We are excited to open and watch the magic unfold in our Early Childhood Judaic Atelier! Recently, I stepped into a piloted role as a Judaic Atelierista for our 3-5 year olds and shaped the focus of the Jewish Studies educator role by creating a learning space that blends Jewish education through an artistic and playful approach. I continue to explore my role as a Judaic Atelierista and how it brings a constructivist approach to teaching Jewish studies within art and play, deepening a connection to students' Jewish Identity through the multiple languages of young learners.

Throughout my teaching experience, I have seen the power of art as a vehicle for communication and self expression and how it can elevate ways of learning, especially with our youngest learners. The Judaic Atelier is a room where our early childhood students come to explore, create, and investigate Jewish values, themes, rituals, holidays, Hebrew and so much more! This unique work space invites our students to immerse themselves deeper into their learning and understanding of the common Jewish values, while also offering various hands-on learning experiences that focus on Jewish themes. Some of our students first visits into the space were preparing for Shabbat by “baking” challah with clay, setting the table for a Shabbat meal, transforming themselves into the vibrant neirot/candles in the light studio and practicing the pour of grape juice into a kiddush cup through purple water play. They also explored how to embrace the separation from Shabbat and the new week, by creating new and colorful havdalah candles with wax materials, mixed and sifted besamim spices and tinkered with colors and light to bring in the special presence of the Havdalah candle. This magical space becomes filled with investigative movement and love for being joyfully Jewish!