Reflective practice is widely acknowledged as a critical component to meaningful learning. Curriculum designers often rely on journals and diaries as the primary reflection tools for students to express understandings and questions. Avoda's Deb Krivoy is working with Temple Israel Center in White Plains, NY, to develop a series of arts-based reflection tools that support whole-person learning. Contact us to learn more about our innovative approaches to reflection through art, photography, poetry and video.

Reflective practice is widely acknowledged as a critical component to meaningful learning. Curriculum designers often rely on journals and diaries as the primary reflection tools for students to express understandings and questions. Avoda's Deb Krivoy is working with Temple Israel Center in White Plains, NY, to develop a series of arts-based reflection tools that support whole-person learning. Contact us to learn more about our innovative approaches to reflection through art, photography, poetry and video.

For three years running, Avoda Arts continues its productive partnership with The Jewish Education Project on the “LOMED” initiative. LOMED supports New York-area congregations in creating contemporary models of Jewish learning that include families, maximize powerful learning, and build community. Avoda Arts is proud to support these innovating congregations with broad-based programs and services, including staff development, curriculum resources and arts integration consulting.

(Los Angeles, CA – Sept, 2011) – The Six Points Fellowship is pleased to announce its inaugural Los Angeles cohort. Each fellow is being provided $40,000 to develop new works engaging with Jewish themes and content over a two-year period. Six Points will also provide the artists with ongoing professional development workshops, retreats and a variety of Jewish learning opportunities. The Fellows will act as a catalyst to engage large audiences in their 20’s and 30’s, many of whom would not otherwise be exposed to Jewish arts and culture.

Interested in using the arts to explore the big ideas in Jewish life? Focused on empowering teachers to build more creative Jewish classrooms? Partner with Avoda Arts and build a year-long, arts-rich learning environment that brings authenticity, depth and meaning to the students, teachers and families in your learning setting. We offer flexible, custom-designed placements that work at many scales. Contact us to learn more.

A 2005 Harris Poll shows that 93% of Americans feel that the arts are vital to a well-rounded education for children. Yet research continues to report a decline in arts education budgets and classroom time. As Americans for the Arts notes, “this paradox indicates a schism between the value of arts education that individuals perceive and the willingness of individuals to make decisions that put the arts firmly in the school day.” Avoda Arts believes that this growing disconnect must be addressed through meaningful advocacy and strategic policy setting.

This review of literature examines current research and practice within the realm of arts education. We investigate the underpinnings of arts-based teaching, look at evidence regarding the specific educational and developmental benefits of the arts, and explore common approaches (and challenges) to implementation. Through this review of the literature, we gain a basic understanding of the state of the field of arts education, which can, in turn, inform practice and policy within mainstream Jewish education. 

Avoda Arts, in partnership with JESNA's Lippman Kanfer Institute and the Foundation for Jewish Culture, announce the development of a collaborative initiative in the arts and Jewish education.

Art is a core vehicle for creating and sustaining modern Jewish life. For learners who want to be viscerally engaged in exploring the many dimensions of the Jewish experience, for parents who want to see their children acquire tools that will serve them well throughout their lives (and do so joyfully), for teachers who want to reach every child, and for administrators who want to see their programs flourish and full of young people, for funders who want tangible results from their investments, the arts are not an option; they are a necessity.

The Six Points Fellowship for Emerging Jewish Artists recently announced its 2010 New York City cohort. Nine artists were selected, all of whom are working on an original project that explores a thoughtful connection to Jewish ideas and Jewish cultural expression. Their projects range from a rock opera about Bernie Madoff, to a graphic novel exploring the classic advice column from the Yiddish Forward newspaper, to a theatrical thriller dealing with anti-Semitic medieval beliefs about Jewish male menstruation. Spanning the genres of visual art, performing art and music, the nine artists represent an exciting mix of flourishing Jewish culture in New York City.

Click here to read more about the 2010 Six Points Fellows.