NewCAJE17: 50th Anniversary

NewCAJE17: 50th Anniversary

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Coming of age with Anne Frank

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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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

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 TBA
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B-Mitzvah, Jewish Life & Identity

Company Spirituality/Tefilah, Jewish Life & Identity
Audience Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers

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How We Talk Matters: Communication Skills for Educators

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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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

Deborah Niederman

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Classroom Management, Administration

Audience Adult Students, Teachers, Principals

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Building Bridges: Creating an Interfaith Program on the Holocaust and Jewish Culture

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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This workshop would begin with a brief overview of how to choose content appropriate for a given audience and where to find such content. There would also be a discussion about useful resources and websites, and ways to include anecdotes or factual stories to enhance the program. The majority of the session would cover ways to incorporate food and activities into a Holocaust program as a method of teaching about Jewish culture, particularly in connection with what was lost because of the Holocaust, and what remains today. The workshop would finish with a discussion of how to teach Jewish culture alongside the Holocaust to an interfaith audience, and how to use these lessons to break stereotypes and create empathy.

Speakers

Cathy Polakoff

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 TBA
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History, Storytelling

Company Spirituality/Tefilah, Storytelling
Audience Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers, Principals

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

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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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 →

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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History, Jewish Life & Identity

Audience Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers, Principals

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Yearly Cycle of Festival Services

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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Religious services during the "Shalosh Regalim" (Pesach, Shavuot, & Sukkot/Sh'mini Atzeret) have much in common with Shabbat services, but the chants ("Nusach") are very different, and there are additional texts. Come explore these differences, both for your own understanding and to help teach these to your students.

Speakers

Neil Schwartz

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Holidays, Spirituality/Tefilah

Audience High School, Adult Students, Teachers, Principals

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Unpacking and Previewing the 2026 Israeli Election

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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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

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Israel, History

Audience Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers

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Bringing Generations Together: Models and Grant Support for Jewish Educators

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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Educators are eager to bring generations together, but often lack the funding, structure, or tested models to do so well. This session introduces DOROT’s Grant Program, which supports organizations in launching cohort-based intergenerational Jewish experiential learning experiences. Participants will explore what makes intergenerational programming meaningful and sustainable, learn about the grant’s requirements and supports, and consider whether this opportunity is a fit for their community.

Speakers

Judith Turner

Judith Turner is Senior Program Officer for Volunteer Services and Intergenerational Program Engagement at DOROT. She drives innovation and growth, establishing pedagogy and best practices in intergenerational programming and volunteer engagement. She is a 2021 Covenant Award recipient... Read More →

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Jewish Life & Identity, Teens/Youth Engagement

Audience Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers, Principals

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Is it a Mitzvah to Vote?

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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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

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 TBA
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Jewish Life & Identity, Text/Bible/Theology

Company Spirituality/Tefilah, Text/Bible/Theology
Audience Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers

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Circle Singing Workshop

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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Join me for a joyful circle-singing workshop inspired by Jewish music, where we’ll create spontaneous music together through rhythm, harmony, and playful vocal improvisation. No experience is needed—just your voice and your curiosity. We’ll build layered soundscapes, listen deeply, and celebrate the magic that happens when a group becomes one living instrument. Come add your voice to the circle and explore the power of shared creativity.

Speakers

Jen Keren

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Music, Spirituality/Tefilah

Audience High School, Adult Students

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Ayin Tovah - A Good Eye - Focusing on the Good: Cultivating a Positive Outlook through Creative Movement and Expressive Arts

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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How can we develop Ayin Tovah, a positive, healing outlook? Through creative movement! We will “move” and “be moved by” its Hebrew letters, עין טובה, explore their kabbalistic meaning, and further our understanding via drawing/journaling. Learn my holistic approach to teaching Hebrew letters, whose gestural, spatial designs connect us to Jewish spirituality. For both children and adults!

