Shows
Adapting: The Future of Jewish EducationReclaiming Our Story with Sarah HurwitzHow can educators help Jews reclaim their identity from shame, assimilation, and antisemitism, and instead embrace the richness of Jewish tradition in all its complexity? In the Season 6 premiere ofAdapting: The Future of Jewish Education, David Bryfman speaks with Sarah Hurwitz, former White House speechwriter and author of Here All Along and the forthcoming As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us. From her first adult Shabbat dinner to the ways internalized stereotypes still shape Jewish life, Hurwitz shares deeply personal insights that invite educators and parents to consider h...
2025-09-1140 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationThe State of Jewish Education: A Conversation with David (and David)For the Season 5 finale of Adapting, David sits down with a very special guest— himself! Before leaving for his sabbatical, David answers some of the most common questions he gets asked about Jewish education. From the need for a cohesive vision of Jewish education, to why we need more Jewish educators, to the importance of maintaining optimism, listen to hear the vision for the future of Jewish education. This episode was produced by Dina Nusnbaum and Miranda Lapides. The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben. This episode was engineered and ed...
2025-06-1029 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationThe Festival of Lights When We Need It MostIn the final 2024 episode of Adapting, David Bryfman hosts Jonathan Shmidt Chapman—award-winning artist, writer, and Jewish educator—for a lively conversation about bringing Jewish education to life through drama and creativity. Focusing on Chanukah, Chapman emphasizes using multi-sensory experiences, like smell and taste, to make Jewish traditions more immersive and meaningful for children and families. This episode explores how multi-sensory experiences like storytelling and imaginative play can make traditions more meaningful. At a time when we need it most, Chapman shares fresh ideas to illuminate Jewish education this holiday season and beyond. This episode was produced by Di...
2024-12-1931 min
The Knowledge Matters PodcastBuilding Stamina for Deep Reading | Know Better, Do BetterSeason 2 Episode 6 | Explorers boldly venture into unfamiliar worlds, where confidence, curiosity, knowledge, and persistence are rewarded. When students approach texts like explorers, they bring these same qualities to the task—a mindset cognitive scientists call the “standard of coherence.” Such reading is purposeful, engaging, and expands the reader’s horizons. Reading anywhere, anytime is not just doable. It’s joyful.In this episode, hosts David and Meredith Liben discuss the key ingredients that power persistent reading and support students to apply the “standard of coherence” mindset when they read, including how the standard of coherence and related pr...
2024-11-1925 min
The Knowledge Matters PodcastHow Rich Texts Fuel Stronger Comprehension | Know Better, Do BetterSeason 2 Episode 5 | Have you ever read something and then realized you didn’t totally understand it? That’s the hallmark of a challenging text, and it’s something students encounter all the time.In this episode, David and Meredith Liben discuss three ways to connect students with sophisticated texts, even if they can’t yet read or comprehend them on their own: juicy sentences, explain your answer, and structured journaling.First, linguist and language scholar Lily Wong Fillmore shares the origin story of her “juicy sentences” strategy, where teachers divide content-rich sentences into “chunks” and hel...
2024-11-1227 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationJudaism's Role in Democracy: An Election Season ConversationFor centuries Jews have contributed to American democracy, while American democracy has simultaneously contributed significantly to the success of American Jewry.In a lead-up to the election, David Bryfman has a timely conversation with Aaron Dorfman, founder and executive director of A More Perfect Union: The Jewish Partnership for Democracy. Their profound discussion highlights the importance of Jewish responsibility in the context of democracy, and how Judaism is always aspirational, just like America.Jewish educators will come away from this episode inspired to instill in their students a sense of civic responsibility and a commitment...
2024-10-3027 min
The Knowledge Matters PodcastMaking Reading a Social Experience | Know Better, Do BetterSeason 2 Episode 4 | How do actual teachers and students “center the text” in reading classrooms? In this episode, David and Meredith Liben get specific with teachers and experts about how read alouds and close reading can connect students of all ages and literacy levels to a text—and to one another.Two ideas animate the discussion. First, theory is not terribly helpful without practice. And second, learning to read is (and should be!) a social experience.First, the Libens explore the power of read alouds with three guests, who share real-life examples of interactive ways to...
2024-10-2925 min
The Knowledge Matters PodcastWhy Strategy-First Reading Instruction Holds Students Back | Know Better, Do BetterSeason 2 Episode 3 | When’s the last time you finished a chapter of a book and thought, “Hmmm, what was the main idea?” Competent readers don’t ask themselves this question. They’re too busy focusing on the text itself, not the component strategies that help us understand them. But that’s not how traditional curriculum and instructional practices work. Instead, they teach reading through a strategy-first approach that focuses on skills like making inferences and predictions, not the text itself.In this episode, David and Meredith Liben explore what Meredith calls “the tail wagging the dog”...
2024-10-2224 min
The Knowledge Matters PodcastVocabulary’s Central Role in Developing Strong Readers | Know Better, Do BetterSeason 2 Episode 2 | Imagine reading a story about a trial, but not knowing the meaning of “indicted” or “exonerated.” Without a lot of determination and a dictionary, you’d be lost. The knowledge and vocabulary readers bring to a text substantially determine how readily they comprehend it–a fact that’s just as relevant in ELA as it is in social studies and science class.In this episode, David and Meredith Liben walk us through the relevant research and talk with three teachers whose innovative practices intentionally build vocabulary and knowledge across subjects:Erin Hanrahan, an 8th-grade EL...
