'Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education' is a podcast hosted by The Jewish Education Project. Hear CEO David Bryfman and a different guest each episode explore the big questions, challenges, and successes that define Jewish education. Available on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!
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Learning About Learning: Conversations with Scholars of Jewish Education
Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education at Brandeis University
There is great scholarship being done in the field of Jewish education, but it’s not always accessible. And even when it is, it’s not always obvious why people in the field of Jewish education should care about it. That’s what this podcast is about—making really interesting scholarship on Jewish education accessible and talking with scholars about why it matters. Learning About Learning draws on live conversations, originally conducted as Zoom webinars. Regular episodes feature discussions b ...
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We are all Jewish educators, whether professionally, or personally in our own homes. Whether you chose to be an educator by profession or not, we are all Jewish educators. Day in and day out, in our own homes, we are educating our children on what it means to be a Jew, what it means to be a good person. The goal of the podcast is to provide listeners with practical advice and guidance from masters in the chinuch world, who have tremendous amount of experience in educating children and teens ...
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The State of Jewish Education: A Conversation with David (and David)
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29:44For 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, li…
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Episode 35: Spotlight on Contemporary Jewish Theology
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1:06:17Recent years have witnessed an impressive outpouring of important new work in contemporary Jewish theology. In this Spotlight Session, we gather four leading scholars, each of whom has recently produced an important work of Jewish theology, to think together about the implications of their ideas for Jewish education. This webinar features the follo…
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In Defense of Rest: The Importance (and Jewishness) of Taking a Break
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41:20Sabbaticals, break weeks, and paid vacation, oh my! For many, the idea of taking a break from work is daunting. With the disruption in the work environment, how will anything get done? As he prepares his own upcoming sabbatical, David Bryfman discusses the role that rest plays in the workplace with Josh Feldman, CEO and founder of R&R: The Rest of …
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Inside America's First Classical Jewish Prep School
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49:09Imagine a classroom where students face each other, rather than the whiteboard, and discuss David Ben-Gurion and Aristotle, while studying Hebrew and Latin. Welcome to Emet, the first classical Jewish prep school in the U.S. Founded in 2023 in New York City, Emet is pioneering a model that integrates Jewish wisdom with academic excellence, offering…
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Educating for Justice: Black-Jewish Solidarity
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41:51In this important episode, David sits down with recipients of the 2024 Shine A Light on Antisemitism Civic Courage Award, Dr. Devin Randolph and Rabbi Dr. Meir Muller. Together, they discuss ways to combat prejudice, racism, and antisemitism by searching for the commonalities in Black and Jewish fights for freedom and liberation. Dr. Randolph and R…
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Breaking the Barriers to Israel Education
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45:12This week on Adapting, David sits down with Dr. Keren Fraiman, Dean of Spertus Institute and winner of the prestigious Ilia Salita Excellence in Research Award, for an essential conversation on why Israel must be front and center in our classrooms—now more than ever. While many Jewish educators recognize the importance of teaching about Israel, res…
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Strengthening Jewish Identity Through Israel-Centered Education
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43:07In this special Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzma’ut episode, David sits down with Adam Eilath, Head of School at Wornick Jewish Day School in the Bay Area, to explore the empowering integration of Jewish, Hebrew, and Israel education. As we commemorate these powerful national holidays, Adam shares how centering Israel in Jewish life and education has …
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The Big Problems Facing Holocaust Education
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50:41In this episode, hear from prominent author Dara Horn (“People Love Dead Jews,” “One Little Goat”) about the key issues with the way the Holocaust is discussed and taught today. David and Dara discuss how the language used in Holocaust education threatens the erasure of modern Jewish culture and perpetuates antisemitism by painting Jews as feeble, …
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Tech & Torah: How Jewish Educators Can Embrace Technology
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41:42In this episode of Adapting, host David Bryfman sits down with tech-savvy Rabbi Jason Miller, to discuss the role of technology in Jewish education. Rabbi Miller emphasizes the importance of embracing technology—not fearing it—and how it can bring the Jewish community closer together. If you’re worried about AI and other tech tools replacing Jewish…
