News & Blogs Category: Featured Partner

Founded on the belief that healthy arguments can be an important tool for learning and social growth, For the Sake of Argument (FSA) helps leaders and educators engage learners in open, trusting educational experiences. FSA’s materials, tools, and training – currently focused on Israel – spark healthy arguments in various settings, including homes, workplaces, synagogues, schools, and campuses. In its first year, more than 2,000 people have participated in FSA’s in-person or online workshops and courses.

It can be really hard to have a healthy argument with my peers and my family. I think one of the things we might take from it is listening…Not just jumping on someone, not just listening to respond, but actually listening, to engage and try and understand the conversation. I think my peers and I could benefit from taking a step back from a heated argument and being able to look at it from all sides.
– Workshop Participant

As Israel faces deep internal divisions and political turmoil, FSA’s resources enable people to confront and discuss these challenges in  meaningful ways. Its book Stories for the Sake of Argument, includes 24 stories that provide opportunities to discuss some of the more controversial issues in Israel. FSA’s newest short story, Anything to Celebrate?, was released in advance of Yom Ha’atzmaut and grapples with the complexities of celebrating Israel at this time. Building on this, FSA will soon release a series of short stories that explore the proposed judicial reforms and the protests sweeping Israel. In the coming months, the organization also will release a short, theme-based curriculum for schools, youth movements, Hillels and other educational organizations to use in their settings and during their organization’s trips to Israel.

Many educators tend to stay clear of divisive issues so as not to cause unwanted conflict. But whether we like it or not, the topics of greatest interest today are also the most contentious. We lean into the arguments that arise when complexities are addressed rather than shying away from them. By harnessing the energy and passion contained in healthy arguments, we seek to create deep educational engagement.
–Abi Dauber Sterne and Robbie Gringras, co-founders and co-directors of For the Sake of Argument

FSA offers many ways for educators and leaders to learn about this approach to education. A 90-minute introductory workshop models the FSA framework and tools, and in-depth courses for professionals provide a deeper mastery of engaging with contentious issues. FSA’s open online resource center has tips and specific language for healthy arguments, animated videos, and short written pieces sharing pertinent research. New stories cover all kinds of timely topics–Who is Welcome? delves into interfaith marriage and how different values affect family dynamics; Tweeting Israel covers the legitimacy of vocal criticism of Israeli politicians from Jewish leadership outside of Israel; and What is It All About? explores what Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day means to different groups within Israeli society. FSA also offers consultations with individuals and organizations thinking about the role of arguments and disagreements in their work.

The session helped me to envision how facilitated conversations on Israel might play out in select communities who we are now approaching about hosting similar conversations. These would be less about navigating disagreement, and more about toeing into hard conversations about Israel.
– Workshop Participant

While Israel education is the first subject matter on which FSA focuses, the organization may address others in the future, ranging from Jewish topics to broader non-sectarian issues. This year and next, FSA is researching the impact and educational effectiveness of different elements of its approach. As the research brings insights, FSA continues to hone its materials and tools and will structure and refine the ongoing direction and development of its work.

For more information, visit forthesakeofargument.org. The Jim Joseph Foundation is a supporter of For the Sake of Argument.

We engage with Israel today not only as subject matter, but as part of who we are, who we wish to become, and who we wish Israel to become. In 2009, 18 educators convened to explore what a field of Israel education could be. If someone would have said then that in just over a decade there would be a professional field of Israel education, as it is today, it would have seemed far-fetched. And so I reflect with gratitude to everyone whose collective efforts are helping lead to a steady, yet remarkable evolution of the field.
– Anne Lanski, Founding CEO, The iCenter

As the field of Israel education continues to grow and advance, more than 500 Jewish communal professionals, day school educators, camp professionals, youth group leaders, lay leaders, and others gathered together at iCON 2023: Where Israel and Education Meet.  Hosted by The iCenter, participants experienced iCON as a laboratory, infused with the curiosity and courage to discover something new and to deepen relationships with one another, with Israel, and with education. Due to the pandemic, this was the first iCON since 2018.

iCON was curated to challenge, to provoke, to open new perspectives, to raise important questions, and most importantly, to inspire participants. We want people to embrace a diversity of perspectives and opinions; so we designed the convening to be a catalyst for meaningful conversations and transformative learning experiences. We hope these experiences enable participants to better understand Israel, its place in the world, and its place in our hearts in our lives.
– Aliza Goodman, Director of Strategy and R&D, The iCenter

iCON participants engaged with leading-edge thinking about Israel education today, exploring the newest frameworks for integrating Israel into Jewish learning experiences, while also networking with a diverse crowd of practitioners and leaders in the field. Featured speakers included international figures in arts and culture, sports, nonprofit, education, science and technology, and more. Participants learned about the complexities of history, present, and future—because Israel education covers all of this and more. 

