NewCAJE17: 50th Anniversary: Full Schedule

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9:00am EDT

Unpacking and Previewing the 2026 Israeli Election

Tuesday July 28, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT

This session will provide educators the space to think about the 2026 Israeli election. After a brief overview of the political system. participants will think about the views of key figures through primary source quotes and political ads.

Speakers

Jonathan Golden

Dr. Jonathan Golden is a Senior Educator at OpenDor Media who works in the Unpacked for Educators and ConnectED divisions. He teaches at the Hebrew College in Boston and for the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. Previously, he served as the Israel Curriculum Coordinator and... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT
Maria Hall Multipurpose 2

Israel, History

Company History
Audience Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers
Track Israel
Type Main

9:00am EDT

The Tefilah Reboot Project

Tuesday July 28, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT

College Hall Graduate Lounge

You CAN transform your Tefilah program. We'll learn how to:
• Identify strengths and opportunities for growth
• Set clear, achievable goals for your Tefilah program
• Train and empower faculty as confident, creative Tefilah leaders
• Integrate emotional and spiritual wellness practices into traditional prayer

Speakers

Joshua Cahan

Joshua Cahan is a writer and tefilah consultant from Riverdale, NY. He is the author of The Yedid Nefesh Bencher, The Yedid Nefesh Haggadah, and a new series of siddurim for camps and schools. He has rabbinic ordination and a Ph.D. in Rabbinic Literature from the Jewish Theological... Read More →

The Tefilah Reboot Project docx

Tefilah Reboot pptx

Tuesday July 28, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT
College Hall Graduate Lounge

Spirituality/Tefilah, Teaching Tools & Techniques

Company Spirituality/Tefilah
Audience Middle School, High School, Teachers, Principals
Type Main

9:00am EDT

Moments of Memory: Using Storytelling to Enhance Your Holocaust Education Program

Tuesday July 28, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT

College Hall Rm 319

This workshop would include a discussion of what constitutes age-appropriate content/curricula and examples of useful resources and websites. The next part of the workshop would cover the use of stories and anecdotes to enhance a Holocaust lesson, and how to find stories that are both factual and appropriate. There would also be a discussion on how to present stories without having storytelling experience. The workshop would finish with the development of a rough outline for a Holocaust lesson plan that attendees can take with them.

Speakers

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 →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT
College Hall Rm 319

Storytelling, History

Company Spirituality/Tefilah, History
Audience Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers, Principals
Track Holocaust
Type Main

9:00am EDT

Level Up Your Classroom: The Power of Team-Building Games

Tuesday July 28, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT

College Hall Rm 348

Unlock the potential of play to transform your learning environment. This session explores how teambuilding games serve as more than just "icebreakers"—they are essential tools for building a strong, inclusive community where every student feels they belong. Beyond social connection, you’ll learn how to seamlessly integrate these activities into your existing curriculum to increase student engagement. Discover creative strategies to use games to reinforce core lesson content and turn learning into an interactive, high-energy experience. Wear comfortable clothes as we will learn and build kehillah by participating in these games.

Speakers

Jill Eisen

Jill Eisen is the Director of Program Partnerships at Pearlstone, the Headquarters of Adamah. She has her BA from Penn State and two Masters from Baltimore Hebrew University. Working at Pearlstone entwines the environment and Jewish values she holds dear. Each day holds a new adventure... Read More →

NewCaje TeamBuiling in Classrrooms docx

Tuesday July 28, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT
College Hall Rm 348

Teaching Tools and Techniques, Classroom Management

Company Spirituality/Tefilah, Classroom Management
Audience Lower Elementary School, Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers, Principals, Not Age-Specific
Type Main

9:00am EDT

Vayikra for Vegetarians: Teaching Objectionable Texts

Tuesday July 28, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT

Maria Hall Yoga Room

Both young and adult students raise objections, sometimes stringently, to many texts from the Tanakh. We do no one any favors by avoiding all such texts, but how do we respond to valid ethical objections and teach the texts successfully? We'll explore issues ranging from animal sacrifice to women's rights and genocide and work together to develop a consistent framework for teaching them.

