Rain Zohav
725 Beall Ave.
Rockville MD 20850
(301) 294-8849
rainzohav@earthlink.net
Jewish Education Experience:
2012 -
Acting Director of Education, Shirat HaNefesh, stepped in at last moment while current
director is abroad. Implemented a new pre-school program and teen leadership program.
Curriculum and lesson planning for school age children Supervises an innovative Family
service. Co-ordinates teen activities.
2011 -
Principal, Kehila Chadasha, Bethesda, MD. Interviews and hires teachers, revamped the
curriculum outline, supervises teachers, rewriting the curriculum, designed school holiday
programs for Chanukah and Shavuot, using leaning centers and multi-cultural activities.
Instituted student led services.
2000-2010
Education Director, Congregation Beth Chai, Bethesda, MD. First professional director of
this Humanist Sunday School. School grew from 33 to 120 students. Hired, trained,
supported and supervised staff. Systematically rewrote curriculum, including Mitzvah year
curriculum focused on Tikkun Olam and being a member of the Jewish people; an innovative
Jews around the World curriculum for the 4th grade; introduced Family Education days,
natural language acquisition methods in Hebrew instruction, madrichim program. Initiated a
pre-school program. Introduced interactive Adult Ed sessions involving text study. Wrote
and implemented grants for family education, adult education, Hebrew instruction and teen
group.
1997-2010
Board of Jewish Education, Washington DC area. Attended monthly Principal’s Council.
Helped develop regional curriculum on Israel. Led Professional Day sessions for teachers on
wide range of topics each year, most recently on: Heschel’s Challenge to Jewish Educators, and
Using Understanding by Design in Teaching T’filah. Led sessions in Lay Educators’ Institute on
lesson planning, teaching styles, learning styles, for congregational members interested in
teaching.
1997-2000
Religious School Principal, Temple Solel, Bowie, MD. Revamped upper school (8th-10th)
program to include hands-on electives including Jewish meditation, and wrote a core
curriculum based on Jewish values. Led monthly Havurah style services for 4th-7th grades.
Strengthened Hebrew program. Introduced new field trips and experiential education.
Wrote and implemented grant to institute a teacher training program. Expanded family
education programs.
1995-1996
Washington Hebrew Congregation, Washington D.C. 7th grade Judaic Studies and Hebrew
Teacher. Jewish History curriculum; emphasis on Jewish women. Historic sources and
perspectives of tzedakah.
1987-1990
Director of Religious Education, Congregation Beth Israel, Charlottesville, VA.
Rewrote curriculum for all grades in Judaic Studies with teacher consultation. Trained high
school students as aides, some of whom went on to become teachers. Three former teachers
went on to direct religious schools.
1985-87; 90-92 Congregation Beth Israel, Charlottesville, Va. Taught both Judaic studies and
Hebrew in grades preschool through 6th. Designed own curriculum.
Education and Professional Development:
2007-present
Aleph: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, Philadelphia, PA. In 6th year of the Rabbinic Program.
Courses include, Texts for Healing, Origins of the Jewish Calendar, Eco-Judaism, Modern
Jewish history, Rabbinic Civilization, Medieval Civilization, Life cycle liturgy, Life cycle
practicum, Job, Biblical history and civilization, Haskalah, teachings of the Ba’al Shem Tov,
Theodicy, guided reading course in Buber and Heschel, Halachah and disabilities;
weekday,Talmud, High Holy Day, and comparative liturgy. Sefer Barrier, Codes.
2010 – present Gratz College , Masters in Jewish Studies,. Course include: Rabbinic commentary on Exodus,
Shabbat liturgy, Pirkei Avot, Literature of the Holocaust. All course work completed. Writing
Thesis on The Book of Job from an Activist Perspective.
2004-2007
Florence Melton Adult Mini School, Rockville, MD. [Affiliated with Hebrew University,
Jerusalem] Completed two year program with courses in Jewish holidays, Jewish history,
ethics, and philosophy; followed by two Melton Scholar courses in Bereshit and Israeli
literature.
2005-2006
George Washington University. Took graduate level course in mentoring and supervision.
2004
Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, OH. Attended four day intensive
course on curriculum design based on Understanding By Design methodology.
2003-2010
National Havurah Committee, Rindge, New Hampshire.
Took courses in “Crafting Jewish Identity in America” .Israeli literature, poetry translation,
African-American midrash. Ran afternoon preschool program in 2005.
1992-1998
Mary Baldwin College, B.A. in Philosophy and Religion. Summa Cum Laude,
With distinction 4.0 GPA. Recipient of Outstanding Adult Degree Student Award. Member,.
Coursework included Hebrew Scriptures, Philosophic Foundations of Education, Ethics, and
Honors Existentialism. Thesis on Jewish feminist literature.
1988; 1997
Coalition for Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE). Attended Annual Conference.
Sessions included Dealing with Difficult Students; Multicultural Jewish communities.
Social Action / Tikkun Olam Experience:
2008-2009
Shalom Center, Philadelphia PA. Co-coordinator for the 40th anniversary
Interfaith Freedom Seder for the Earth, held on March 29th, 2009 at historic
Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington DC, and led by Rabbi Arthur Waskow
and Phyllis Berman. Secured location, assembled a wide coalition of
co-sponsoring organizations, recruited speakers and musicians, planned and
implemented a concurrent children’s program, organized volunteers,
arranged program flow and timing.
2004-07
Black-Jewish Dialogue Group, Bethesda, MD. Follow-up from an adult ed session on MLK
Day that I led at Beth Chai. Created haggadah and led a Seder for this group.
1999-2004
Common Denominator, Bethesda, MD. Jewish women’s dialogue group across
denominations. Participant; co-leader of a group with an observant Jewish woman.