Anyone who cares about Israel is filled these days with concern, even angst, in light of the recent political and social turmoil. I believe staunchly that our educational work should rise to this occasion and address this complex reality thoughtfully. This could be the finest hour for us educators. We are not only capable of transmitting ideas, concept, values, or information; our deeper potential is to explore and traverse times, spaces, ideals, concepts, and values, and to share a story that is worthy of being remembered as a memory and creating a desire of learners to become a member of that story. In order to realize this goal the educator needs to think of themself first and foremost as a perpetual and passionate learner. The task before us is to flesh out and articulate the unifying foundational values that bind us together as a community and cement them as the stage upon which disagreements can be played out respectfully and responsibly. Let us remind ourselves, and the ones with whom we are in contact, that the purpose of education is neither resolution of conflict, nor the alleviation of all ambiguities; rather, it should focus on laying the ground upon which non-uniformity may exist, and be celebrated without threatening our sense of unity. Perhaps I dare say, where politics might divide, education may unite.
– Zohar Raviv, International VP of Educational Strategy, Taglit-Birthright Israel

The iCenter works with and supports educators in nearly all settings. As just a few examples, it offers a Master’s Concentration in Israel Education, which brings together graduate students at 14 different universities from North America and Israel. It offers a Graduate Degree in Israel Education in coordination with George Washington University. It provides expert training for Birthright-Israel staff who influence tens of thousands of trip participants. And it has numerous ongoing initiatives and resources, including its new Conflict Education toolkit and its long-standing Aleph-Bet of Israel education core principles.

For more information, visit theicenter.org. The Jim Joseph Foundation is a supporter of The iCenter.

“Over the last ten years we’ve seen the quality of our teaching rise because of the impact JNTP has had on teachers and mentors. We believe this has had a direct impact on the learning and experiences that our students have every single day!”
– Rabbi Avi Greene, Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Scheck Hillel Community School

As the Jewish New Teacher Project of New Teacher Center celebrates its 20th anniversary, the organization looks back at its impact and ahead at new opportunities. In its 20 years, JNTP has supported more than 2,200 educators in over 200 Jewish day schools across North America, teaching and modeling the skills they need to become great educators, both in and out of the classroom. Through partnerships with schools, communal agencies, and donors, JNTP promotes excellence in teaching and leadership so that the next generation of Jewish day school students are engaged, inspired, and knowledgeable—and prepared to have active roles in their Jewish communities and beyond.

“The training and mentorship that I received through JNTP directly informs my work as a school administrator. I apply their methodologies every time I visit a classroom, facilitate a conversation with a student or colleague, lead professional learning for our staff, and design school systems that promote our educational vision. I am grateful to JNTP for providing me with this skill set, and I see the impact on student learning every day.”
– Yael Cortell, General Studies Principal, Yeshiva of Greater Washington

JNTP offers two core programs—drawn from New Teacher Center’s research-based and field-tested work—that strengthen teaching, learning, and educational leadership. Its intensive Teacher Induction Program pairs new teachers with veteran teacher mentors for weekly mentoring conversations and classroom observations, utilizing a research-based and field-tested mentoring methodology and tools developed to improve teacher growth. JNTP’s Administrator Support Program helps early-career school leaders grow into their leadership roles through cohort-based learning and individualized coaching focused on leadership, culture, and supervision. Program participants develop into effective, quality teachers and school administrators with skills and support to create “Optimal Learning Environments,” in which students thrive through learning and social-emotional growth. 

I will forever be grateful for my experience as a participant in the first cohort of JNTP. When I entered this brand new program, I honestly had no idea what to expect. The framework that I was exposed to gave me a new way to listen, to think about language, to communicate, and to grow. My own teaching was transformed, and I learned how to empower others through mentoring.”
– Shira Schiowitz, Founding JNTP Mentor, Current Mentor and Educator, SAR High School

Supporting teaching, learning, leadership, and culture in schools has been the heart of JNTP’s innovative work since 2003, when it received seed funding from The AVI CHAI Foundation to launch as an offering of the New Teacher Center in Santa Cruz, CA. Back then, 12 mentors in 7 schools, and 21 new teachers, formed the original Teacher Induction program. Today, JNTP’s offerings include that national induction program, the program for new school administrators, a pilot early childhood education (ECE) program in Chicago, professional learning communities in Brooklyn, and more. In total, 160 administrators, 690 mentors, and 1,609 new teachers will positively influence more than 40,000 students in North America this year.

JNTP is poised to continue to elevate the field of Jewish day school and early childhood education. With support from a range of funders, JNTP is building on past achievements to scale and expand its offerings to reach all teachers in Jewish day schools and early childhood centers, so that more students engage in meaningful education with talented, highly-trained teachers to build the Jewish community of the future.

Learn more at jntp.org/20th-anniversary. The Jim Joseph Foundation is a supporter of the Jewish New Teacher Project.

Every year, tens of thousands of Jewish young adults serve with Repair the World, addressing pressing local needs while tying their service directly to Jewish wisdom and teachings. For many of these young adults, service is their entry point to Jewish life; Repair engages them at the critical intersection of service, Jewish learning, and the shared passion for a more just world.

Repair’s approach to Jewish education has always been at the heart of their work. In recent years, they deepened their commitment to their Jewish educational strategy, elevating service as a bold expression of engaging in Jewish life. The organization set out to build a culture and strategy that centers Jewish education and works toward ingraining Jewish service in support of social change as a cornerstone of Jewish life.

Repair recognized at the beginning of this process that they would need to commit fully to this shift, naming their education strategy a top organizational priority and aligning budgets and hiring accordingly. They created new organizational values that centered the core Jewish values that drive their work, and built an adaptive strategic plan to ensure consistency in Jewish education throughout its programming. Repair’s multi-step process to evaluate, ideate, and create this culture led to new organizational partnerships, resources and education tools, and a multi-year educational strategy created in deep partnership with M²: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education. Now, every act of service powered by Repair builds meaningful connections to Jewish service, Jewish culture and community, and participants’ commitments to their own Jewish selfhood.