Speakers

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.

Vayikra for Vegetarians pdf

Tuesday July 28, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT
Maria Hall Yoga Room

Text/Bible/Theology, Teaching Tools & Techniques

Company Spirituality/Tefilah, Teaching Tools & Techniques
Audience Upper Elementary, Middle School, Adult Students
Type Main

11:00am EDT

Resilience: Amazing Courageous Stories of Young Holocaust Survivors

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT

College Hall Rm 319

Resilience is an educational program designed for educators to bring themes of strength, survival, and hope into the classroom through poetry, art, and testimony inspired by young Holocaust survivors. It provides age-appropriate materials, discussion guides, and reflective activities that help students connect history to empathy, resilience, and personal responsibility. Educators are empowered to facilitate meaningful conversations about the Holocaust while fostering critical thinking compassion and deeper understanding of human dignity and resilience in today’s world.

Speakers

Jennifer Alembik

Cheryl is an educator and advocate for Holocaust remembrance and youth empowerment. She is the Founder and President of the Holocaust Youth Survivors Legacy Foundation, Inc., where she creates arts- and poetry-based programs that bring survivor voices to students. Her work is dedicated... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT
College Hall Rm 319

History, Storytelling

Company History, Storytelling
Audience Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers
Track Holocaust
Type Main

11:00am EDT

Comparing Shabbat Service Sections

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT

Maria Hall Yoga Room

You may have been to Shabbat services, but have you thought about how the different services on Shabbat work? In this section we’ll explore how the different Shabbat services are similar, comparing structures, prayers, and nusach (traditional chanting). You’ll leave with a new appreciation and understanding that will enrich your Shabbat service experience from now on!

Speakers

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 →

Neil Schwartz

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT
Maria Hall Yoga Room

Spirituality/Tefilah, Torah Lishma

Company Spirituality/Tefilah
Audience Lower Elementary School, Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers, Principals
Type Main

11:00am EDT

Igniting Tefilah Leadership

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT

College Hall Rm 340

Leading supplementary school Tefilah can be intimidating, especially if you're unsure about your singing voice or you don't have training as a prayer leader. Come learn strategies to make prayer come alive for your students, including infusing movement and hand motions, and dream about what Tefilah could be in your setting. You'll leave this workshop inspired to lead Tefilah with newfound confidence and joy!

Speakers

Shelley Stein

Melissa Pescatore

Director of Youth Learning and Engagement, Temple Shaari Emeth

Melissa Pescatore is the Director of Youth Learning and Engagement at Temple Shaari Emeth in Manalapan, NJ. Serving as Education Director in the congregation where she grew up, she is passionate about instilling a love of learning and building a strong, positive Jewish identity in... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT
College Hall Rm 340

Spirituality/Tefilah, Teaching Tools & Techniques

Company Spirituality/Tefilah, Teaching Tools & Techniques
Audience Early Childhood, Lower Elementary School, Upper Elementary, Middle School, Teachers, Principals
Type Main

11:00am EDT

Magic the Gathering for Your Classroom

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT

College Hall Rm 239

Are you looking for a way to connect your students more deeply with your content? Do your students struggle with engagement? Magic the Gathering may be the way! This popular longstanding trading card game offers many opportunities to engage students in Jewish learning of all types. Show up to learn more about this useful (and fun) format!

Speakers

Nora Gorenstein

Educator, Jewish Community of Amherst

Nora Gorenstein is an experienced Jewish educator with a broad range of experience in classroom teaching, fundraising, nonprofit leadership, and program design. She is passionate about ensuring that every individual and family is supported on their journeys and has access to opportunities... Read More →

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Passover the Gathering 20260724 103725 0000 pdf

Mtg sample lessons docx

Passover%20Villains%20Variant%20Rules pdf

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT
College Hall Rm 239

Teaching Tools & Techniques, Teens/Youth Engagement

Company Teaching Tools & Techniques
Audience Middle School
Type Main

11:00am EDT

Stirring Up Engagement: Culinary Programming for Youth and Teens

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT

College Hall Rm 348

Food is an evergreen tool for building community, developing leadership, and getting kids excited. In this session, I'll share programs I've run—from teen-catered kiddush luncheons and challah bake fundraisers to cooking chuggim, recipe-testing events, and even entire pop-up restaurants. Whether you have a handful of children or more hands than you'd know what to do with, this session will provide practical ideas, lessons learned, and ready-to-use materials for creating meaningful, engaging, and even revenue-generating culinary programs.