Speakers

Davida Adelberg

Teaches Jewish Studies and Beginning Hebrew, Congregation Sinai

Davida Adelberg teaches Jewish Studies and Beginning Hebrew at Congregation Sinai in San Jose, CA. She enjoys creative movement and Jewish spiritual connection, uniting both in "moving" the Hebrew letters with the gestural Alef-Bet, created by Stan Tenen, z"l. Davida is blessed... Read More →

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Spirituality/Tefilah, Hebrew/Yiddish

Audience Lower Elementary School, Upper Elementary, Adult Students, Teachers, Not Age-Specific

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Comparing Shabbat Service Sections

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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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

Neil Schwartz

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Spirituality/Tefilah, Torah Lishma

Audience Lower Elementary School, Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers, Principals

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Between Word and Deed: Music, Middot, and Meaning-Making

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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Between Word and Deed: Music, Middot, and Meaning-Making invites educators into a dynamic, hands-on exploration of how language, values, and lived experiences shape identity and action. Through music, Jewish text, and storytelling, participants interpret anonymous acts of giving, uncovering the diverse motivations and middot behind them. This interactive workshop highlights how different pathways lead to similar actions, offering fresh insights and practical tools for fostering empathy, meaning-making, and relationship-centered learning in Jewish educational spaces.

Speakers

Deborah Peretz

Deborah Peretz is an Israel educator and AJU doctoral student focused on language in Israel education. In her role with IsraelLINK, she designs curriculum, leads trainings, and works with educators across the Northeast and Canada. She’s passionate about creating spaces that are... Read More →

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Storytelling, Music

Company Spirituality/Tefilah, Music
Audience Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers

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

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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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

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 TBA
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Storytelling, History

Company Spirituality/Tefilah, History
Audience Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers, Principals

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All my Values Come From the Movies (and streaming and binging...)

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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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

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 TBA
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Teaching Tools and Techniques, Teens/Youth Engagement

Company Spirituality/Tefilah
Audience Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers, Principals

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Built to Last: Jewish Practice and Lifelong Resilience

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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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 →

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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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

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

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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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 →

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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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

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Wool Needle Felting and the Energy of Separation

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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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

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 →

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Teaching Tools and Techniques, Self-Care/Wellbeing

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

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Adding Elders to the Classroom: Enhancing Jewish Learning with Intergenerational Connections.

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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DOROT has been connecting generations for nearly 50 years for meaningful learning and Jewish engagement. Students of all ages can grow and deepen their relationship to Jewish traditions and text through ongoing relationships with older adults (65+). Learn practical ways to incorporate intergenerational learning into your Pedagogy. In this session we will experience and discuss tools to inspire identity formation and joyous Jewish learning through intergenerational connections.

Speakers

Shai Rosenfeld

Shai is the Director of Intergenerational Program Engagement for DOROT, a non-profit social services agency in New York City with a mission to bring generations together for mutually beneficial learning and connection. He and his team create spaces of play and possibility for youth... Read More →

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Teens/Youth Engagement, Teaching Tools & Techniques

Company Spirituality/Tefilah, Teaching Tools & Techniques
Audience Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers

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Rhythm & Voice: Engaging Students through Spoken Word

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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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

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 TBA
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Teens/Youth Engagement, Teaching Tools & Techniques

Company Spirituality/Tefilah, Teaching Tools & Techniques
Audience Lower Elementary School, Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers

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Vayikra for Vegetarians: Teaching Objectionable Texts

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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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 who retired in 2023 after more than 25 years as a Jewish educator, synagogue administrator, and Federation executive. He earned an M.J.Ed. degree from Hebrew College, Boston; is an ordained maggid-educator; and completed a graduate certificate in eco-spirituality... Read More →

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Text/Bible/Theology, Teaching Tools & Techniques

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

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Violence Against the Earth in the Abrahamic Religions

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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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

Paul Solyn

Adult Educator

Paul Solyn is an adult educator who retired in 2023 after more than 25 years as a Jewish educator, synagogue administrator, and Federation executive. He earned an M.J.Ed. degree from Hebrew College, Boston; is an ordained maggid-educator; and completed a graduate certificate in eco-spirituality... Read More →

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Text/Bible/Theology, Adult Education

Company Spirituality/Tefilah, Adult Education
Audience Adult Students, Teachers

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

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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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

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Text/Bible/Theology, Teaching Tools & Techniques

Audience Lower Elementary School, Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School, Adult Students, Teachers, Principals, Not Age-Specific

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Me or you? Me and You? The Gray Matter of Jewish Wisdom

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA

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Hillel teaches: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” Where are the boundaries? What about gray areas? Where does selflessness versus selfishness fit in? Through the story of Tamar, explore this wisdom that helps guide our interconnectedness and selfcare. Then, we will brainstorm on how to bring serious Jewish learning to teens and adults in our communities.

Speakers

Ronni Ticker

Founder and Chief Imagination Officer, Jewish Learning Central

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Torah Lishma, Jewish Life & Identity

Company Spirituality/Tefilah, Jewish Life & Identity
Audience High School, Adult Students, Teachers, Principals