Most had some college level training in either education or Jewish studies, but not both. While some of the people surveyed had planned to have careers in Jewish education, the majority fell into the field. Someone asked them to take a position or suggested that they apply for a position. Results suggest that many qualified teachers and administrators may not be seeking positions in the Jewish community. Most teachers and administrators consider themselves to have a career in Jewish education whether they work full or part time in the field.
People do move around from setting to setting.
Teachers and administrators surveyed reported relatively long terms of service in Jewish education, as presented in the table below. Many teachers and administrators report that their exposure to the field began in high school or college as teacher aides, camp counselors, Hebrew tutors, or religious school teachers. Typically, one does not think of a high school or college student as having a career. It is an important transition when those early opportunities get transformed into a firm sense of having found a career path. Jewish education as a profession has not developed recruitment approaches and strategies to address this opportunity.