Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education

"Would I open that?” Carine Warsawski, often asks herself when she and her team are creating email blasts and other marketing materials for Trybal Gatherings, a national nonprofit that reimagines Jewish gatherings for adults in their 20s and 30s. Carine, the founder and CEO of Trybal, delves into the social media strategies that have helped Trybal rise above “the noise” to truly engage with Jewish adults in a hyper-busy world. Grab your color war gear, fill up your water bottle, and get ready to head to camp! This episode was produced by Dina Nusnbaum and Gabriel Weinstein.  The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben. This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media.  If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released.To learn more about The Jewish Education Project visit jewishedproject.org where you can find links to our Jewish Educator Portal and learn more about our mission, history, and staff. We are a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York. Send us Fan Mail

What has changed and what needs to stay the same in Jewish teen engagement? Michelle Shapiro Abraham, an award-winning Jewish educator with the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), spends her days pondering these questions. Michelle reflects on how her educational and professional journey - starting as a full-scholarship camper at Camp Swig in the 1980s - has impacted the way she strives to empower Jewish teens participating in camp, Israel, and immersive educational programs.Send us Fan Mail

What should Jewish educators be teaching students and families about Ukraine and its complex Jewish past during this time of war? Leonard Petlakh, Executive Director of the Kings Bay Y and JCC Brooklyn, speaks with David Bryfman about how educators can navigate the complex contours of this conflict. Hear about Leonard’s trip to Kyiv in October 2021 and his vision for a time when we can start proactively educating about Jewish life in Ukraine and the former Soviet Union and the vibrancy of Russian Jewish culture.  Check out pictures from Leonard's trip at bit.ly/adaptingukrainewarjewisheducationThis episode was produced by Dina Nusnbaum and Gabriel Weinstein.  The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben. This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media.  If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released.To learn more about The Jewish Education Project visit jewishedproject.org where you can find links to our Jewish Educator Portal and learn more about our mission, history, and staff. We are a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York.  Send us Fan Mail

What is the magic of 21st century Jewish day schools? Rabbi Joshua Lookstein, Head of School at Westchester Day School, speaks with David Bryfman about the unique opportunities Jewish day schools provide. Rabbi Lookstein, who hails from a rabbinic dynasty, offers reflections on his family’s legacy and what he learned at his parents’ Shabbat table. Hear how #opernationshabbatshalom has brought a new sense of community and connection to his Shabbat preparations.Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education is a production of The Jewish Education Project. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released. This episode was produced by Dina Nusnbaum and Gabriel Weinstein.  The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben. This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media.  If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released.To learn more about The Jewish Education Project visit jewishedproject.org where you can find links to our Jewish Educator Portal and learn more about our mission, history, and staff. We are a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York. Send us Fan Mail

Amidst rising anti-Semitism, Holocaust education recently made nationwide headlines after a school board in Tennessee voted to remove the Pulitzer Prize winning graphic novel Maus from its curriculum. In this episode, Professor Ben Jacobs of George Washington University breaks down why this change sparked such controversy. Together, he and David Bryfman explore the state of Holocaust education in secular and Jewish schools, historically and today, and why the medium of a graphic novel is so conducive to transmitting the horrors of the Shoah to a new, digitally minded generation. Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education is a production of The Jewish Education Project. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released. This episode was produced by Dina Nusnbaum and Gabriel Weinstein.  The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben. This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media.  If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released.To learn more about The Jewish Education Project visit jewishedproject.org where you can find links to our Jewish Educator Portal and learn more about our mission, history, and staff. We are a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York. Send us Fan Mail

The impact of Jewish Day Camps in North America is significant. Rabbi Ami Hersh - the director of Ramah Nyack- knows this well as someone who has spent more than half his life working in the field. Rabbi Hersh and David Bryfman explore some of the magic of Jewish day camps, expose a few secrets behind these experiences, and challenge us all to think about how such a successful model of Jewish education can be spread to other settings and experienced all year-round. Additional Resources:Vision at the Heart: Lessons from Camp Ramah On The Power of Ideas In Shaping Educational Institutions - Seymour Fox with William NovakAdapting: The Future of Jewish Education is a production of The Jewish Education Project. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released. This episode was produced by Dina Nusnbaum and Gabriel Weinstein.  The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben. This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media.  If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released.To learn more about The Jewish Education Project visit jewishedproject.org where you can find links to our Jewish Educator Portal and learn more about our mission, history, and staff. We are a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York. Send us Fan Mail