2024-10-1530 min
The Knowledge Matters PodcastA Reading Comprehension Call to Arms | Know Better, Do BetterSeason 2 Episode 1 | In today’s reading classrooms, too many kids are not alright. One of the biggest challenges is comprehension–or rather, its absence. Students don't understand what they read well enough to think deeply, connect what they are learning to the wider world, and prepare for the futures they want. On this episode, hosts David and Meredith Liben break down reading comprehension: they explain what it is and how it works in the mind of the reader, based on cognitive science. They map this understanding to the classroom experience and share specific ways to suppor...
2024-10-1528 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationPrayer and Presence: A Conversation Between RabbisIn this essential episode for Jewish educators, Rabba Yaffa Epstein, an Orthodox rabbi, and Rabbi Dena Klein, a Reform rabbi, discuss the challenges and opportunities of leading prayer in today’s world. With the High Holidays approaching, they offer practical advice for anyone guiding services, from maintaining your own spiritual energy to engaging children who may not feel connected. They share thoughtful tips on how to handle diverse needs in a prayer space, reflections on Yizkor this year, and how to find moments of divine connection and flow. The episode wraps with a heartfelt blessing for educators, off...
2024-10-1033 min
The Knowledge Matters PodcastTrailer | Introducing Season 2: Know Better, Do Better: ComprehensionSeason 2 of the Knowledge Matters Podcast is here! Teachers and reading experts David and Meredith Liben host “Know Better, Do Better: Comprehension,” a six-part podcast series based on their book of the same name.With their signature charm and straight talk, David and Meredith take on an urgent problem in American schools today—kids not understanding what they read—and how reading comprehension can be taught more effectively. Over six digestible episodes, David and Meredith explore how comprehension works in the mind of the reader, the roles...
2024-10-0803 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationNavigating New Realities: Season 5 LaunchCEO David Bryfman kicks off Season 5 of Adapting with a powerful episode that sets the tone for the season ahead, now more critical than ever especially after the news of the six hostages who were murdered by Hamas. As Bryfman reflects on the podcast’s journey since its inception in 2020, he challenges listeners to think critically and deeply about the new reality confronting Jewish educators in a post-October 7th world—one that has upended many of our long-held beliefs. With a lineup of guests who bring diverse perspectives and a willingness to engage in uncomfortable yet necessary conve...
2024-09-0509 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationWhere Did We Go Wrong?October 7th has forced Jewish educators and parents to look inward as to how they are impacting Jewish youths' relationship to Israel.Since October 7th, The Jewish Education Project, along with many partner organizations, has brought over 300 educators to Israel on Mishlachot Areyvut ("Delegations of Responsibility") to bear witness firsthand and take that experience back to their learners. In this final episode of Season 4, sitting down with David Bryfman is Michael Witman, one of the delegation participants who was deeply affected by what he saw and felt in Israel. Their candid conversation on personal reflection a...
2024-07-2538 min
The Teachers Talk Shop PodcastPower Tools for Growing Knowledge, Vocabulary, and Reading ComprehensionEducator, school leader, and literacy curriculum expert David Liben explains the effectiveness of knowledge-building as a core part of literacy learning, the research behind it, and how creating and implementing a general knowledge curriculum can get results at even the lowest-performing schools.
Season 2, Episode 4. A 360º View of Literacy: Power Tools for Growing Knowledge, Vocabulary, and Reading Comprehension
Reycraft Books Culturally Relevant Trade Book Libraries
2023-09-2124 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationWhere Does the Pendulum Swing?To kick off an inspiring new season of "Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education," David Bryfman dissects the origins of Sunday School in America with Laura Yares, as the pair discusses her new book, Jewish Sunday Schools: Teaching Religion in Nineteenth-Century America. This exploration, including a deep dive into the important role women played in pioneering accessible Jewish education, prompts a question that's still very much relevant to educators today: What holds greater significance in Sunday School, the content children learn or the emotional impact they experience? And where should that pendulum be swinging?This ep...
2023-09-1438 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationStraight to the Source: Kids and Jewish EducationAs educators, we all have a lot to say. But in this special season finale of Adapting, we flipped the script and got to hear from the learners! CEO David Bryfman sits down with his two kids, Jonah and Abby, for an exclusive interview about their Jewish education.Join us as the dynamic duo reveals favorite topics they've learned at Jewish Day School like the story of Joseph and learning Hebrew, what they think their dad does for a living, the teaching qualities that earned a "favorite teacher" designation, and excitement over summer camp and Jewish surf cam...
2023-06-2918 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationA Tap on the Shoulder: From Students to Educators, Season 3, Episode 34According to the latest CASJE study, there are more than 14,000 Jewish Day School educators in the U.S. How would the future of the Jewish people change if every one of these educators made it a priority to tap students on the proverbial shoulder who they identify as becoming part of the next generation of Jewish educators?Joining David Bryfman on Adapting this week is Rabbi Marc Wolf of Prizmah, who addresses the pipeline challenge or decline in Jewish educators specifically through a lens of Jewish Day Schools in North America. Rabbi Wolf's "tap on t...
2023-06-2233 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationBrave Spaces for Jewish Teens, Season 3, Episode 33Building educational spaces for teens is no easy task -- especially for those with viewpoints considered by some to be outside the mainstream, or even radical. Enter Club Z, a community for teens to connect and socialize over a shared love of Israel and being Jewish. In this episode, David Bryfman speaks, and even spars, with Club Z founder and executive director Masha Merkulova over philosophical differences about how to best empower teens to navigate the complex subject of Israel, including some bold moves Club Z has taken in its support of Israel, and other topical Jewish i...
