baking challah for Shabbos and other traditions.
The program’s educational tools are currently used in six cities and by hundreds of participants, and it has plans to expand through partnerships with Jewish community centers and other organizations.
Michal Avera Samuel, a Columbus-based researcher and doctoral candidate from American Jewish University, coordinates research for SCP. “There was a lack of understanding of how diverse Jewish people are,” she said. “It’s important to teach kids at an early age, to give them that foundational knowledge.”
Read the full article in Columbus Jewish News.