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Episode 34: Fraternities and Sororities as Jewish Communal Spaces | Dr. Jenny Small
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28:15Traditionally-Jewish fraternities and sororities are not often considered sites of Jewish community. In this session, Jenny L. Small discusses findings from interviews with fraternity and sorority life (FSL) educators, revealing their perspectives that students in these organizations bear distinctly gendered burdens around Jewish heritage and conti…
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What AI Thinks About Jewish Education
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8:02This week on Adapting, David Bryfman sits down with... well, robots. In an innovative and fitting approach, he leverages artificial intelligence — a platform called NotebookLM — to make a point about the current landscape of Jewish education and where it’s headed. Featuring an AI-generated dialogue that tackles critical issues like how Jewish educa…
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This week, Adapting gets spiritual with Dana Sheanin, CEO of Jewish Learning Works. Dana first shares glimpses into the Jewish Bay Area, marked by political activism and repercussions in education since October 7th. Dana then explores how reconnecting with spirituality—including relationships with community and the divine—can provide resilience and…
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Episode 33: Using Both/And Thinking to Repair a Rift in Jewish Education | Dr. Tali Zelkowicz
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27:07The field of Jewish education has now been split into two sub-fields, referred to as “formal” or “informal” (or “experiential”) education. But this division is artificial and proving profoundly limiting, distorting, and even harmful. What might be the ultimate potential of the field were we able to employ a balanced and integrated use of the full r…
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Revisiting Esther and Vashti: Heroines of the Purim Story
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47:58As Purim begins tonight, we reflect on resilience, courage, and hidden miracles—themes that feel more relevant than ever. In this special re-release, Dr. Erica Brown of The George Washington University joins CEO, David Bryfman, and Chief Advancement Officer, Nessa Liben, to explore not only the heroines of the Purim story, but also the heroism of J…
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The Future of Israel Educational Travel
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39:27From transformative teen programs like RootOne to life-changing Birthright and Masa trips, studies have shown that Israel educational travel has been the most essential tool for building a lasting connection to Israel. But October 7th has presented a new set of challenges in the field. This week on Adapting, David Bryfman talks with Anna Langer, wh…
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Rooted in Responsibility: A Jewish Approach to Environmentalism
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29:34This week on Adapting, in honor of Tu BiShvat, Yoni Stadlin of Adamah challenges us to see our connection to the earth through a Jewish lens. From his unconventional journey—spending three months living in the canopy of California redwoods—to his belief that Jewish environmentalism should be the default rather than a niche, Yoni reminds us that eve…
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Episode 32: Fluid Meanings of the Yarmulke Across Educational Contexts | Dr. Anastasia Badder
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29:14In her article, "When a Yarmulke Stands for All Jews: Navigating Shifting Signs from Synagogue to School in Luxembourg," Anastasia Badder asks: How do congregational school students experience moments in which they were confronted with Jewishness outside of the classroom, in their secular schools and public spaces? And taking a material approach, h…
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Finding Light in Loss with Rabba Yaffa Epstein
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23:24Judaism gives us the tools to hold both joy and pain simultaneously. Few understand this better than Rabba Yaffa Epstein, The Jewish Education Project’s Senior Scholar and Educator in Residence, who tragically lost her nephew, Yakir Hexter z”l, while fighting in Gaza one year ago. Yakir was much more than a soldier—he was a brilliant Torah student,…
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Jewish Leadership for Such a Time as This
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42:23If you’re in a Jewish leadership role, don’t miss this pertinent conversation between David Bryfman and Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, a prominent Jewish leader and author. Drawing on insights from Rabbi Cosgrove’s new book, For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today, they delve into relevant topics, like: The generational divides within the Jewish com…
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What We Can Learn from the French-Jewish Experience
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33:43As the largest Jewish community in Europe and the third largest in the world, French Jewry—primarily of Sephardic descent from North Africa—blends a rich, thriving Jewish heritage with modern challenges. Giving a voice to the French Jewish community on this week’s episode of Adapting, David Bryfman sits down with Devorah Serrao, CEO of Alliance Isr…
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Redeeming the Hostages: An Educational Imperative