2023-06-1535 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationThe I and Thou of Jewish Education, Season 3, Episode 32Every person has a story to be told, and today’s episode of Adapting tells one individual’s unlikely journey to become a Jewish educator.David Bryfman met Elyssa Hurwitz of Moishe House at a recent conference for Jewish educators when she volunteered from the audience to partake in David's interactive keynote presentation, to explore what it means, in philosopher Martin Buber's language, to strive to create I-Thou relationships. This experience had an unintended but profound impact on both Elyssa and David.What transpires in this episode is a powerful conversation about the consequences of our inte...
2023-06-0835 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationMeaning Makers: Supporting Our Educators, Season 3, Episode 31In a time of shortage of Jewish educators, today’s episode of Adapting focuses specifically on why one would even consider becoming a Jewish educator today, asking such challenging questions as: how has the role of educator become more difficult than it once was? And how can we, as a culture, better champion the profession?This week's guest is Aviva Lauer, Director of the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators in Jerusalem. Aviva speaks with David Bryfman about equipping educators with the Jewish knowledge, pedagogical skills, and supportive onboarding needed to succeed – and avoid burnout.Aviva shares her pit...
2023-06-0236 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationA Shavuot Special: Learning with Rabba Yaffa Epstein, Season 3, Episode 30Your Shavuot is about to be elevated by this special episode of Adapting, where you will experience the profound wisdom of Rabba Yaffa Epstein, The Jewish Education Project's Senior Scholar and Educator in Residence.Rabba Epstein and David Bryfman's discussion, brimming with intellectual insights and ideas around the holiday, practically becomes a midrash in the making as they touch on two key components of Shavuot: receiving the Torah and the delivering of the first fruits. Once you hear how Rabba Yaffa explains what these incredible physical and spiritual gifts mean to the Jewish people, you'll feel an overwhel...
2023-05-2421 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationWhere Jewish Education Meets Feminism, Season 3, Episode 29Gender, feminism, and power are all salient features of adolescent development today. Jewish youth is certainly no exception, and Jewish education must tackle some of these challenging issues today if it is to be relevant and meaningful for today’s learners.This week's Adapting guest, Shuli Karkowsky, is incorporating these themes into Jewish education through her own work as CEO of Moving Traditions, an organization that merges Jewish learning with social and emotional learning to serve the needs of teens today.Don't miss Shuli's profound discussion with David Bryfman about insights from her non-traditional career path, the...
2023-05-1836 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationPlay with Purpose - Summer Camp through a Historic Lens, Season 3, Episode 28May is Jewish American Heritage Month, and what is more Jewish American than teens spending the summer at camp exploring their culture?Since the postwar era, summer camps have been driven by intentional and ideological education (think Zionism, Yiddish and Ashkenazi culture, etc.). No one understands this history better than this week's Adapting guest, Sandra Fox, author of the book, The Jews of Summer: Summer Camp and Jewish Culture in Postwar America. Her book serves as a wakeup call for anyone who might have thought that summer camp was all about fun and socialization. This d...
2023-05-1131 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationFinding Possibilities from the Census Findings, Season 3, Episode 26There is much at stake for the future of Jewish education in these rapidly changing times. Last week, The Jewish Education Project released a comprehensive report, From Census to Possibilities: Designing Pathways for Jewish Learners, on the current state of Jewish supplementary schools in North America, the first of its kind since 2008.On this week's episode of Adapting, David Bryfman delves into the report's findings, but more importantly potential pathways forward, with Jewish educator Marisa Kaiser, who not only is immersed in the religious school environment daily, but has a broader perspective on the field as well. Mar...
2023-04-2832 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationHow to Use Data to Make an Impact, Season 3, Episode 25Data can be used as an effective and important tool for measuring success of Jewish engagement. But what are the data points we are looking for? And once we have that data, how can we use it to the best of our ability to better understand our audiences and the factors that motivate them to live a more Jewish life?On this week's episode of Adapting, Jennifer Zwilling draws from her experiences at Hillel International and the Edlavitch Jewish Community Center of Washington, DC, and how she successfully collected data to measure the impact of Jewish engagement and f...
2023-04-2028 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationArtificial Intelligence or Artificial Education?, Season 3, Episode 24Today we can interact with machine learning in new, unprecedented ways. Educators can ask a chatbot to write lesson plans at the click of a button. Students can incorporate their selfies into the Exodus story. Artificial Intelligence has the potential to revolutionize Jewish education, and this emerging technology is also raising ethical concerns amongst educators.This week's Adapting includes a frank conversation with David Bryfman and Dr. Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath, Senior Director of Knowledge, Ideas, and Learning at The Jewish Education Project, as they review key takeaways from discussions about AI at the Jewish Futures Conference on Mar...
2023-03-3130 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationA More Inclusive Jewish Education, Season 3, Episode 23The way educators talk about identity has direct impact on how learners see themselves reflected in Jewish tradition. That is why LGBTQ+ advocacy and embracing gender identity work is imperative for Jewish education.Talking to David Bryfman this week on Adapting is Dubbs Weinblatt (they/them), Founder and CEO of Thank You for Coming Out, who advocates for creating a more just and inclusive world. Bravely sharing their story as a genderqueer trans Jew, Dubbs teaches us this work is inherently Jewish, intertwined with the values of B'tzelem Elohim ("In God's Image") and Shmirat Halashon ("Guarding one's use...
2023-03-2334 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationUncovering the Israeli-American Jewish Experience, Season 3, Episode 22There are almost one million Israelis living in the United States today. This includes immigrants who came to America as Israelis and discovered their Jewishness in different and exciting ways, and their children who have grown up pretty much like other Jewish Americans... just with Israeli parents. Now these families as Israeli American Jews and their children face a unique set of challenges as they balance maintaining their Israeli with their American Jewish experience. Joining David Bryfman on this week's episode of Adapting is Dr. Yakir Englander of the Israeli American Council to discuss what it means to...