Speakers

Emily Catalano

After accidentally gaslighting a rabbi, Emily Catalano, a bartender, found a fulfilling career in Jewish engagement and education. Now a seasoned youth director and educator, she has worked with children and teens of all ages (infants, too!) for nearly a decade. She works at PJTC... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT
College Hall Rm 348

Teens/Youth Engagement, Jewish Life & Identity

Audience Middle School, High School
Type Main

3:00pm EDT

Beyond the Workshop - Wool Needle Felting and the Energy of Separation

Tuesday July 28, 2026 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT

College Hall Rm 340

This unique study combines the tactile, meditative art of wool needle felting with a deep dive into the holiness of separation—a principle rooted in the biblical prohibition of mixing wool and linen. The Art of Wool Needle Felting is a dry-sculpting technique that uses specialized barbed needles to tangle animal fibers—typically sheep’s wool—into solid forms. The repetitive motion of "strategic stabbing" is often described as a relaxing, stressfree creative outlet.

Speakers

Jill Eisen

Tuesday July 28, 2026 3:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
College Hall Rm 340

Administration, Self-Care/Wellbeing

Company Spirituality/Tefilah, Self-Care/Wellbeing
Audience Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers, Principals
Type Main

4:45pm EDT

Expanding Holocaust-Era Persecution: Jewish Experiences in the Middle East, North Africa, and Beyond

Tuesday July 28, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT

College Hall Rm 319

This session expands Holocaust education by examining the impact of Nazi persecution beyond Central and Eastern Europe, focusing on Sephardi, Mizrahi, and Maghrebi communities. Participants will explore case studies from the Balkans, North Africa, and the Middle East, and engage with resources such as JIMENA’s Sephardi & Mizrahi Educational Toolkit. The session equips educators with historical knowledge and practical strategies to integrate these narratives into curricula and connect them to contemporary antisemitism.

Speakers

Ty Alhadeff

Director of Education, JIMENA

Ty Alhadeff is Director of Education at JIMENA, where he leads initiatives promoting Sephardi and Mizrahi history, including the Sephardic Leadership Institute and projects such as Distinctions: A Sephardi and Mizrahi Journal, the Sephardi & Mizrahi Education Toolkit, and AIMEE, a... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT
College Hall Rm 319

History, Jewish Life & Identity

Audience Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers, Principals
Track Holocaust
Type Main

4:45pm EDT

Why Singing Together Works: The Neuroscience of Music, Breath, and Bonding

Tuesday July 28, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT

College Hall Rm 340

Music is one of the most powerful pathways we have for Jewish engagement and education. For songleaders, music specialists, and educators who use music with kiddos and their grown-ups, this workshop teaches brain-based principles that turn song into strategy: preventative care, engagement enhancement, and chaos control. We explore how singing syncs breath, builds bonding, anchors memory, and supports mood modulation and meaning-making. Songs are modeled throughout to demonstrate each principle in practice.

Speakers

Emily Aronoff

Dr Emily Celebrates

Dr. Emily Aronoff cultivates connection through songleading that sparks joy, makes meaning, & secures a Jewish future. With 25 years of practice, she leads music & movement with kiddos & their families, offers professional development, consulting, & curriculum to Jewish institutions... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT
College Hall Rm 340

Music, Jewish Life & Identity

Company Music
Audience Early Childhood, Lower Elementary School, Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers, Not Age-Specific
Type Main

4:45pm EDT

How the Right Siddur Can Open Doors

Tuesday July 28, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT

Maria Hall Yoga Room

Can a siddur crafted with your students in mind help transform your Tefilah culture? We will explore the new Yedid Nefesh siddur series and talk about how it can help kids connect to prayer in new ways.

