The People Who Shape Jewish Beginnings
August 14, 2026
Every Friday morning, somewhere in Jewish Atlanta, a preschool teacher helps a room full of toddlers cover their eyes for the Shema. Another welcomes a nervous family on their very first day. Another comforts a child who misses home while quietly building confidence, curiosity, and Jewish identity.
These moments may seem small. But they are where countless Jewish journeys begin.
Across the country, however, the educators who create those moments are reaching a breaking point. A recent eJewishPhilanthropy article highlighted a growing national crisis: burnout is driving early childhood educators out of the profession, leaving schools struggling to hire and retain teachers at the very moment young families are looking for meaningful Jewish connection. Nearly half of early childhood educators report high levels of stress and burnout, threatening one of the strongest gateways into lifelong Jewish engagement.
Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta decided not to wait for the crisis to deepen.
Two years ago, Federation invested $250,000 to bring the national ElevatEd initiative to Greater Atlanta, helping strengthen and stabilize the Jewish early childhood workforce. Today, that investment has generated more than $430,000 in training, recruitment support, credentialing, leadership development, and professional resources for teachers and directors across approximately 20 Jewish preschools.
“Jewish preschools are experiencing the same hiring crisis as secular early childhood programs across the country,” says Angelena May, Federation’s Early Childhood Jewish Education Manager. “Sometimes schools have room for more children, but they simply don’t have enough teachers to open another classroom.”
The challenge extends beyond recruiting educators.
Many preschool directors begin as exceptional teachers before suddenly finding themselves responsible for budgets, hiring, marketing, fundraising, and staff leadership, often without formal training. Through ElevatEd, directors receive practical coaching while teachers gain mentorship, credentialing opportunities, and ongoing professional development to help them grow with confidence.
“Many of our directors have described the training as transformational for their careers,” said Angelena May, Federation’s Early Childhood Jewish Education Manager.
That growth is already making a meaningful difference in schools across greater Atlanta.
“ElevatEd has helped me become a stronger leader for both my staff and the school community,” said Jayma Maman, Director of Early Childhood Learning & Engagement at Temple Sinai.
Federation’s investment also demonstrates something uniquely powerful about our community.
Rather than supporting a single school, Federation brought every Jewish preschool together. Synagogue preschools, JCC programs, Chabad schools, and independent schools all have access to the same resources, strengthening Jewish early childhood education across Greater Atlanta.
“Federation is uniquely situated to support a whole community,” Angelena says. “Our one investment is benefiting 20 schools.”
And the impact reaches far beyond the classroom.
For many families, preschool is their first real connection to Jewish life. It is where children celebrate their first Shabbat, learn their first blessings, make their first Jewish friends, and where parents begin building their own community.
“Early childhood is an entry point into Jewish life,” Angelena says. “When families choose Jewish early childhood education, they’re more likely to continue on a trajectory of Jewish engagement.”
When Federation invests in educators, we’re strengthening the classrooms where Jewish journeys begin.