2023-03-1637 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationWhy Yiddish Education is Anything but Meshugah, Season 3, Episode 21Schlep, klutz, shvigger... Yiddish is more than a few kitschy words. The language embodies and celebrates Jewish culture and daily life that is often lost to a younger generation, and can be used as a tool to get learners excited about connecting to Jewish life.This week on Adapting, David Bryfman speaks with Susan Bronson, Executive Director of the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA, who advocates for studying Yiddish as a way to create a generation of Jewishly literate youths. With themes of activism, persecution, and modernity, reading seemingly "dying" Jewish languages like Yiddish and Ladino...
2023-03-0933 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationRaising the Bar: Jewish Learning at the Tavern, Season 3, Episode 20A rabbi walks into a bar... and opens a Jewish house of learning. Imagine a tavern playing Israeli music, the walls lined with old books written in Hebrew or even Aramaic, and patrons coming together to discuss those texts and other Jewish ideas while sharing food and drink inspired by cuisine of the diaspora. You don't have to imagine a communal Jewish house of learning because it exists, and it is called Lehrhaus. This week on Adapting with David Bryfman, Rabbi Charlie Schwartz discusses his innovative concept of Lehrhaus, a Boston-based no...
2023-03-0231 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationJewish Leaders: You Need to Hear This, Season 3, Episode 19Since the pandemic, the Jewish nonprofit sector has faced the same changes and challenges as the rest of the working world: the Great Resignation, shifted expectations of work, and Gen Z entering the workforce, to name a few. Joining this week’s episode of Adapting is Amy Born, Chief Strategy & Impact Officer from Leading Edge, an organization that supports Jewish nonprofits on their quests to become even better places to work.Together, David Bryfman and Amy Born explore the themes that, as Jewish nonprofit leaders – from CEO’s to directors and beyond – are on our minds: work-life balance...
2023-02-2335 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationNot Your Parents' Youth Movement, Season 3, Episode 18Empowerment. Ownership of your own destiny. Social engines of change. These were factors that spurred on the Zionist youth movement phenomenon and established their prominence in the 20th century. As historian Walter Laqueur once said, "[The youth movement] won't be merely a footnote in the story of the Jewish people, but a whole chapter." But can Zionist youth movements succeed in the 21st century? Are they equipped to fight the powerful forces at work today? David Bryfman waxes nostalgic on Zionist youth movements with this week’s Adapting guest, Jonny Ariel, an “Education Connoisseur” with 35 years of experie...
2023-02-1634 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationPower to the Youth!, Season 3, Episode 17Since the early 20th century, Jewish and Zionist youth movements have inspired individuals to come together as a collective around a shared aspiration. Today, in the age of social media and an overwhelming number of causes to support, they are more relevant than ever, but in some ways more challenged, as they strive to activate young people to speak out and actualize a vision for the future. Joining David Bryfman this week on Adapting is Adina Frydman, CEO of the U.S.'s oldest Zionist youth movement, Young Judaea. They discuss how a youth movement is different f...
2023-02-0932 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationBeyond the Bubble: Making the Magic of Summer Camp Last, Season 3, Episode 16Summer camp creates a unique environment that resembles a Jewish utopia inside a bubble. It's a culture built on kindness and connection without outside academic or societal pressure, and in many cases, access to technology, that enhances cherished face time with friends as well as young staff members who serve as mentors. Plus, campers enjoy aspects of Jewish life they may not experience at home.This week’s episode of Adapting takes you inside the bubble of summer camp with Debby Shriber, the Executive Director of the URJ Northeast Camps. David Bryfman and Debby explore the secrets of...
2023-02-0233 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationThe Ongoing Transformation of Jewish Day Schools, Season 3, Episode 15Jewish day schools continue to be successful as they evolve with the changing needs of today’s families. Sharon Freundel, Managing Director of The Jewish Education Innovation Challenge (JEIC) suggests that by doubling down on their strengths, acknowledging their challenges, and embracing the opportunity to transform, sometimes radically their approach, that Jewish day schools will continue to evolve and excel into the future. With 40 years of experience in the field of Jewish day school education, observing schools that have been wildly successful, and those that have not, Sharon has discovered that the key ingredient to long-term success is innovation....
2023-01-2731 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationImplicating and Activating Learners, Season 3, Episode 14From the classroom to camp, at the top and the bottom of an institution, anybody can be a great leader. As we look at what makes an adaptive leader, we see that what matters is learners feeling "implicated and activated" to create an expanded identity within a collective framework, the ultimate purpose of Jewish education.In this week's inspirational episode of Adapting, David Bryfman talks to Sarah Mali, former Vice President of Masa Israel Journey's Leadership & Impact Center and current Director General at Jewish Federations Canada UIA, about how we embrace a new type of leadership beyond th...
2023-01-1933 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationThe Ruach Behind the Rhythm, Season 3, Episode 13Think of a time from your childhood when song helped you learn, whether it was memorizing all 50 states in the U.S., Jewish prayers, or the ABC's. How effective was learning that topic through song? How did it feel to recall this? Music not only helps us learn, but also builds connection, boosts happiness, and holistically embodies learners, well into adulthood.We’re excited to kick off Adapting in the new year on an upbeat note - pun intended! - with the talented Naomi Less, an internationally celebrated singer/songwriter, ritualist, and educator. David Bryfman and Naomi ta...
