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Sunday, July 26
 

2:00pm EDT

Building Bridges: Creating Empathy Across Cultures Through Jewish Food
Sunday July 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
This workshop will be a look at how an introduction to how Jewish foods can be used to teach teens and adults about Jewish culture, it's similarities to other cultures around the world, and how that culture was impacted by 20th century Jewish history. The goal of this workshop is to build empathy, fight anti-semitism, and encourage people of all cultures to look for the similarities and the good in others.
Speakers
avatar for Cathy Polakoff

Cathy Polakoff

Storytelling Director, Teach the Shoah
Cathy Polakoff is a Storytelling Director at Teach the Shoah. She has held a variety of roles in education since earning her M.Ed in 2014. She now focuses on guiding people in telling factual stories to educate others about the Holocaust. Cathy frequently volunteers at her synagogue... Read More →
Sunday July 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
College Hall Rm 323

2:00pm EDT

Teaching Israel in a Post-Oct. 7 Reality
Sunday July 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Teaching about Israel, Zionism, antizionism, and how these ideas can intersect with Jew-hatred is a prerequisite skill for Jewish educators in the 21st century. In this session we will explore how to teach learners in order to engage deeply with the subjects, create shared understanding, build historical knowledge, encourage real curiosity, and build Jews who see themselves as part of the story.
Speakers
Sunday July 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
College Hall Rm 202

2:00pm EDT

Creating New Authentically Jewish Rituals
Sunday July 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
This class will explore how new Jewish rituals can be created, and how traditional rituals can be renewed, to meet the emotional and spiritual needs of contemporary life. We will examine what makes a ritual meaningful and rooted in Jewish tradition, while responding to experiences that may not have established communal practices.
Using a ritual template created by Andrea for women who have gone through the loss of pregnancy, participants will analyze effective ritual. We will identify moments in Jewish life that may call for new or revitalized rituals and consider how tradition can serve as a framework for healing, transition, memory, and connection. Through discussion and reflection, participants will gain tools to engage in the evolving work of Jewish ritual innovation.

Speakers
avatar for Andrea Shupack

Andrea Shupack

Cantorial Soloist
Andrea Shupack is a cantorial soloist, musician, educator, and storyteller in the Pacific Northwest. She is studying for Rabbinic and Cantorial ordination at the Academy for Jewish Religion in New York. For the past 25 years she has worked in Conservative, Reform, and Renewal communities... Read More →
Sunday July 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
College Hall Rm 236

2:00pm EDT

Is It a Mitzvah to Vote?
Sunday July 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
We want our lessons to be relevant to our learners. Ahead of the midterms, come learn the Jewish perspective on voting. Participants will walk away with physical and digital materials that they can use with their students.
Speakers
avatar for David Schwartz

David Schwartz

Education Director, Temple Har Zion
David Schwartz is the Education Director at Har Zion in Chicago.  When he’s not doing that he is a B’nai Mitzvah tutor and Jewish storyteller.  David is also on the Board of the JEA and an MTEI graduate.  However, his most important role is husband to Miriam and Abba to 10-year-old... Read More →
Sunday July 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
College Hall Rm 319

2:00pm EDT

All My Values Come from the Movies (and streaming and binging...)
Sunday July 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
What can Ryan Gosling, Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba and Jenna Ortega teach our teens about Jewish Values? A lot when they star in a popular film or series...and then YOU help them unpack what is on the screen! We will explore how to bring clips from current releases and classics and make your classes come alive. This session comes with a three year warranty!


Speakers
avatar for Ira Wise

Ira Wise

Ira currently serves as Temple Educator at Temple Beth Tikvah, a Reform congregation in Madison, CT, and has served as  a mentor for other synagogue educators through the Leadership Institute, HUC-JIR and Beit T'shuvah. He has attended and presented at CAJE and NewCAJE off and on... Read More →
Sunday July 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
College Hall Rm 237

2:00pm EDT

Walking Together: Helping Teens Support Others through Uncertain Times
Sunday July 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Judaism recognizes that life includes moments of illness, grief, and loss. Rather than avoiding these moments, Jewish tradition offers guidance for how we care for one another when life is most difficult. This session explores how we, as educators, can guide tweens and teens to support those who are suffering and show up with compassion, presence, and courage. Take-home tools: Jewish texts, conversation starters, and experiential activities to effectively engage with teens in your educational setting.
Speakers
avatar for Nina Woldin