There is no question that the education and learning component of our approach to service enhances the experience, creating an opportunity for young adults to learn more about justice issues and the many ways Judaism has addressed each of these issues. For many, Repair the World is their Jewish community, giving us the chance to draw meaningful connections and learning together, both from a Jewish educational standpoint and from one another. As our Jewish Education Team continues to provide us with incredible resources, I have no doubt our impact will only strengthen in the future.
– Samantha Berinsky, Atlanta City Director, Repair the World

Repair understood that to pursue this new strategy, its professional team would have to include people who are experts in Jewish education. In 2021, Rabbi Jessy Dressin joined Repair as the senior director of Jewish education. She received the support and resources to build a team of talented and experienced educators who are critical to actualizing the strategy. Under Rabbi Jessy and her team’s leadership, Repair collaborates with consultants and leading Jewish educators to facilitate learning for all Repair staff.

Repair’s new Jewish educational strategy focuses first on training and supporting staff to feel confident and empowered in developing and delivering Jewish service-learning content. One new resource for staff is the Repair Facilitator’s Toolkit, a 38-card deck of “grab and go” cards that equip facilitators with key resources to connect participants to Jewish service. This toolkit includes a series of “core tensions” cards that help to engage with the broader landscape of questions and considerations that arise when people participate in direct service. Repair explicitly leans into these core tensions, such as tradition vs. renewal, to deepen participants’ connection to their service and Jewish values.

This investment supports staff who lead Jewish learning on their journey from new to experienced facilitators. Other Repair investments in Jewish education include one-on-one chevruta learning through the Jewish Learning Collaborative (JLC) in partnership with Moishe House, quarterly facilitator workshops, monthly meetings for program staff to collaborate, regular Torah l’shma (learning for its own sake) opportunities for staff, and more.

My favorite part of Repair’s programming has always been the opportunity it holds to spark transformation. I can think of so many “aha” moments participants have had, not only during the service itself, but after being exposed to a new piece of contextual Jewish education. In my work now, I supervise alumni who are creating these gatherings for their own communities. I couldn’t be more excited to bring these new Jewish education resources to them. It’ll allow for a deeper and broader exposure to Jewish service-learning, as well as a more accessible leadership opportunity for alumni who have never facilitated something like this before.
– Rose Capin, Alumni Engagement Associate, Repair the World

This internal culture shift at Repair is resulting in a profoundly deepened Jewish experience for participants and partners. By investing first in building strong Jewish educators and facilitators, Repair is laying a strong and sustainable foundation for Jewish service nationwide. The effects of this investment are already shining through, as 84% of participants said that serving with Repair provided them with an entry point to do good in the world through a Jewish lens. By connecting participants’ service and experience directly to enriching Jewish education, Repair is creating a Jewish community coalescing around the commitment to repairing the world through service.

Learn more at werepair.org. The Jim Joseph Foundation is a funder of Repair the World.

The Berman Archive (bermanarchive.stanford.edu) is the new starting point for anyone engaging with American Jewish communal life—be it academic, professional, or religious—and is a repository for the reflections and expressions of American Jewish professionals today. As the largest open-access, digital archive of printed material about the subject, the Berman Archive’s holdings are a vast trove of insights, observations, data, reports, and perspectives on organized Jewish life and service—valuable glimpses into the past for today’s professionals, scholars, and inquiring minds.

Formerly the Berman Jewish Policy Archive, the rebranded, refreshed platform is more user-friendly than ever, reconfigured to make it easier to search for and find desired content. Organizations and individuals are invited to contribute (by emailing [email protected]) to the ever-growing collection of resources that are vital for collecting, preserving, and sharing ideas, data, and points of view that define and sustain the American Jewish experience. The Berman Archive houses material typically produced outside traditional academic and commercial spheres, but which nevertheless provide insights into the long-lasting trends and persistent concerns about Jewish life in North America. This includes material about small, defunct organizations, quirky collective efforts, and historically underrepresented groups in American Jewish life. Reports, writing, and publication that might otherwise be lost to history or shoved in the back of a file cabinet—but that shine light on the true diversity of American Jewish life—are welcomed content on the platform.

We want the Berman Archive to be a catalyst for new perspectives in the Jewish world. Considering the past is key to working in an informed and curious way and we hope to be that point of connection for the Jewish community.
– Dr. Ari Y Kelman, Director of the Berman Archive

Berman Archive new brand

The Berman Archive is committed to ongoing critical engagement with its holdings and invites comment, criticism, essays, and contributions from current professionals and scholars engaged with the American Jewish community. Moving forward, the Berman Archive will also feature and host events and initiatives. To sustain and expand all of its efforts, the Berman Archive welcomes additional support.

Visit bermanarchive.stanford.edu. The Berman Archive is led by Dr. Ari Y Kelman and is a project of the Concentration in Education and Jewish Studies at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education, and is a partner with the Berman Jewish DataBank at the Jewish Federations of North America. The Berman Archive is sustained by the support of the Mandell L. and Madeleine H. Berman Foundation and the Jim Joseph Foundation.

Going on this Israel trip was the best experience of my life. I made new friends and strengthened relationships with old ones, all while discovering the deep religious and personal connection I have with the land of Israel.
– RootOne Teen

After just two summers, RootOne LLC at The Jewish Education Project is changing the landscape of teen travel to Israel. Last summer alone, more than 5,000 American teens received $3,000 towards travel to Israel on immersive summer programs with RootOne-affiliated trip providers. Every one of these participants spent hours learning about Israel through RootOne’s online learning portal before stepping foot on the plane, and returned home to a  comprehensive set of Israel-based opportunities designed to deepen their connection to Israel.  The RootOne initiative is not just maximizing the number of Jewish teens participating in meaningful Israel summer experiences, it is ensuring that these experiences have a lifelong impact.