For decades Dr. Barry Chazan has sought to answer a humble question, what is it about informal Jewish education, like camp and travel, that is so powerful? David Bryfman reflects with Dr. Chazan, founding international director of education at Taglit-Birthright Israel, about his quest to understand informal Jewish education, and his new book, Principles and Pedagogies in Jewish Education. The book summarizes insights and unanswered questions from Dr. Chazan’s career. He reads aloud his charge for 21st century educators, a reminder of the impact educators can have on students, like the one Dr. Chazan had on his student, David Bryfman. Additional Resources:Principles and Pedagogies in Jewish Education Free KindleThe Philosophy of Informal Jewish Education by Dr. Barry Chazan — 2003The Subject Of Israel Education Is Not IsraelA response to Barry Chazan: the philosophy of informal Jewish education by Dr. Joe ReimerAdapting: The Future of Jewish Education is a production of The Jewish Education Project. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released. This episode was produced by Dina Nusnbaum and Gabriel Weinstein.  The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben. This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media.  If you enjoyed the show please leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released.To learn more about The Jewish Education Project visit  jewishedproject.org where you can find links to our Jewish Educator Portal and learn more about our mission, history, and staff. We are a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York.   Send us Fan Mail

When Rachel Weinstein White’s children were young, she and her “Jewish adjacent” husband committed to raising a Jewish family, but couldn’t find a Jewish community with other families of color. So Rachel left behind her successful business career to build Fig Tree, an independent Jewish education program that aims to provide a rich and accessible Jewish education to kids from interfaith, interracial and/ or secular backgrounds. In this episode she speaks with David Bryfman about the importance of meeting families where they are, and her belief that while families may come for “just Jewish education,” they stay for Jewish community.Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education is a production of The Jewish Education Project. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released. This episode was produced by Dina Nusnbaum and Gabriel Weinstein.  The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben. This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media.  If you enjoyed the show please leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released. To learn more about The Jewish Education Project visit jewishedproject.org where you can find links to our Jewish Educator Portal and learn more about our mission, history, and staff. We are a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York.  Send us Fan Mail

The Jewish community experienced another traumatic event this weekend as we watched in horror the incident at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas.  Dr. Rachel Fish helps us process this event and gives us strategies for standing up to Antisemitism.  Dr. Fish helps us understand why a terrorist thought a rabbi in Texas had the power to free a political prisoner. Dr. Fish emphasizes the importance of educating people she calls "Don't Know's, Don't Care's" about the impact of these incidents. She explains how Jewish educators can prepare their communities to remain proud and strong in the face of Antisemitism. This episode was produced by Dina Nusnbaum and Gabriel Weinstein.  The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben. This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media.  If you enjoyed the show please leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released.Looking for more support in response to Colleyville? We hosted a webinar with Dr. Betsy Stone of HUC-JIR and Rabbi Elizabeth Zeller of Temple Chaverim in Plainview, N.Y. discussing how educators can cope with the trauma of last Shabbat's events. Watch the webinar here and access other resources about responding to antisemitism here.  Send us Fan Mail

Success creates a model for others to follow, and in recent decades Chabad has arguably been one of the most successful organizations at connecting with Jewish communities around the world. So what lessons, if any, can Jewish educators take from Chabad’s success? Rabbi Efraim Mintz, Executive Director of Chabad’s Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, speaks with David Bryfman about the Hasidic philosophy that drives the Chabad movement, as taught by the Rebbe — Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. They discuss Chabad’s innovative adoption of technology, Chabad’s work in mental health spaces, and what it means to live a life in service of Am Yisrael.This episode was produced by Dina Nusnbaum and Gabriel Weinstein.  The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben. This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media.  If you enjoyed the show please leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released.To learn more about The Jewish Education Project visit jewishedproject.org where you can find links to our Jewish Educator Portal and learn more about our mission, history, and staff. We are a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York.  Additional Resources:The Rohr Jewish Learning InstituteChabad.orgTorahCafe.comChabad Mental Health ResourcesSend us Fan Mail