Jennifer Levine - Director of Education
"My Job as education director is to ignite the spark of Jewish learning and spiritual life for all of our children. Each child has a different in-road to learning. As my career has advanced I realize that the role of an educator is not so much to impart information, but awaken the child's desire to learn and participate in Jewish life."
Jennifer Levine joined Temple Sholom in August 2015 as its Director of Education. Prior to joining the Temple, she served as the Director of Education at three synagogue schools, most recently Temple Emanu-El, a Conservative Synagogue in Closter, NJ. However, her Jewish education started much earlier — in her senior year of High School she studied Jewish history at The Alexander Muss High School in Israel. She received a B.A. in Jewish Studies at The University of Massachusetts at Amherst, followed by another year in Israel studying Hebrew at Haifa University and Torah at Pardes, a Modern Orthodox Yeshiva.
Upon returning to the U.S, Jennifer spent the next decade working in Jewish education teaching in a variety of Jewish supplementary and Day Schools in Northern California, exploring the intersections of child development, Jewish spirituality and creativity. In addition to her collegiate degrees, Jennifer is a 2013 graduate of The Leadership Institute, a three-year professional development program for Jewish leaders. She also received a certification from Mindful Schools, and created and manages a non-profit organization called The Peace Garden Song and Mural Project - an artist in residence program that combines music, murals and mindfulness.
Jennifer lives in Montclair with her 14-year-old daughter. In her spare time, she enjoys museums, yoga, transcendental meditation, and painting.