Training Jewish Educators at Makom’s Lab School
Residents will work and be immersed in Jewish Placemaking at Makom Community’s Lab School in Philadelphia for two years through teaching and anchoring a classroom. At the end of that time, they will be certified Jewish Placemaking Educators (JPE) and encouraged to go lead their own educational community. Part of this opportunity ensures they are prepared to serve as teachers and coaches of Jewish Placemaking to increase the impact of Jewish Placemaking across North America.
Benefits of being a Jewish Placemaking Educator (JPE):
When a residency cohort graduates they will be certified Jewish Placemaking Educators (JPEs) as they take the next steps in their career as a Jewish educator. As an accredited JPE they will receive:
- Curriculum resources we use at Makom Community (this has never been offered before) to use at their new place of employment
- Support in conducting research inline with our research goals each year
- A conduit back to Makom to share back data for our field research from their home communities
- Helps us learn about how Jewish Placemaking implementation goes in other places
JPEs as Facilitators Commitment:
JPEs who completed the JP Residency have a five year commitment to help Makom facilitate Jewish Placemaking professional developments across the country. This includes:
- Facilitating 25 hours a year of Jewish Placemaking Professional Development & Coaching
- Receiving a $5,000 stipend each year of facilitation
- Accessing professional development plans and slide decks and resources from Makom Community
- Leading as an educator in your local community
What do the two years of Residency look like?
In the same way that an education for children and families at Makom Community is both deep and rigorous, so too will an education for a freshly minted Jewish Placemaking educator be. This will include key principles of Jewish Placemaking and be a living laboratory for what it means for us to teach Jewish Placemaking.
In year 1 they will:
- Lead a classroom at Makom Community
- Participate in the text study, lesson planning, and reflection and iteration/research process.
- Have mentorship with Beverly Socher- Lerner, Makom’s Executive Director & Founder
- Perform small administrative tasks to support aspects of running a school and giving them realistic perspective on what it means to run a school
In year 2 they will:
- Continue to lead a classroom at Makom Community
- Participate in the text study, lesson planning, and reflection and iteration/research process
- Learn facilitation and coaching skills
- Facilitate seminars & coaching groups for fellow educators around the nation
- Support onboarding new Residents and educators to Makom Community
- Mentorship from Beverly Socher-Lerner and Terri Soifer, Makom’s Director of Strategy
Cohort 1 of our Jewish Placemaking Residents:
We are thrilled to share with all of you a true milestone & Shehechiyanu moment for Makom Community – introducing you to the first cohort of our Jewish Placemaking Residents.
Eden Klinger (she/her) is many things: an educator, avid traveler and a lover of hobbies who grew up right outside of Philly. She graduated from Rutgers University and has worked as an Educator in a Jewish day school for the past six years. Eden is extremely eager about joining Makon Community in the capacity of Jewish Placemaking Resident. She is looking forward to learning and growing within Makom Community. Eden is most thrilled about being one of the first Jewish Placemaking Residents and learning how to combine social emotional growth within community. She is eager to bring her love and knowledge from working at sleepaway camp and staffing Birthright Trips to the unique passion and love of Jewish learning.
Miriam Roochvarg (she/her) is a connector who loves facilitating meaningful relationship-building and learning opportunities for people of all ages. She’s been a counselor at a Jewish day camp, taught in the public school system and worked for the Jewish Federation and synagogue in Memphis, TN, and was the Education and Programming Director at a synagogue in Arlington, VA. Miriam loves growing not only as an educator, but as a student. She received her undergraduate degree in Communications from NC State University, has taken classes through Pardes and Hadar’s Project Zug program, and is currently working on her Masters in Jewish Education at Gratz College. As someone who’s been following Makom’s journey for nearly 5 years, Miriam is very excited about the opportunity to fully immerse herself in Makom’s pedagogy and work towards being able to empower other educators with the tools and best practices to bring Jewish Placemaking into their communities. When Miriam’s not working, you can find her exploring local coffee shops, writing spoken word, and enjoying quality time with friends.
Applications for Cohort 1 are now closed. To learn when applications for Cohort 2 open in the winter of 2026, join our mailing list here. Learn more about our impact on the field of Jewish Education here.