2023-01-1234 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationRe-cast: What it Takes to be an Adaptive Leader, Season 3, Episode 12When the world went into lockdown in 2020, there was a lot of uncertainty, but there was also a great deal of innovation and adaptability, especially in education. This week's episode of Adapting is a re-release on this very topic, with a fresh and reflective introduction by David Bryfman. On May 13, 2020, just six weeks into the pandemic, David Bryfman kicked off the first episode of Adapting with Maya Bernstein about adaptive leadership in the thick of such a tumultuous time. Their discussion so early on during the pandemic is eerily relevant today, as they unpack the characteristics of adapt...
2022-12-2341 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationThe Secret to Teen Engagement, Season 3, Episode 11Connecting with Jewish teens has always been a challenge, but today it brings more questions than ever, as teens have exponentially more demands on their time and attention than in decades prior. The work of engaging Jewish teens is deeply personal, with youth-serving professionals being called upon to tap into the emotional as much as the practical in order to meaningfully and effectively work with young people at pivot points along their lifelong Jewish journeys.On this week's episode of Adapting, David Bryfman interviews Ira Miller, who is recognized in the field of synagogue youth education, having...
2022-12-1530 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationGaming Jewish Education, Season 3, Episode 10It is both an exciting and perhaps terrifying era for Jewish educators when digital technology is empowering learners in their own learning. Rather than being seen as a fountain of knowledge that learners turn to for information, 21st century educators must adopt a different set of skills – including flipping their classrooms, utilizing principles of gaming, and enabling people to learn in ways that work best for them. On the latest episode of Adapting, David Bryfman discusses with Barry Joseph how digital technology can help model what these cutting-edge, engaging methods look like.With 25+ years of experience in di...
2022-12-0835 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationThe Pedagogy of Death, Season 3, Episode 9Death and dying are topics that are often avoided, both in the world at large and in the realm of Jewish education. Rabbi Melanie Levav—award-winning educator, chaplain, and certified social worker—not only makes these topics easier to discuss, but suggests that Jewish educators cannot and should not avoid the topic. In this week’s episode of Adapting, Rabbi Melanie and David Bryfman discuss her work and how she brings ancient Jewish wisdom into this emotional space. Their discussion pushes Jewish educators to consider how we can normalize conversations about death and dying, and in doing so reduce fear, p...
2022-12-0132 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish Education#antisemitism and Empowering Gen Z, Season 3, Episode 8Antisemitism is often referred to as the world’s oldest hatred, and perhaps it is not surprising that it's rearing its ugly head again in popular and sporting culture today. Now, with Ye, Kyrie, and Dave Chappelle at the forefront of educators' minds, it is as important as ever to analyze and discuss these issues with their learners – and the broader Jewish community must support and empower them to do so. Joining David Bryfman on this week’s episode is Dr. Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath, Gen Z expert and author of #antisemitism: Coming of Age during the Resurgence of Hate. They...
2022-11-1726 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationIs the Writing on the Wall for Jewish Day Schools? Season 3, Episode 7Jewish Day Schools are having a celebrated moment, but will they be viable in 20 years? Are the trends and challenges that may impact day schools in the future...leadership turnover, a quality educator pipeline, and affordability, being sufficiently acknowledged and addressed? In this week's episode of Adapting, David Bryfman explores these topics and more with Dr. Chaim Botwinick, an executive coach, consultant, and day school executive director who is bravely challenging the status quo. His frank assessment of the strengths and deficiencies in the Jewish Day School landscape is both illuminating and disquieting, but ultimately leaves listeners with a n...
2022-11-1031 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationThe Case for Healthy Arguments, Season 3, Episode 6Abi Dauber Sterne and Robbie Gringras want society to argue more. Really! The two veteran educators believe that arguments can be a constructive force in Israel education. Robbie and Abi, authors of the book Stories For The Sake of Argument, explain why argument does not always have to end in divisiveness, and how a healthy argument can bring people of opposing view points closer together. This conversation takes on added importance this week, in the aftermath of the Israeli election and as Israelis and Jews around the world prepare to observe and reflect on the 28th anniversary of the ass...
2022-11-0334 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationThe Mindset and Kishkes of Jewish Philanthropy, Season 3, Episode 4The ecosystem of Jewish education depends on the contributions of various stakeholders and philanthropy is playing an increasing role in this landscape. This episode of Adapting explores some of the passion, concerns, and challenges that funders think about when making their contributions to Jewish causes. In conversation with Shawna Goodman Sone, raised in Montreal and now living in Israel, David discusses why Shawna cares so deeply about the issues and the various causes that motivate her philanthropy. "It starts with the kishkes," Shawna says, "and everything else goes from there." The wisdom and learning from this episode clearly speaks t...
2022-10-2025 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationSetting the standards in experiential Jewish education, Season 3, Episode 3For what was once regarded as fluffy education, experiential Jewish education has grown exponentially in recent decades. It’s dramatic rise has also surfaced many challenges for Jewish educators, academics, and those who support them. Does experiential Jewish education need a set of formal standards for educators and learners? And if so, who should be responsible for crafting these standards in a way that captures the breadth and diversity of everything that falls under the banner of experiential Jewish education. In this conversation the contrasting viewpoints, of friends and close colleagues, Shuki Taylor and David Bryfman, might surprise you....
2022-10-1231 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationEducators...the key to the future of American Jewry, Season 3, Episode 2 According to Rabbi Ben Spratt, if you look around the American Jewish landscape, some organizations and institutions seem stuck, petrified of making big and needed changes. On the horizon, he views an American Jewish future that is able to break this stagnation as he places Jewish educators and Jewish education at the center of this seismic and necessary shift. What led Rabbi Spratt to this revelation? Why are Jewish educators uniquely suited for this moment? Listen to find out. Check out Rabbi Spratt's new book, Awakenings: American Jewish Transformations in Identity, Leadership, and Belonging, co-authored with Rabbi Jo...