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43:34As of this episode’s recording, 461 days have passed since Dalia Cusnir last heard from Yair and Eitan, her brothers-in-law who have been held captive in Gaza by Hamas. In the most important Adapting episode yet, David Bryfman speaks with Dalia about her personal journey, and the educational and moral imperative of pidyon shvuyim (redeeming the cap…
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The Festival of Lights When We Need It Most
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31:05In 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…
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Resilience Down Under: Antisemitism in Melbourne
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38:27In the aftermath of an arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, David Bryfman interviews two Melbourne-based Jewish educators Itzik Sztokman and Marc Light. Together, they explore the emotional and educational ripple effects of this act of antisemitism on their local Jewish community. Itzik reflects on the growing sense of unease am…
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Episode 31: Jewish Creativity: An Essential Aspiration for Jewish Education | Professor Miriam Heller Stern
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30:48Habits of creative thinking have sustained the Jewish people through centuries of crisis and opportunity. How might the enterprise of Jewish education reclaim and teach creativity? Weaving together a wide range of theory and research, including affective neuroscience, Jewish philosophy and education, and studies of creativity and arts education, Mi…
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From Bystander to Upstander: A Guide to Fighting Antisemitism
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34:32Do you, as an educator or parent, wish there was a guidebook for combatting antisemitism? Look no further than Lynne Azarchi and Harlene Lichter Galen’s new curriculum: Countering Anti-Semitism and Hate: A How-to Guide for Youth, Family, and Educators. In a conversation with David Bryfman, the authors share insights from three years of research and…
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Episode 30: Spotlight on Jewish Education after October 7
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1:05:21The attack on October 7th, the ensuing war, and the changed environment in the US have all led to questions about how American Jewish educational institutions have responded, and how they should. What do we know about the impact of the last year on schools, synagogues, camps, Israel trips, and other initiatives? How have educators been affected? Ho…
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The Fight for Jewish Inclusion in Public Schools
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41:54What does an inclusive classroom look like if there's no education on antisemitism? Public school teacher Shana Dworken knows and has been a vocal advocate for Jewish students and Jewish education, especially since October 7th. In this week's conversation with David Bryfman, they explore how to create lasting, systemic change in public schools and …
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Episode 28: How American Activists Helped Free Soviet Jews | Professor Shaul Kelner
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28:06In his recent book, Shaul Kelner recounts the compelling stories of heroism that helped to free Soviet Jews. In this session, he discusses how this activism reached Jewish educational spaces — through bar and bat mitzvah twinning, school field trips to rallies, summer camp programming, and much more — and reshaped the Jewish American experience fro…
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Episode 29: How Educators Can Overcome Barriers to Engaging with the Conflict | Dr. Keren Fraiman
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29:50There is a growing consensus that successful and holistic Israel education demands a sophisticated and nuanced engagement with critical questions within Israel, and in particular, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This feels especially pressing in a post October 7th world. Despite this critical need, many educators continue to express reticence abo…
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Sights and Visions of Israel Education
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39:25As we look at the future of Israel education, it's just as critical to look back and reflect on how we as educators have succeeded and could have improved in this holy work. In this pivotal and hard-hitting Adapting episode on laying out the vision of Israel education, David Bryfman and Dr. Zohar Raviv create the space to look inward, encouraging e…
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Judaism's Role in Democracy: An Election Season Conversation
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27:14For 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. The…
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Prayer and Presence: A Conversation Between Rabbis
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33:05In 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…
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Together, We Will Endure: A Special Rosh Hashanah Episode
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32:04Education has the power to break down divisions that separate us. This week on Adapting, David Bryfman is joined by Dr. Ethan Zadoff to discuss how a religious Zionist school has been navigating the aftermath of October 7th. Building on Zadoff's recent article, which advocates for open and nuanced conversations in the classroom. Together, they …
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October 7th as a Jewish Peoplehood Moment
