The Early Childhood Division has been in existence for approximately twenty years. During this time, the staff of the Early Childhood Division has forged strong ties with Jewish communities throughout the world, provided professional development opportunities in Israel and abroad and created the following curricular materials:
SEE ALSO:

1. ALEH: Hebrew for Pre-Schoolers and "Ani Koreh Ivrit" - for first grade
2. The Jerusalem Curriculum for Early Childhood
3. Children and Places in Israel
4. Jewish Legends for Parents and Children (available for downloading)

(Please note that some of these materials may be downloaded from the "Sharing Thoughts and Ideas" section of the website). These programs have been distributed throughout the world.
Today the Early Childhood Division provides the following services:

- Consultation to Jewish early childhood systems in the Diaspora on the design and development of programs for promoting and improving Jewish early childhood education


- Design and implementation of in-service training seminars in Israel for early childhood educators as well as training programs for professionals in Diaspora communities.
- Sponsorship of international conferences for early childhood educators from Israel and the Diaspora
- Development and translation of curricular materials
- In-service training for Israeli early childhood educators on the topics of Jewish Identity and Peoplehood.
- Selection and training of Early Childhood shlichim to Diaspora communities.

Many of our activities are a product of collaborations with outside organizations who are also involved in early childhood education:
- The Preschool Division of the the Ministry of Education of the State of Israel
- The Jewish Community Centers Association of North America
- Joint Distribution Committee - Israel
- The Hebrew University
- Bar Ilan University
- Teacher Training Colleges throughout Israel

Currently, the Early Childhood Division is working with early childhood educators in:
The United States, Canada, Mexico, The United Kingdom, South Africa, Scandinavia and South America



TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS
AND SERVICES PLEASE CONTACT:

Shira Ackerman Simchovitch
Director, Early Childhood Division
Tel:  972 2 621 6397
Fax: 972 2 621 6230
Email: shiras@jazo.org.il
Background | The Principles Guiding Our Work