From the moment they register with one of 40 RootOne affiliated trip provider partners, teens embark on an educational journey. This journey is rich in content, completely interactive, and connects what they learn pre-trip with what they experience in Israel and upon their return. As an example, through RootOne’s partnership with the Israeli organization ENTER Peoplehood, 1,500 American and 1,500 Israeli teens are matched in one-on-one online conversations over the course of five weeks before the summer begins, as part of the One2One program. American teens forge personal connections and friendships with their Israeli counterparts, and gain a better understanding of what it means to be a teenager in Israel today. Some teens even met up with their new Israeli friends in person over the summer, something RootOne aims to grow and expand.

Beyond One2One, teens can select from dozens of learning experiences on RootOne’s teen portal in order to complete 18 “nekudot”, or credits, toward their travel voucher.  In 2022, 98 percent of the more than 5,000 Jewish teens completed an average of 14 hours of learning prior to boarding the plane to Israel — over 68,000 hours of online Jewish learning on one platform.

Once in Israel, RootOne affiliated trips integrate Israeli teens into their daily activities as full participants, a new take on the traditional “mifgash.”  Teens experience itineraries that are crafted with RootOne’s eighteen stated outcomes, which are informed by the most recent research on North American Jewish teens. These outcomes include crucial developmental milestones such as gaining the confidence to engage in informed conversations about Israel with their peers upon returning; better understanding the significance of the State of Israel in Jewish history; better understanding the multiplicity of voices and perspectives, needs, and desires of all the peoples living in Israel; and feeling a greater sense of pride in being Jewish.

A seminal moment of summer 2022 was the Big Tent that brought together 2,300 teens in Rishon LeZion for a massive celebration with music, activities, performances, and rallying speeches. The Big Tent event will be a hallmark of future RootOne summer experiences.

 

This moment belongs to us….it’s our time to be heard, and to listen…it’s our time to feel like we’re part of something bigger – much bigger – and it’s our time to feel like we’re not alone. – Levi Fox, senior from BBYO, at Big Tent event 

After returning home, teens have a range of opportunities for continued engagement in Israel and in Jewish life, fueled by their trip providers on a local and regional level, and complemented by RootOne on a national level. RootOne’s Teen Advisory Committee meets regularly to shape post-trip experiences, which includes ongoing exclusive access to certain courses and programs, and teens can choose to continue their participation in the One2One program, meeting with and learning from Israeli teens during the rest of the year.

After two summers, RootOne feels it has arrived. Taken together, the number of teen travelers and the number of their educational hours shows the power and scale of this engagement model. More than 9,000 Jewish teens in those summers traveled to Israel through its partner trip providers — double the number who would have gone to Israel without RootOne vouchers.

Moving forward, RootOne’s ambitious plans for growth include new partnerships to ensure that all Jewish teens are given the opportunity to travel to Israel, regardless of affiliations or access to existing Youth Serving Organizations. Soon, more teens will arrive on college campuses with stronger connections to Israel and the confidence and desire to build a meaningful community of peers.

The Jim Joseph Foundation is a supporter of RootOne. Learn more about the impact of RootOne here. Learn more at rootone.org.

RootOne LLC, an ambitious initiative seeded by a generous gift from The Marcus Foundation, is a Delaware limited liability company, whose sole member is the Board of Jewish Education, Inc. d/b/a The Jewish Education Project, a New York not-for-profit corporation. 

How can examining challenging issues through the lens of Jewish values be both clarifying and activating? 

Change, self-discovery, and growth most often happen when people are confronted with challenging situations and issues.  Difficult circumstances and disruptive events prompt people to examine what’s important to them and how they want to move forward in response. Today’s learners are often compelled to respond to a range of issues, from climate change, food insecurity, social pressures, increased antisemitism, and more. To help them navigate challenges and be inspired to take action, M²: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education is launching the Center for Values in Action, which will partner with major organizations to support Jewish educators, community builders, and leaders across the country.   

“While growth happens when we are challenged, it’s not easy, nor is it a linear process. When confronted with challenging issues, we tend to feel first – we get caught up with strong emotions, become overwhelmed, anxious or stuck.  We may react impulsively.  Sometimes it becomes so overwhelming we shut down – literally pulling the hoodie over our head and tuning it all out.  These are all very normal, in fact, very human responses.” 
– Debbi Cooper, Senior Director, Center for Values in Action, M²: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education

Understanding these initial human responses, the Center will provide training for thousands of educators, offering content, pedagogies, and resources to ensure that Jewish values can mediate and illuminate some of today’s most pressing challenges. Grounded in Jewish wisdom while including a diversity of perspectives, the Center will make sure that educators are equipped to help their learners find meaning in today’s challenges and live a more fulfilled life in line with universal and Jewish values. 

Taking action grounded in a commitment to values will nurture learners’ identities, help them find personal meaning, and recognize the relevance of Jewish ideas and perspectives. In fact, examining challenging issues through the lens of Jewish values can be both clarifying and activating. This approach often enables educators and learners to move beyond buzzwords and soundbites, illuminating how the issue impacts them personally. They can narrow the focus of an issue that feels unwieldy and overwhelming, while also navigating alternative narratives or perspectives. And this lens of Jewish values can provide a “pause” moment to reframe and collect thoughts, and then to examine what truly matters to the learner.

