The Jewish Resource Specialist Program (JRS) is a flagship professional development initiative of the Early Childhood Education Initiative (ECEI) of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties. JRS was designed to deepen the overall Jewish experience in early childhood Jewish educational institutions and support parents in making Jewish choices for their families.

This report presents evaluation findings from the initial implementation of JRS in the 2011–2012 school year, including key achievements and challenges. This evaluation assesses the JRS program overall as a model, focusing on the role JRS played in increasing family engagement in Jewish life at the preschool and in the community, and deepening Jewish learning within the JRS school environment. Finally, this evaluation offers recommendations for early-course adjustments as the program moves forward and poses questions regarding the essence of the JRS model, structurally and programmatically.