2022-10-0629 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationJewish Educators and Impostor Syndrome, Season 3, Episode 1Imagine a job where you are expected to know every detail about a 5,000-year-old tradition and its sacred texts. Sounds difficult, right? Welcome to the world of Jewish educators. These unique challenges are one of the reasons that some Jewish educators struggle with impostor syndrome. It's something that concerns Rabba Yaffa Epstein, who has worked as a Jewish educator around the world for decades. On the first episode of season 3 of Adapting, Rabba Epstein and David Bryfman, The Jewish Education Project's CEO, ask: What do we need to do to help educators overcome this challenge?This epi...
2022-09-2923 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationThe current state of Jewish education: Glass half full, glass half empty. Which is it? Depends on who you ask, Season 3, Bonus Episode 1Is the current state of Jewish education half full or half empty? You could say that the answer is somewhere in between, that both are true, at least to some extent. Or you could say that it really does depend on who you ask. 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...
2022-09-2210 min
Adapting: The Future of Jewish EducationSneak Peek: Adapting Season 3This season of Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education will tackle some of the more challenging issues facing Jewish education today. You’ll be hearing from some of the most influential voices, discussing some of the more controversial issues – the ones that are more frequently spoken about behind closed doors than they are in public spaces. Adapting is hosted by David Bryfman, The Jewish Education Project's CEO. Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Dina Nusnbaum and Gabriel Weinstein. The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cu...
2022-09-2201 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationWhy Jewish EdTech is not about technology, Season 2, Episode 31What are the core elements needed for a quality Jewish EdTech product? Russel Neiss’s answer will surprise you. Russel, a Jewish educator fluent in both Yiddish and Javascript, is a Senior Product Software Engineer at Sefaria. A longtime developer of Jewish EdTech products, Russel explains why quality educational design – and not fancy technology- is at the heart of successful technology initiatives. 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. ...
2022-07-0741 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationDiscovering the Divine through Creative Exploration, Season 2, Episode 30For Rabbi Adina Allen, the word “creativity” is a code word for God. Rabbi Allen believes that everyone, despite what your art teacher may have told you, has inherent creative abilities. As the co-founder and creative director of the Jewish Studio Project, Rabbi Allen helps Jewish communal professionals and lay leaders harness their creative powers and enhance their connection with the divine. 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...
2022-06-3029 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationDaniel Olson On Jewish Education For People With Disabilities, Season 2, Episode 29Why does Daniel Olson get frustrated when he hears the phrase “special needs” used to describe a child? Why does he believe that learners with disabilities receive only a “partial invitation to citizenship” in some Jewish educational settings? Daniel, the Director of Strategic Initiatives & Research at the National Ramah Commission, is a scholar who researches the experience of people with developmental disabilities in Jewish Education. In this episode he challenges listeners to reconsider what people with disabilities are capable of. He also reflects on his childhood in the tight knit Jewish community of St. Paul, Minnesota, and how his love of t...
2022-06-2338 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationK.M. DiColandrea on Humans of New York and Teacher Impact, Season 2, Episode 28In a single moment, an educator can dramatically change a person’s life, even if they didn’t know it. It’s a lesson K.M. DiColandrea, aka DiCo, a 2021 Robert M. Sherman Young Pioneers Award recipient and director and founder of the Brooklyn Debate League, learned in the most unexpected way. DiCo shares his journey, and struggles, to follow his life’s calling – empowering under-privileged students through skillful debate, to amplify their voices and replace self-doubt with self-confidence. DiCo’s life, and mission, was catapulted into the stratosphere after a grateful student got him featured on the Humans of New York...
2022-06-1634 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationBuilding Community Through Love of Torah and Learning, Season 2, Episode 27Community. Love of Torah. Stronger social bonds. These are just a few of the benefits Rabbi Dr. Dan Smokler and Erica Frankel of the Office Of Innovation see in adults who participate in regular Torah study with peers. Dan and Erica discuss their unique backgrounds in labor organizing and dance, respectively, their small-town upbringings, OOI's new cohort based Jewish learning series, IYUN, and how they are harnessing this cultural moment when adults have a thirst for learning.This episode was produced by Dina Nusnbaum and Gabriel Weinstein. The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and...
2022-06-0246 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationReflections And Inspirations Of A Board President, Season 2, Episode 26What goes into a successful relationship between a board president and a CEO? Martine Fleishman, The Jewish Education Project’s Board President, shares insights and stories from her board presidency and her communal volunteer work. She reflects on what has made her extraordinary partnership with David Brfyman, The Jewish Education Project’s CEO, so powerful and transformative, and what other board members and executives can learn from it. Martine also reflects on her passion for Jewish education, starting with her childhood in South Africa, her trips to Israel as a child, and her involvement with the Jewish education of her...
2022-06-0136 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationPart 2 - Meet the 2022 Young Pioneers Award Recipients, Season 2, Episode 25How do Amram Altzman, Jessica Cohen, and Megan Sass approach the most pressing issues facing Jewish educators today? Amram, the Associate Director of Youth Programs at Keshet, discusses how he reimagined his approach to LGBTQ Jewish teen engagement because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jessica, Associate Director of Religious Education at Congregation Rodeph Sholom, shares her approach to building a curriculum that supports the social and emotional needs of students. Megan, the Tefilah Specialist/Young Families Songleader at SAJ-Judaism That Stands for All, analyzes how the arts help children and families forge strong connections with Jewish culture and each other. ...