The Center for Values in Action includes a 10-hour Certificate Course for hundreds of educators, engagers, community builders, organizational leaders and program facilitators.  Once these professionals have participated in the Course, they will have access to dozens of “grab and go” resources designed to move learners through the Values in Action approach, using experiential learning modalities and exploration of a variety of Jewish sources to support their experience. While the Center’s many resources are customized to the needs and realities of partner organizations, they all share the same DNA and underlying structure. The “Values in Action” approach will help educators: 

• Frame contemporary issues (such as climate change) for learners, giving them a chance to weigh in on how the issue is impacting them/their lives.
• Anchor the issue in a Jewish value (such as responsibility) that can be helpful to educators as they contend with the issue and determine how they can respond.
• Examine the issue in core Jewish or secular texts, meaningful ideas, and lived experiences.
• Lead an experiential activity to deepen learners’ understanding of the value, examining the complexity of the value and identifying what’s hard – and grounding – about enacting it.
• Provide learners with opportunities to make meaning of the experiential activity, drawing out how the activity helped them to reframe their understanding of the value.
• Prompt learners to consider how they might take action as they respond to the issue.

M² is excited to debut the Center for Values in Action in November, training hundreds of community builders throughout all of 2022 with its first organizational partner, and then introducing a second organizational partner in early 2023. M² has retained an independent evaluator to work with the M² team to identify opportunities for strengthening or refining its offering and/or delivery and to assess the impact on both the educator as well as the organization. 

As a society, it is imperative that we begin having conversations about the difficult topics of the day, with a focus on agency; how we can move past stagnation and take active steps toward creating a more just, kind and compassionate world. An exploration of values can help us clarify our next steps and our tradition’s wisdom can guide us to new understandings of ourselves. We’re eager to get started!
– Kiva Rabinsky, Chief Program Officer, M²: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education

The Jim Joseph Foundation is a supporter of M². To learn more about M², visit URL www.ieje.org. To learn more about partnering with the Center for Values in Action, reach out to Debbi Cooper, [email protected]. Photos above are of M² professional staff and thought partners in April 2022 at “ThinkLab” – a thoughtful and experiential gathering to prototype the approach and resources for Values in Action.

Ammud is truly a space where I feel I can bring all the facets of my multi-cultural Jewish identity, and also wrestle with thought-provoking concepts amongst like-minded peers. With each course, I feel I learn more about myself and grow more confident in my identity as a Jew of Color.
—Emily McDonnell (she/her)

Since 2019, Ammud: The Jews of Color Torah Academy has worked to build a more vibrant and equitable future for all Jews by providing Jews of Color with access to Jewish education that empowers them to be members and leaders of the broader Jewish community. Ammud members, which include Jews of Color and non JoC allies, are part of a community that receives personalized support as they gather and learn unchallenged in their Jewishness. 

Ammud leadership is driven by the belief that Jews of Color deserve to study the depths of Torah, become Hebrew experts, and fulfill their Jewish educational goals without worrying about experiencing racism. Hebrew classes give members the knowledge and confidence they need to study Jewish texts in an environment that cultivates belonging and a Jewish community. Ammud’s rabbinical team leads popular weekly Parasha study classes, during which members dive deep into learning the beauty of Torah and share their unique and inspiring takes on the week’s Parasha. And Ammud’s rabbis are available as needed to the Ammud JoC community, whether to study a Jewish text more in-depth, for support on navigating life cycle events, to discuss a path to the rabbinate; or for guidance through personal challenges.

When Jews of Color enter Ammud, they know they’re in a space designed to make them feel beloved, in which there is no limit to where their Jewish education can go.

I’ve had such beautiful experiences with Lomdim courses I’ve taken with Ammud, and feel so affirmed in my Judaism as a result. Everyone from the teachers to the Ammud staff to fellow classmates have taught me how vital the Torah of Jews of Color is. For the first time, I feel like Judaism has reached my actual cells, rather than remaining mostly in my head. When I think about how grateful I am that this space and all of the people in it exist, I am humbled. Thanks to Ammud, I’ve made some precious new friendships and reinvented Jewish rituals that I will treasure forever.
—Kristin Eriko Posner (she/her)

Ammud is working toward its vision with long-term plans to invest in its teachers and their growth through professional development. Many Ammud teachers say the opportunity to teach their Torah to other Jews of Color gives them the comfortable space they need to become leaders in Jewish education. And many Ammud members say their learning experiences prepare them to go back into the larger Jewish community with strength and resilience. With this approach—and subsequent impact—Ammud ensures that Jews of Color are present in wider Jewish communities, particularly in the Jewish professional world.

Although I have taught in a variety of Jewish settings, teaching for Ammud was a uniquely rewarding experience. Not only did I feel more comfortable as a teacher, I also knew that Ammud’s by-JOC, for-JOC approach made it possible for me to share Torah with Jews who might not feel welcome in other Jewish learning spaces.
—Daniel Delgado (he/him), ALEPH Ordination Program rabbinic student, Earth-based Judaism track

Building on its early success, Ammud looks to double its program offerings over the next year to increase engagement, while laying the foundation for even greater scale in years to come. In Ammud’s dynamic space, more Jews of Color will be able to study the depths of Torah, become Hebrew experts, and fulfill their Jewish educational goals.

Learn more at ammud.org. The Jim Joseph Foundation is a supporter of Ammud.