Speakers

Joshua Cahan

02 Siddur Kabb Shab pdf

Torah rdgs for siddur pdf

Tuesday July 28, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT
Maria Hall Yoga Room

Spirituality/Tefilah, Teaching Tools & Techniques

Company Spirituality/Tefilah
Audience Middle School, High School, Teachers
Type Main

4:45pm EDT

Built to Last: Jewish Practice and Lifelong Resilience

Tuesday July 28, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT

College Hall Rm 239

On hard days, our sense of mission can feel elusive. This session offers something grounding: evidence from neuroscience and epidemiology research that building ritual literacy, fostering belonging, and transmitting meaning can be directly linked to children's long-term ability to manage anxiety and depression, resist addiction, and recover from trauma. Your work as a Jewish educator is, quite literally, protective! We'll discuss empowering practical strategies for classroom choices and for parent communication aligned with these important findings.

Speakers

Julie Hirschfeld

Dr.Julie Hirschfeld (MA, Oxon., PhD, NYU) is a clinical psychologist and founder of The Jewish Resilience Initiative, which promotes awareness of the mental health benefits of Jewish practice. Trained in family therapy, spiritually integrated psychotherapy, and Mussar facilitation... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT
College Hall Rm 239

Teaching Tools and Techniques, Big Picture of Jewish Education

Company Spirituality/Tefilah, Big Picture of Jewish Education
Audience Early Childhood, Lower Elementary School, Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers, Principals, Not Age-Specific
Type Main

4:45pm EDT

The Jewish Future: Investing in Teen Leadership Development

Tuesday July 28, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT

College Hall Rm 202

This workshop is a crash course for educators, youth leaders, and program coordinators ready to take their teen programming to the next level. Participants will explore the question of how to get more teens invested in leadership and discover various structures for youth group boards and how teens can build overall ownership in their programming. By the end of this workshop, participants will walk away with a toolkit to strengthen the teen leadership within their communities.

Speakers

Brandon Gabay

Youth and Teen Engagement Manager, Temple Sinai Atlanta

Brandon (he/him) serves as one of the Youth and Teen Engagement Managers at Temple Sinai in Atlanta, Georgia. Brandon is an alumnus of Florida State University, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Communications in 2022. Brandon is a lover of all things books, baking, and... Read More →

The Jewish Future Slides pdf

Tuesday July 28, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT
College Hall Rm 202

Teens/Youth Engagement, Teaching Tools & Techniques

Company Teaching Tools & Techniques
Audience Middle School, High School
Type Main, Virtual

4:45pm EDT

Waterworld or Desertville: Why Does Torah Tell Us Two Different Creation Stories?

Tuesday July 28, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT

College Hall Graduate Lounge

Quickly: when and how were humans created, according to the Book of Genesis, Breisheet?
Did you know that there are two COMPLETEY different accounts of Creation: chapter one and chapter two?
Water-world and desert-scape. Humans last, then a human first.
What? WHY?! Which one is the “real” one??
Interested? Hope so – this is a tremendously valuable key to understanding basic Jewish theology regarding the connections between humans and the planet, human and humans, and humans and their Creator.
Bonus question: Where was Adam while Havah had the exchange with the serpent & ate the “fruit”? Learn about a certain cover-up conspiracy…

Speakers

Ruz Gulko

Rabbi/Cantor/Educator, Gan Argaman

Ruz Gulko accidentally became a Hebrew teacher in 1986, and then a lay cantor / rabbi, thus proving that no matter how you plan your life, God always has some other interesting ideas. She has worked with most of the Jewish educational and religious institutions in the greater Seattle... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 4:45pm - 6:15pm EDT
College Hall Graduate Lounge

Text/Bible/Theology, Teaching Tools & Techniques

Company Teaching Tools & Techniques, Text/Bible/Theology
Audience Lower Elementary School, Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers, Principals, Not Age-Specific
Type Main

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