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43:21Judaism is many things—a religion, a culture, a history, a set of values—but above all, it is a people. This week on Adapting, David Bryfman is joined by Naama Klar from the ANU Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv. The two explore how Jewish peoplehood is about preserving continuity by safeguarding the stories and rich heritage of Jewish commun…
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Over the last 10 months, Dr. Tuvia Book, an author, tour guide, and educator, has been serving in the Israel Defense Forces as a paramedic. His experiences are stories of people doing the work on the ground, and while we may feel the distance between Israel and U.S. Jewry, Tuvia's Zionist story, one of optimism, courage, and strength, brings it all…
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Since October 7th, Australian educator Sharonne Blum has been on the frontlines on the war of information both in the classroom and on social media. Her courageous approach raises important questions for both the Australian and global Jewish community: Has the role of Jewish educator expanded to include a new layer of responsibility? How do we effe…
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The Communal Reckoning We Need
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41:05Zack Bodner is asking tough, necessary questions—engaging in a kind of post-October 7th Cheshbon HaNefesh, or self-reflection, for Jewish educators. In this week's episode of Adapting, David Bryfman and Zack Bodner have a provocative conversation inspired by Bodner's recent article in The Jerusalem Post on communal reckoning. Together, they explore…
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Navigating New Realities: Season 5 Launch
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9:57CEO 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…
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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 …
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The Power of Jewish Summer Camp (Especially Right Now)
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33:27What 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 Je…
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Episode 27: Teaching Israel: Studies of Pedagogy from the Field | Sivan Zakai and Matt Reingold
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1:04:59How do educators from differing pedagogical orientations learn, undertake, and ultimately improve the work of teaching Israel? In this conversation, Teaching Israel: Studies of Pedagogy from the Field editors Sivan Zakai and Matt Reingold discuss the complex issues facing those who teach about Israel, along with respondents Lisa Grant (Hebrew Union…
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Episode 26: Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration in Jewish Education
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1:10:23In this special event, authors from a recent themed issue of Journal of Jewish Education discuss their articles on race, ethnicity, and immigration in Jewish education. The issue spotlights the experiences of underrepresented individuals and serves as compelling testimony to the diverse array of Jewish experiences and identities, challenging prevai…
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Tech-Forward Teaching: Revolutionizing Jewish Education
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31:27If 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 agr…
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Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World: Mourning and Celebrating Together
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47:50In 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 o…
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Episode 25: Visualizing Jewish Texts and Practices through the Graphic Novel | Dr. Talia Hurwich
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28:08What happens when students of classical Jewish texts encounter visual representations of those texts, not just words? In her recent study Reconsidering Religious Gender Normativity in Graphic Novel Adaptations, Talia Hurwich learned that students often respond in deeply personal ways to visual representations of topics that may otherwise be suppres…
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Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World: Mastering the Art of Israel Education
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38:55Please 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 n…
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Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World: Jewish Pride as a Radical Idea
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42:13Jewish 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+ communit…
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Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World: What Does it Mean to Bear Witness?
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40:25We’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 po…
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Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World: Jewish Education Goes to Hollywood
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37:37This 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 Hollywoo…
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Episode 24: Spotlight on the Gap Year
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1:08:09For over a generation, many American Jewish young adults have spent a year between high school and college in Israel—the “gap year.” How does the gap year contribute to North American Jewish education? How does it complicate that work? What does it mean for young adults to go from “here" to “there" to participate in this important educational exper…
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