When people study Torah together in groups, they build powerful, lasting social bonds. That’s the premise of IYUN, a new(ish) project that helps educators, lay leaders, and organizations build and lead multi-week Torah learning circles. IYUN’s curricula are not just a sheet of sources, but rather a highly choreographed, step-by-step model to run a successful multi-week cohort experience for 8-20 adults through a specific educational arc. While experts and rabbis are more accessible than ever through online lectures and public events, IYUN focuses as much on the social design as it does on the Torah content to build a highly connected chevra of people who “share their lives together, knowing that we’re all in the same boat out here, and we need to show up for each other if we’re ever going to reach land (just ask Noah).”

This has been an incredibly enriching and wonderful experience for me. I’ve made so many new friends and we’ve bonded in a way few groups do (in my experience). I’ve loved expanding my Jewish knowledge, gleaned not only from the texts–loved those–but also from my fellow learners. We each are so different, but together we grew so fond of each other and created a Jewish group consciousness. I really looked forward to our sessions each week not only for the learning but to see my new friends again!
– IYUN participant 

Adults need the space and “the right folk” to have big conversations together. This is especially true during liminal life moments, when people often engage with IYUN as they are searching, exploring, and seeking meaningful connections. The years when someone leaves their childhood home, for example, but before they set down roots in a new family home, are opportune times to encounter deep jewish living.

Whether partnering with congregations, individuals, JCCs, Moishe Houses, and beyond, IYUN helps leaders each step of the way as they craft their multi-week Torah learning cohort—from curricular content, participant recruitment, marketing materials, group dynamics, teacher training, and ongoing Help Desk support. IYUN staff teach educators how to prepare and successfully execute each session and are always available to troubleshoot, answer questions, listen, and support group leaders quickly and in real time. With this support, IYUN’s facilitators “know how to read a room and get people talking.”

Somewhere in the whirlwind that is this COVID pandemic, I started running out of steam as an educator. No matter how interesting I thought the topics were, my lesson plans began to feel a bit stale. The IYUN program and their team of educators saved me from this difficulty… Thanks to IYUN’s onboarding process and educator training, something magical happened when I began teaching their material to my students. They reminded me that I was not teaching alone… The joy of Jewish learning is that it can be experienced in dialogue, in argument, in community. Being a part of IYUN reminded me of this joy.  Anyone who teaches is never alone. We are connected to those who taught, those who teach, and those who will teach. IYUN rekindled a spark that was dwindling a bit within me.
– Rabbi Jason Bonder, Congregation Beth Or

In just its first year, IYUN engaged over 1,000 adult learners in more than 70 learning circles. This coincided with the pandemic where more Jews asked big questions about their life and purpose, as they sought meaning, community, and connection. Building on the project’s initial success, IYUN’s leaders, Rabbi Daniel Smokler and Erica Frankel, see a unique opening to engage many thousands of adults in big conversations through Torah. This opportunity they say is due in part to the fruits of decades of outstanding work in Jewish education, making the case in thought and practice for the importance of widespread Torah study. Their previous work growing Hillel’s Jewish Learning Fellowship—now on 200+ campuses with over 20,000 alumni—demonstrates that Torah study, once an afterthought among Jewish college students, is an integral part of the Hillel experience. Those college alumni are the adults now ready to lead and engage in Jewish communal life. And IYUN’s leaders are capitalizing on a chance—perhaps once in a generation or more—to reach beyond those who are currently studying and immediately adjacent to the next levels of Jewish life. With this approach, more adults at inflection points will experience new friendships, meaningful space for thought and reflections, and will develop a lasting love engagement with Torah and Jewish life.  

Big Questions Bring Us Together
“Everyone’s welcome, everything’s on the table.” In the rapidly growing IYUN community of practice, educators share hard-fought operational intelligence, commiseration, celebration, and opportunities. IYUN welcomes more congregations, groups of friends, boards, school leaders, JCCs, federations, or giving circles into its community.

The Jim Joseph Foundation is a supporter of IYUN. Learn more at iyun.us.

Since 2015, At The Well has addressed women’s mental health and wellness using Jewish rituals that have always existed—but were never widely taught or invested in. Today, amid the growing challenges of disconnection and isolation, ATW’s collaborative model delivers Jewish wisdom directly into the hands of women who want to claim it. Many of these women seek wellness in a spiritual context, outside of a more traditional Jewish context. ATW offers a pathway into these experiences, helping women learn, create new practices and rituals, and then lead others to access ancient Jewish ritual and adapt it for modern times. Through its resources, large-scale events, and Well Circles around the country, women take ownership of their journey toward meaningful transformation for themselves and their community.

Over the past year especially, more women sought out At The Well’s resources and engaged in its Well Circles—independently-run groups of 6-12 women who meet every month to story-tell, support each other, and share spiritual experiences. As a result of this community care model for wellness, women in Well Circles report significant growth in relationships with themselves, their community, and their Judaism, and in their leadership skills and confidence to help their family and peers lead Jewish lives. For some people, Well Circles are the first and only Jewish space where they feel comfortable participating in Jewish community.

I’ve been going through a journey of reclamation and finding my Judaism, as opposed to the Judaism that I learned as a child. I’m owning it for myself and rediscovering amazing things about Judaism. That process didn’t start with ATW but ATW is definitely part of it. Learning about the lunar calendar and Rosh Chodesh and the meaning of the months has been really inspiring. It adds to this journey that I’ve been on. It also has a lovely feminist slant which helps me connect with Judaism. 

