Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education

This week on Adapting, Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath speaks with Zev Eleff, president of Gratz College and professor of American Jewish history, to address a pressing challenge facing Jewish education today: educators are not feeling supported enough. In a conversation encompassing civic education, history, and text study, Zev urges educational institutions to help strengthen their Jewish literacy, with recommendations like leveraging technology to digitize archives, from Judeo-Aramaic texts to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s documented work with Martin Luther King Jr. Another recommendation is using American Jewish history as a model for teaching inclusivity. Efforts like these, championed by both Gratz College and The Jewish Education Project, aim to give educators the tools and support they need.  Learn more about The Jewish Education Project at jewishedproject.orgThis episode was produced by Miranda Lapides and Rina Cohen Schwarz. 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 and review, 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. 

David Bryfman engages with Dr. Mijal Bitton, one of today’s leading Jewish scholars and leaders, in an illuminating, nuanced conversation about defining Jewish peoplehood in a time of polarity. Is it better to be inclusive of all beliefs in a community, or to establish clear boundaries and principals? What if it's possible to have both? Mijal’s unique perspective, shaped by her personal background, serves as a model for how much introspection we need to become the best possible educators we can be.  Learn more about The Jewish Education Project at jewishedproject.orgThis episode was produced by Miranda Lapides and Rina Cohen Schwarz. 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 and review, 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. 

For writer and podcaster Zibby Owens (On Being Jewish Now, Blank: A Novel), it was never her plan to center her work around Jewish identity. But as the critical need for Jewish representation and storytelling grew, she started to share more Jewish voices and Israel advocacy on her literary platform. Zibby's work serves as a model of what happens when you follow your convictions. In honor of the 100th anniversary of Jewish Book Month, this episode will inspire educators to lean into Jewish joy through the power of storytelling. Plus, Zibby shares her favorite books with listeners that have shaped her own sense of Jewish pride! Learn more about The Jewish Education Project at https://www.jewishedproject.org/This episode was produced by Miranda Lapides and Rina Cohen Schwarz. 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 and review, 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. 

What does it mean to belong to the Jewish people, especially during a time of deep division? This week, Dr. Elana Stein Hain and David Bryfman explore the complex and often misunderstood idea of Jewish peoplehood, and how to navigate responsibility and nurture empathy. Whether you’re an educator, community leader, or simply grappling with questions of Jewish identity and connection, this episode will leave you reflecting on what Jewish peoplehood means to you. Learn more about The Jewish Education Project at https://www.jewishedproject.org/This episode was produced by Miranda Lapides and Rina Cohen Schwarz. 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 and review, 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. 

This week on Adapting, David sits down with Rabbi Mark Wildes, the founder of Manhattan Jewish Experience. Together, the pair explore what it really means to inspire Jewish connection in young adults today.  Drawing on insights and Torah from his new book, The Jewish Experience: Discovering the Soul of Jewish Thought and Practice, Rabbi Wildes shares that Jewish education isn’t about molding students into something completely new. Rather, it’s about how educators can spark the innate pilot light of Judaism, the pintele Yid, that we have inside us. Discover how nurturing that inner spark can transform not only the Jewish learner, but the future of Jewish life itself. Learn more about The Jewish Education Project at https://www.jewishedproject.org/This episode was produced by Miranda Lapides and Rina Cohen Schwarz. 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 and review, 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. 

In the first episode with Dr. Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath as our new alternating co-host, Samantha shares the true purpose of Jewish education: to help foster pride, joy, and connection, rather than building identity around fear or hate. Learn more from Samantha and hear about her journey of becoming a Jewish educator and how she has helped teens connect to the richness of Jewish peoplehood! This episode was produced by Miranda Lapides and Rina Cohen Schwarz. 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 and review, 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. 

This morning, we received joyous news that all 20 living hostages are back home. At the same time, we’re awaiting the return of the bodies of the remaining hostages. So, as a community, how are we supposed to feel? As Jewish educators, how do we create the memory of what October 7th meant for the Jewish people?Joining David Bryfman to discuss this complex moment in history are Rabbi Menachem Creditor and Rabba Yaffa Epstein, who reflect on post-war rituals and where we’re moving as a people. This is an episode of Adapting we’ve been wanting to release for two years, and it offers guidance for anyone seeking meaning, direction, and hope in the aftermath of war. This episode was produced by Miranda Lapides and Rina Cohen Schwarz. 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 and review, 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. 

Two years after October 7th, CEO David Bryfman delivers an unscripted, deeply personal message to Jewish educators who have carried impossible burdens through unimaginable circumstances. This isn't a typical Adapting episode. It's a raw, honest monologue about what it means to educate when the world feels broken. Speaking directly to all stakeholders of Jewish education—defined by anyone who cares deeply about the field and its future—David balances mourning and hope at a time when that future feels both fragile and urgent. Hope for the return of all hostages, for the end of suffering, and for the day we can return to instilling joy and pride instead of defending against hatred. This episode was produced by Miranda Lapides and Rina Cohen Schwarz. 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 and review, 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. 

What does it mean to bring your whole self into Jewish education? Activist, educator, and previously named one of the 50 most influential rabbis in the U.S. by Newsweek, Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, joins Adapting this week for a conversation about authenticity in Jewish education.   Rabbi Dr. Yanklowitz and David Bryfman explore how Jewish education becomes most impactful when educators are “radically inspired” by their work, drawing from their own journeys, struggles, and commitments. They discuss how the very best Jewish educators, and supporters of Jewish education, embrace plurality and curiosity, and can seamlessly integrate both their personal and professional interests altogether into one integrated life purpose. This episode was produced by Dina Nusnbaum, Miranda Lapides, and Rina Cohen Schwarz. 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 and review, 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. 

In this week’s episode, transformative Jewish thinker Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg joins us for a rich conversation about morality and justice, and how we as educators can empower our students to imagine a brighter future. Rabbi Danya sheds light on how the Torah’s earliest stories, values, and the practice of teshuvah can become teaching tools for possibility, integrity, and ethical living. Just in time for the High Holidays, Rabbi Danya explores how we can nurture a generation capable of imagining a more just and compassionate world. I'm Sorry You Got Mad by Kyle Lukoff, Illustrated by Julie KwonResource Guide: On Repentance and Repair by Rabbi Danya RuttenbergThis episode was produced by Dina Nusnbaum, Miranda Lapides, and Rina Cohen Schwarz. 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 and review, 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.