2022-05-2641 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationPart 1 - Meet the 2022 Young Pioneers Award Recipients, Season 2, Episode 24What motivates and inspires Francie Goldberg and Emily Hausman, two of the recipients of The Jewish Education Project's 2022 Robert M. Sherman Young Pioneers Award? Francie, the Director of Admissions and Marketing and School Librarian at HANC Plainview, discusses her unique approach to family education and the importance of making libraries places where children feel creatively empowered. Emily, Director of Early Childhood Education at the Riverdale Y, shares her passion for working with young children and what it's like working at a school that is part of New York City's universal early childhood education program.This episode was p...
2022-05-1938 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationIsrael's "Modern Days of Awe", Season 2, Episode 23Rabbi Leor Sinai, Senior Director of Israel Education at RootOne ,joins David Bryfman this week to suggest that Yom Hazikaron and Yom HaAtzma’ut represent two of the "modern days of awe." Rabbi Sinai’s passion for Israel education and his students shines throughout this episode, and he discusses how educators can transmit the significance of these days to learners, wherever they are in the world. Learn more about the Lone Soldier Center and Michael Levin z"l, mentioned at the end of the episode, at lonesoldiercenter.com. This episode was originally released on Yom HaZikaron 2022.This...
2022-05-0431 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationHolocaust Education As Living Memory, Season 2, Episode 22Rabbi Yehudah Potok, Director of Jewish Education at Facing History and Ourselves joins David Bryfman for a meaningful episode focused on Holocaust education for Jewish and non-Jewish audiences. Rabbi Potok shares how he understands the phrase "Never Again", why it’s important to balance the universal and the particular in Holocaust education, and how he’s responding to questions from students about the violence in Ukraine. Rabbi Potok also reflects on what his family history, a love of summer camp, and personal experiences staffing teen travel excursions taught him about the role of experiential education in perpetuating living memories of J...
2022-04-2729 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationWhen "Good Enough" Isn’t Good Enough, Season 2, Episode 21Can you imagine if your congregation had 100% participation for every Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat service? According to Rabbi Matt Dreffin of the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, that's typically the case in some small Jewish communities he works with. Rabbi Dreffin speaks with David Bryfman about the vitality of Jewish life in the South and what can we all learn from what’s taking place in small Southern communities, how he designs an intensely detailed curriculum with the intention that anyone--even people with no Jewish knowledge--could teach Hebrew school, and what it feels like to be the fir...
2022-04-0739 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationScrolling Through Jewish Texts, Season 2, Episode 20Who owns the Torah? What does it mean for Jewish education now that we have free universal access to the Torah, Talmud, and other Jewish texts? Rabbanit Sara Wolkenfeld, Chief Learning Officer at Sefaria, a free virtual library of Jewish texts, speaks with David Bryfman about her passion for Jewish text, how gender affected her own access to Jewish texts, and what drives her work building a new digital infrastructure for Jewish text. This episode was produced by Dina Nusnbaum and Gabriel Weinstein. The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben. This episod...
2022-04-0136 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationThe Power of Pedagogy in Jewish Education, Season 2, Episode 19"As my colleague Allison Cook says, 'It feels like magic, but it doesn’t take magic to make it happen, it takes pedagogy.'" Rabbi Avi Killip, Executive Vice President of Hadar Institute, joins David Bryfman to discuss what it takes to make Jewish learning- family engagement, adult education, and everything in between- magical and meaningful. She also reflects on how her struggles with dyslexia impact how she teaches today.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 ed...
2022-03-2436 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationWhy the Message Matters in Jewish Education, Season 2, Episode 18"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...
2022-03-1832 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationThe War in Ukraine and Jewish Education, Season 2, Episode 16What 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 epis...
2022-03-0330 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationLessons of Leadership: The Magic of a 21st Century Day School , Season 2, Episode 15What 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 f...
2022-02-2430 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish Education10 for 2: The impact of summer day camps all year round, Season 2, Episode 14The 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 P...
2022-02-1040 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationJewish Education and the "Gift of Thinking", Season 2, Episode 13For 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, Da...
2022-02-0337 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationA School Grows in Brooklyn: Unexpected Roots for Innovative Jewish Education, Season 2, Episode 12When 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 c...
2022-01-2731 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationResponding to Antisemitism in a Post Colleyville World, Season 2, Episode 11The 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...
2022-01-2145 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationChabad: Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge in Jewish Education, Season 2, Episode 10Success 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 ser...
2021-12-1631 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationSpirituality: The essence of Jewish education, Season 2, Episode 9What is Jewish spirituality? For that matter, what is spirituality, and why is it an important, even necessary part of life? Rabbi Josh Feigelson and Michal Smart Fox of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality join David Bryfman to discuss what it means to have a Jewish spiritual practice, and why understanding spirituality is critical for Jewish educators. They look at how COVID has changed our collective quest for spirituality, and the growing body of research that points to the benefits a regular spiritual practice can have. Be sure to look out for when Peloton sneaks into the conversation!
2021-12-0945 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationChanukah: The Choose Your Own Adventure Holiday, Season 2, Episode 8What is the purpose of Jewish education? Is it to teach skills? To inspire? To build Jewish community? Rabbi Benay Lappe, President & Rosh Yeshiva at SVARA, a self-described traditionally radical yeshiva, joins David Bryfman to discuss what we can learn from the story of Chanukah, how that story has been reinvented, and the purpose of Jewish education. Together, they explore how SVARA is responding to a “crash” in Jewish life by using the Talmud as a blueprint to reimagine Jewish tradition so Judaism can continue to do what Rabbi Lappe says was always the point— to create good people.A...