Beyond Well Circles, ATW’s other offerings make learning around Jewish time and embodied spiritual practices accessible for all—both enhancing the Well Circle experience and engaging new participants. Big Gathers, for example, are bi-monthly, donation-based, online events designed to serve as an entry-point for a Rosh Chodesh practice. These gatherings attract about 100 participants, many of whom serve as co-hosts, modeling ATW’s collaborative leadership approach. The Big Gathers provide a taste of the Rosh Chodesh ritual and a broader sense of community among people in the ATW network.

Another resource, Moon Manuals, are digital guides with themes, activities, and rituals related to each Hebrew month. Moon Manuals are written by At The Well’s staff with contributions from network members, many of whom come from communities that historically have not been centered. Moon Manual contributors work with ATW’s Scholar in Residence and experience a learning journey of self discovery and Jewish inquiry as they create content for the diverse ATW community. In this way, they become leaders for others,  helping to create sacred space through writing exercises, singing, intention-setting, and movement. This year alone, more than 1,700 women have engaged in Well Circles and more than 1,800 are using Moon Manual Readers.

My Well Circle showed me how ritual and an intimate Jewish community have supported my own resilience. At work, I am now hosting conversation circles about spiritual resilience and how Jewish ritual can support us in times of change, conflict, and challenge. I would not have gotten to that topic without the learning I’ve done through ATW.

The pandemic only exacerbated feelings of loneliness and isolation that ATW helps fill. According to a 2021 survey by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, “one-third of Americans described themselves as seriously lonely–up from one-fifth before the COVID pandemic.” In response, ATW quickly scaled its approach and reach to broaden its audience. They created more virtual offerings, in addition to Big Gathers, to meet the moment and provided opportunities for deep connection when it was needed most, including:

• Launching a monthly Biblical Babes program, with a co-sponsored event with the Jewish Fertility Foundation and Biblical Babes en Español on June 15.
• Relaunching Rosh Chodesh coaching that connects new network members to volunteer coaches who can either help them launch a Well Circle or create a Rosh Chodesh ritual practice of their own.
• Sending daily text messages to 850 people with reflections for each day of the Omer through My Moon Message.

As more and more women yearn for wholeness and connection—looking for ways to bolster their well-being and seeking to learn and practice Judaism in relevant and meaningful ways—At The Well is poised for greater growth and impact through its proven approach to:

1. Support Jewish Learning through the creation of relevant content and tools, rooted in Jewish wisdom;
2. Foster Belonging by inviting women into structures and spaces that enable them to connect with themselves and others in meaningful ways; and
3. Encourage Leadership through co-ownership and a rotating leadership model in which women facilitate Well Circles, co-host public programs, contribute to the shared resources online, and coach other women on how to develop a Rosh Chodesh practice in their homes or start a Well Circle of their own.

Enhanced well-being has a strong ripple effect on a person’s own life and on a society’s soul. At The Well is committed to connecting women to themselves, their communities and their Judaism. The next three years of our strategic plan will enable the creation of a strong foundation. We are building a legacy for future generations to be energized by the power of ancient Jewish practices — and to see these practices as welcoming paths to enhanced well-being and spirituality, accessible to all.
– At The Well Strategic Plan

The Jim Joseph Foundation is a supporter of At The Well. Learn more at atthewellproject.com

May’s Mental Health Awareness Month spotlights the challenge that Jewish educators, engagers, and leaders experience year-round: the growing youth mental health crisis. More than ever, these professionals are called on to identify youth who may be struggling, hold challenging conversations, provide support and, if needed, to help connect youth and young adults to proper care. 

Since 2019, the Resiliency Roundtable has brought together professionals from nearly 50 organizations—including BBYO, Hillel, OneTable, PJ Library, Moishe House, and staff at Federations around the country. These organizations and a growing list of dozens of others work with clinicians in Jewish settings to understand the issues young people confront and to support each other in these efforts. Ultimately, this endeavor strengthens the Jewish community’s ability to provide developmentally and culturally-appropriate care and build resilience among young people.

Through the Roundtable, leaders meet regularly to share best practices, problem-solve, and collaborate. They create resources that draw on Jewish wisdom to promote well-being and healthy environments, addressing issues such as addiction and substance use disorders, controlling behaviors, body image, issues of suicidality, creating physically and psychologically safe spaces, how antisemitism, impacts mental health, coping with failure in high performing communities. By their actions, the professionals in the Roundtable have helped prove that Jewish engagement and experiences can be a powerful tool for building resilience. To date, hundreds of professionals have been trained and positively influence youth and young adults every day. Organizations can learn more about joining the Roundtable here.

I feel like definitely more people are coming out and asking for help, but at the same time, being a little more scared to. In quarantine, we had a lot of time to ourselves. A lot of people had time to think and were stuck in their thoughts. We have school guidance counselors, and the rate of people going to these counselors and seeking help has gone up tremendously…Having a friend to talk to is amazing, but you can’t do nearly as much as someone who is a licensed professional.
– Carly LaKind, Jewish Teen Initiative Peer Wellness Fellows from Swampscott 

In an uncertain world, amplified by two years of collective trauma, young people face increasing levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness. They often turn to friends first when they are struggling, but not everyone is properly equipped to respond. In addition to trainings the Roundtable offers to Jewish professionals, it also offers teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) trainings through its trusted partner, National Council for Mental Wellbeing. These trainings teach teens how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among their friends and peers. By the end of 2022, the Roundtable will train hundreds of teens in these skills.

