Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education

The 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 of language"), and that we shouldn't have to sacrifice one identity for another in Jewish spaces.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.

There 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 build a vibrant Israeli-American Jewish community, one where, the relationship is mutual: Israelis learn from their American peers and Americans learn about Israeli culture, demonstrating an education of Klal Yisrael (all of the Jewish people).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.

Schlep, 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 is, in fact, critical for engaging others while bridging communities across the Jewish spectrum.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.

A 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 nonprofit designed to increase the prevalence of Jewish learning by making it accessible and fun regardless of Jewish backgaround. With a single mission in making Jewish education meaningful and relevant over delicious food and engaging conversation, Lehrhaus is a great example of what can be achieved when we mix innovation and Jewish education. Click here to watch Charlie's video, "A Vision in 4 Parts," winner of the first Jewish Futures Competition in 2010. 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.

Since 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 and setting boundaries, recruitment and retention of Jewish educators, and the role lay leaders play in ensuring the Jewish workforce is as strong as it can be. Lastly, Amy shares advice for Jewish leaders based on her expertise and Leading Edge data to ensure they are doing all they can to run a healthy and successful work environment today and for the future.  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.

Empowerment. 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 experience in Jewish education, and a one-time "Jewish Youth Leader of the Year" in the movement for Soviet Jewry. The two also debate the future of Zionist youth movements, if they must still be built on counterculture, or will require a whole new paradigm to flourish in a very different world.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.

Since 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 from a youth organization, what it's like to be the CEO of a Zionist youth movement, the complexity of the term "Zionist" in today's highly charged climate, and why we need youth movements now more than ever before.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.

Summer 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 summer camp success, the crucial role of Camp Directors, and how well-meaning parents can let the air out of the bubble. They probe the question: can we spread these joyful Jewish experiences in campers' lives throughout the rest of the year, or does the bubble, by its very nature, only exist during summer in a camp 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.You might also like...🎙️The Ruach Behind the Rhythm featuring Naomi Less🎙️The impact of summer day camps all year round featuring Rabbi Ami Hersh

Jewish 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.Sharon shares her passion for the immersive nature of day schools, identifies the key areas where innovation is most needed, and discusses how to test new models and ideas while also delivering a quality educational experience.  David and Sharon even tackle the subject of God and prayer in today's Jewish day schools, and why connecting learners to God at all stages is so essential. 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.You might also like...🎙️The Resilience of Jewish Day Schools featuring Paul Bernstein🎙️Is the Writing on the Wall for Jewish Day Schools? featuring Dr. Chaim Botwinick

From 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 the pandemic and utilize the organic connections that were there all the time to motivate learners.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.