2021-12-0245 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish Education"Holy Wow" - Creating powerful moments through Jewish environmental education: Season 2, Episode 7“This moment in history calls on us to think about what is our relationship with the natural world, which is G-d’s creation.” Jakir Manela, CEO of Hazon and Pearlstone, joins David Bryfman to share his views on Jewish environmentalism, the growing JOFEE (Jewish Outdoor Food Farming & Environmental Education) movement, and the fundamentally deep ties between Jewish tradition and the natural world. They discuss how to cultivate deep authentic Jewishness and universalism simultaneously, how Gen Z is driving sustainability conversations in the Jewish community and beyond, and how Jewish educators can help students embrace a sense of “holy wow.” Adaptin...
2021-11-2437 minAdapting: The Future of Jewish EducationThe quest to transform part-time Jewish education with Rabbi Nicki Greninger: Season 2, Episode 6Join David Bryfman and Rabbi Nicki Greninger of Temple Isaiah in Lafayette, California for an animated conversation on what Rabbi Greninger insists we shouldn’t call "Hebrew School." Rabbi Greninger shares what makes today’s programs different from yesterday’s, what she’s doing to change the way students learn Hebrew, and how JQuest—Temple Isaiah’s education program for children 2 years old through 7th grade—is building Jewish identity, knowledge, and community through Jewish education.Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education is a production of The Jewish Education Project. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts...
2021-11-1841 min
Adapting: The Future of Jewish EducationWhy is "doing Jewish" important for Jewish education? : Season 2, Episode 5The Jewish world often finds itself divided on issues related to Israel, Jewish practice, and intermarriage. At times, our divisions seem to threaten the very idea of global Jewish peoplehood. On this episode Zack Bodner speaks about the imperative to “do Jewish,” what motivated him to write his new book Why Do Jewish? A Manifesto for 21st Century Jewish Peoplehood, and the way Bodner, CEO of the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto, California, thinks West Coast Judaism is redefining American Jewish culture for the 21st century. Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education is a production of The J...
2021-11-1140 min
Adapting: The Future of Jewish EducationSigd- The Jewish Holiday You Need To Learn About: Season 2, Episode 4This week Jewish people around the world from Jerusalem to New York are commemorating the festival of Sigd, a Biblical tradition commonly associated with the Ethiopian Jewish community that has become increasingly popular in recent years. Avezu Fanta, Jewish Agency Israel Fellow at Hillel at Temple University, and a member of the Ethiopian Jewish community, joins David Bryfman, CEO of The Jewish Education Project for a discussion on Sigd and much more.Avezu shares her personal experiences in the Israeli army and on Temple University's campus, her family's aliyah to Israel, and her hopes for today's modern...
2021-11-0439 min
Adapting: The Future of Jewish EducationWhy Mental Health Matters for Jewish Education: Season 2, Episode 3Every Jewish educator finds themself, at some point, offering the type of support this week’s guest calls “mental first aid.” Educator, comedian and activist Pamela Schuller speaks with The Jewish Education Project’s CEO David Bryfman about the need to offer teens and teen educators broader resources to support mental health in teen Jewish communities. Pamela leads HereNow, a program through The Jewish Board which is proudly funded by UJA-Federation of New York. HereNow offers teens space to write and speak about their own mental health, and inspire others on similar journeys. Pamela shares her perspective on how COVID-19...
2021-10-2832 min
Adapting: The Future of Jewish EducationA Candid Conversation about Jewish Early Childhood Education: Season 2, Episode 2Does Jewish early childhood education have the potential to radically transform the Jewish community? What impact would federally funded early childhood education have on Jewish early childhood centers in the United States? What exactly is Jewish early childhood education? This week’s guest is Anna Hartman, recipient of the 2021 Covenant Award for her pioneering work in the field of Jewish early childhood education. Anna shares the story of how she first found herself in a classroom, what that means for the field, and what she’s doing to empower Jewish educators in her hometown, Chicago, and across the country.
2021-10-2137 min
Adapting: The Future of Jewish EducationThe Resilience of Jewish Day Schools: Season 2, Episode 1What does the future hold for Jewish day schools? Is growth seen during the pandemic sustainable? Join us for this critical discussion featuring The Jewish Education Project’s CEO David Bryfman, Paul Bernstein, CEO of Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools, and Nicole Nash, Head of School at Hannah Senesh Community Day School. Together, they discuss what day schools have learned from the pandemic, the unique role schools play in building and sustaining Jewish community, and what that means for the future of Jewish education. Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education is a production of The Jewish Educati...
2021-10-1339 min
Reading Teachers LoungeSeason 4 Opener: Back To School & Together AgainIn their Season 4 opener, Shannon & Mary update listeners on their summer activities and their plans for the upcoming school year and podcast season. They share what they've been reading and learning about lately, which leads to a discussion about differentiating for students at various points on the Reading Ladder.Episode Links for Resources mentioned:Link to our MAP episode from Season 1Heggerty Phonemic AwarenessLLI kits by Fountas & PinnellHD Word by Really Great ReadingJennifer Serravallo Complete Comprehension KitsWhat To Do About Dyslexia by Richard Selznick *Suddenly Diverse: How Districts Manage Race and Inequality by Erica O...
2021-09-0649 min
Science of Reading: The PodcastS1-28. A look back at Season OneJoin us in reflecting on Season One and preview what’s in store for an exciting Season Two. In this special episode, we visit the highlights of Season One, with key clips from Emily Hanford, Natalie Wexler, Ernesto Ortiz, David and Meredith Liben, and Shawn Joseph, and other moments that inspired us and changed how we think about literacy.Quotes:“When our first episode launched last year, we had no idea what it might become, only hope that you would find it helpful to grow your knowledge and impact."“So much progre...
2020-08-2621 min