If mental health becomes less of a stigma and more of an accepted social concept, and if teens can help their friends, our society will become a better place. We tell students they are not therapists or social workers, but we give them the tools to help someone find the people and places where they can have safe conversations.
– Jillian Feiger, Director of Jewish Student Connection, who led a Teen Peer-to-Peer Mental Health First-Aid Certification Training in Colorado, run in partnership with the Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Collaborative powered by Jewish Federations of North America.

The Resiliency Roundtable is a strategic pillar of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)’s new BeWell initiative , in partnership with the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, the leading voice for the Jewish human service sector and association of 150 nonprofits. This unique and strategic partnership is helping youth and communities across the U.S. draw on Jewish tradition to strengthen their resiliency, develop the emotional literacy to support friends, and form positive relationships.

JFNA’s leadership with the BeWell initiative and this partnership gives Jewish professionals and organizations around the country access to BeWell’s consulting, skills-based trainings, education workshops, resiliency-building programs, and grant funding. Through these services, BeWell aims to help educate, prepare, and support people who are seeking or providing mental health care for teens and young adults. BeWell’s grant recipients will include local and national organizations who will be connected to the Resiliency Roundtable and each other so they can benefit from collective research and best practices.

By both bringing professionals together through the Resiliency Roundtable and expanding resources and support through BeWell, JFNA’s strategy reflects the community’s need and the opportunity at hand. When young people develop a strong sense of self, they will be better able to build a more compassionate world. Jewish organizations, culture, and traditions have the power to elevate their lives and deepen their connections to each other and the Jewish community.

Learn more at jewishtogether.org/bewell and get your resources for May’s Mental Health Awareness Month and the entire year. The Jim Joseph Foundation is a supporter of the Resiliency Roundtable and the larger BeWell Initiative. For more information please contact [email protected].

Rabbi Passow shaped my life at Harvard Hillel. From his brilliant divrei torah to his all-inclusive meals, he focuses on each individual while creating a wholesome community around them.
-Joe Hostyk, Cambridge, MA

Two years ago, YCT (Yeshivat Chovevei Torah) recognized that while the world had changed dramatically in the last 20 years, its mission—to train and ordain Modern Orthodox rabbis—had remained the same.  A new vision, and a new business and strategic plan, would be necessary if the institution was to remain at the cutting edge of its field.

At the heart of YCT’s rabbinical school was a distinctive talent for training mission-driven Jewish leaders, a vision for creating diverse and welcoming communities, and a belief that a Torah deeply anchored in the past can and must speak to who and where Jewish people are today. A four-year ordination program is one way to bring such leaders and Torah to the Modern Orthodox and larger Jewish community, but YCT recognizes that it is not the only way. 

While still centered around its rabbinical school, the institution now defines itself in broader terms; it is a source of “Vibrant Torah Leadership” and is known simply as “YCT,” or “Chovevei.” This new identity—internally dubbed “YCT 2.0”—is reflected in a range of initiatives designed to expand its impact and engage new audiences:

YCT’s Jewel (Jewish Leaders and Educators) Certificate Program focuses on non-rabbis, providing one year of immersive Torah learning and preeminent professional and pastoral training for individuals committed to serving at least one year in a Jewish professional capacity. This fully-funded program seeks to create empowered Jewish leaders who are confident in their Torah and professional skills and active listeners with an approachable, pastoral presence. Graduates of the program have access to job opportunities and professional connections through the YCT alumni network. YCT believes that Jewel will inspire more people to enter careers in Jewish communal service and maximize their future impact.

YCT’s competitive Zakkai Fellowship for Rabbinic Innovation provides mentorship and matching grants to spur innovative programming among its 150 alumni, expanding the impact and reach of its rabbis and of YCT’s religious and communal vision. With these supports and encouragement, YCT alumni can face new challenges and serve a broader, more diverse community outside of Orthodox congregational walls.

Recognizing the success of its rabbis in both pulpit and non-pulpit positions, and the growing need for rabbis in a range of roles, YCT also collaborated with Clal’s LTI program to provide students with training in innovative leadership and community building. More broadly, YCT shifted much of its professional training from the classroom to in-service, field-based, mentored training, individualized to the student’s needs and talents.

Going beyond the borders of North America, YCT’s highly successful, Israel-based Rikmah (Hebrew for “tapestry”) program brings YCT’s signature training and Torah to Israeli rabbis in the field. Rather than focusing on rabbinic skills, the program emphasizes rabbinic identity. Participants meet with religious leaders ranging from the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem to the rabbi of one of the largest Reform synagogues in the U.S. Starting with its third cohort, which began just a few months ago, YCT has brought on Maharat as a partnering institution to train both women and men in rabbinic capacities in Israel.

Within these programs and others, YCT develops leaders who can address issues vital to daily life, such as climate change and advocacy for and modeling of disabilities accommodation. As just one example, all of YCT’s public programming has live closed captioning and ASL interpretation, and soon it will publish a resource book and practical guide for those seeking to do the same. YCT plans to play a similar leadership and advocacy role in the area of social-emotional disabilities as well.

With its new program offerings, committed alumni, and vast resources, YCT is poised for continued growth and deeper impact in communities across the country and in Israel.

The Jim Joseph Foundation is a supporter of YCT.  The growth and expansion detailed above has also been made possible through the generous support of the Aviv Foundation, Micah Philanthropies, Maimonides Fund, and Preside. Learn more at yctorah.org