Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education

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 and growth puts into context the role that education plays in a post-October 7th world, and where educators went wrong. 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 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 makes Jewish summer camp so powerful? How can it shape the lives and perspectives of Jewish youth and Jewish adults for years to come? How are camps approaching Israel education this summer?   In this episode, David Bryfman explores the world of Jewish summer camp in a conversation with Jamie Simon, Chief Program Officer of the Foundation for Jewish Camp. Delve into the personal and professional journey of one senior Jewish educator, and the opportunities and challenges of summer camp in a post-October 7 world, as we acknowledge the tireless work of all Jewish educators after an extraordinarily challenging year.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 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. 

If Jewish educators want to produce kids of tomorrow, then they must embrace the technology of today to help get them there. Technological tools like artificial intelligence, social media, and 3D printers aren't an elective or an addition, but are part and parcel of what we as educators should be using to get ahead of the curve.   No one probably agrees with this more than David Merel, founder and CEO of Thinkbright LLC, who is at the forefront of the intersection of education and technology. Tune in to his riveting interview with David Bryfman, which will inspire you to revolutionize your approach to teaching. 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 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 wake of October 7th, this year's observances of Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha'atzmaut feel different and carry a profound sense of weight.   How do we mark this time both inside and outside of Israel? How do we, as a community, channel our grief into collective remembrance, including all innocent lives lost? As Jewish leaders, these are just some of the questions we are actively thinking about as we begin to formulate the collective memory of the Jewish people during these holidays. Rabbi Shira Koch, Epstein, through wisdom and experience, helps shed light on how to move forward through this grief. 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 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.

Please note, this episode was recorded prior to the Iranian attacks on Israel on April 13th.In our ongoing series, "Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World," Ilana Gleicher-Bloom emphasizes the new era of Jewish education we find ourselves in today, one in which Jewish educators are now full-time Israel educators.Her message is clear: it's not enough to simply know our Israel story; we must master the art of engaging with whom we disagree, and come to the table with curiosity, empathy, and humility. The conversation is a reminder to us all that Israel education is not how we win, but how we grow together. Plus, Ilana shares what freedom means to her this Passover while there are still hostages in Gaza.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 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.

Jewish pride isn't just an emotion, but is an idea that can be taught. According to this week's Adapting guest, if it's not taught, it's dangerous to suppress.   Joining David Bryfman this week is educator, author, and founder of the modern Jewish pride movement, Ben M. Freeman. The pair discuss his experiences and overlap between the LGBTQ+ community and being Jewish, and how knowing our story leads to empowered Jews who know the innate value of being a Jew. 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 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.

We’re continuing our limited series, Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World, with Rabbi Dr. Laura Novak Winer, a Reform Jewish Educator who just returned from an educator mission to Israel  powered by The Jewish Education Project along with the Association for Reform Jewish Educators and Hebrew Union College community. It’s one thing to see posts on social media from Israel since October 7th, but it’s another to travel directly to the Jewish State to bear witness to the emotion and trauma that simply can’t be conveyed through a screen. We have already sent hundreds of Jewish educators to Israel post-October 7th. Now, prepare to be moved as Winer breaks down what it means to bear witness to collective pain, explores the responsibility of taking these stories back to her community, and reflects on her experience as both a Jewish educator and a human being.Register for the Spring Event hereThis 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 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, we return to the series, Israel and Jewish Education in a Post-October 7th World, with a conversation on antisemitism, particularly in the film industry. Join David Bryfman as he sits down with Todd Shotz, an acclaimed film and television producer, Jewish educator, and a leading consultant on Jewish representation in Hollywood. Shotz recently won an Emmy Award as consulting producer on "Recipe for Change: Standing Up to Antisemitism," a groundbreaking special by YouTube Originals and The SpringHill Company.  The pair discuss Jewish representation in media, the timeliness and relevance of his award-winning project, and how his work in Jewish education supports his consulting work in Hollywood.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 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.

Recorded on International Women’s Day, this week's episode of Adapting poses the question: if the workforce of Jewish education is largely dominated by women, why are there still disproportionately more men in the senior leadership positions? This introspective conversation with Dr. Sara Shapiro-Plevan and David Bryfman explores many of the inequities that exist in the Jewish communal workspace and offers both employees and employers advice and tactics on how to bridge these divides. It emphasizes that when we uplift women in the workforce, it creates a more equitable environment for all. 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 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.

Danny Mishkin and Lynn Lancaster are making waves in experiential Jewish education. Sababa Beachaway, a co-ed residential summer camp in Virginia Beach, is where spirituality and tradition intersect to empower teens and tweens.Their conversation with David Bryfman takes you into a day in the life of a Sababa participant, and even leads listeners in a short breathing meditation! You might think this episode is all about surf camp, but at the heart of the message is something deeper: learning resilience through Jewish values in an unexpected setting.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 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.