Nina Woldin

Adult Educator, Artist, Consultant, Exhibitor, Non-Profit Staff/CEO, curriculum writer, Chai Mitzvah
Nina Woldin, Managing Director of Chai Mitzvah, has worked in Jewish education for decades, creating student materials and programs for all ages, pre-K – adult. Her work has been published by Behrman House, Ktav, Kar Ben Publishing, Addison Wesley and Grolier. She created one of... Read More →
Sunday July 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Maria Hall Multipurpose I

4:45pm EDT

Coming of Age with Anne Frank
Sunday July 26, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT
Anne Frank’s diary is one of the most published books of all time. Written between the ages of 13 and 15 years old, modern bar and bat mitzvah age students still find her passages relatable to their own experiences. This workshop will explore ways to include Anne Frank’s legacy in meaningful ways during the B’nai Mitzvah years through interactive lessons and an impactful mitzvah project opportunity.
Speakers
avatar for Danielle Glass

Danielle Glass

Danielle Glass is educator with extensive experience in Jewish community programming. She holds a master's degree in education and is a self-taught artist. Danielle strives to inspire students through engaging and interactive learning experiences and brings her passion for teaching... Read More →
Sunday July 26, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT
College Hall Rm 320

4:45pm EDT

How We Talk Matters: Communication Skills for Educators
Sunday July 26, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT
Every educator faces moments when conversations feel challenging. In this interactive workshop, grounded in the MTEI principle How We Talk Matters, we’ll build practical skills for listening with empathy, speaking with clarity, and responding thoughtfully in the moment. Through real-life scenarios and guided practice, participants will explore how to turn everyday interactions into opportunities for connection, trust, and meaningful learning.
Speakers
SK

Seymour Kopelowitz

Program Director, MTEI
Seymour Kopelowitz is the program director of MTEI at the Mandel Foundation. He has served as a day school principal, Director of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, and Executive Director of the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland. Seymour has a Ph.D. in educational leadership... Read More →
avatar for Deborah Niederman, RJE

Deborah Niederman, RJE

Leader of Recruitment, Mandel Teacher Educator Institute
Deborah Niederman, RJE is the Leader of Recruitment for the Mandel Teacher Educator Institute (MTEI) and Director of Education at Temple Shalom in Dallas, TX. With over 30 years in Jewish education, she is passionate about mentoring leaders, fostering innovation, and integrating learning... Read More →
Sunday July 26, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT
Maria Hall Multipurpose I

4:45pm EDT

Rhythm & Voice: Engaging Students through Spoken Word
Sunday July 26, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT
Interactive spoken-word tools can empower classroom engagement. Discover how spoken-word activities—like call-and-response ‘Daily Blessings,’ guided ‘David & Goliath’ rap-battles, and group ring shouts—can energize your classroom. These easy-to-lead exercises foster student participation, focus, and joy, even without musical expertise.
Speakers
avatar for Rachel Haymer

Rachel Haymer

Co-director of rappers and rabbis, Rachel Haymer is a Honolulu native now in NYC for over a decade. With an extensive Jewish and secular résumé, she brings her experience as.Tkiya music, leader, cantorial, soloist, Jewish educator, and the new creative program director of the women’s... Read More →
Sunday July 26, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT
College Hall Rm 202

4:45pm EDT

Violence Against the Earth in the Abrahamic Religions
Sunday July 26, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT
In this session we'll examine key texts, ancient and modern, from the major Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—to learn how each teaches its adherents about caring for the environment. We'll discuss what the differences in their approaches mean, and how to use the texts either in our own settings or with an interfaith group.
Speakers
avatar for Paul Solyn

Paul Solyn

Adult Educator
Paul Solyn is an adult educator in Elmira, NY. He received an M.J.Ed. degree and family educator certificate from Hebrew College, Boston, and a graduate certificate in eco-spirituality from Hartford International University.
Sunday July 26, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT
College Hall Rm 239
 

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