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Audience: Middle School clear filter
Sunday, July 26
 

TBA

Coming of age with Anne Frank
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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 TBA
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YIMBY: Yes, In My Back Yard! Using Your Community's Spaces spaces for Jewish Learning
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
The majority of our students lives take place outside our Jewish classrooms and Jewish spaces. Jewish learning "on the road" in your own community can increase the impact of what students learn in applicable and relatable ways. Can you teach kashrut at the grocery store? The value of Tzedakah at an art museum or gallery? Find Jewish history in your own back yard? YES, you can. Learn how you can use the spaces around your neighborhood to develop interactive learning that spark your students' interest and excitement.
Speakers
avatar for Ramona Brand

Ramona Brand

Director of Youth Learning, Temple Beth El
Ramona Brand M.Ed, is the Director of Youth Learning at Temple Beth-El in Richmond, Virginia. She has been a director of Congregational Supplemental schools for twenty-five years and is excited to be able to share her passion for Jewish education with other educators. She will be... Read More →
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Building Bridges: Creating an Interfaith Program on the Holocaust and Jewish Culture
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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
avatar for Cathy Polakoff

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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Cinema as aTeaching Tool in Holocaust Education
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
Today there is a plethora of Holocaust themed films, many are Academy Award winners. Many also have been adapted from books.This session will look at how to incorporate the use of movie trailers to supplement curriculum on various themes- eg. Kindertransport, Righteous Among the Nations, Resistance, etc. A primary source for the session is Richard Brownstein's Holocaust Cinema Complete: A History and Analysis of 400 Films. Participants will leave the session with resources for their classroom.
Speakers
avatar for Marcia Wollner

Marcia Wollner

regional director, March of. the Living, Western Region
Marcia Tatz Wollner is the Western Region Director of the March of the Living. Living in San Diego, she teaches Holocaust education in many congregational schools. She is the former school services director of the Agency for Jewish Education. She holds a masters in Jewish Studies... Read More →
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Expanding Holocaust-Era Persecution: Jewish Experiences in the Middle East, North Africa, and Beyond
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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
avatar for Ty Alhadeff

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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Telling Their Story
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
I will share strategies learning at the 2022 Yad Vashem Supplemental School Seminar to support educators in developing educationally and emotionally accessible lessons to elementary and middle school students. Learn methods to create content for Holocaust education which can be used in a variety of settings. We are obliged to tell stories of survivors and victims factually, using first person narrative when possible. Four different family Holocaust stories will be shared using a variety of methods, including artifacts and testimony.
Speakers
avatar for Ramona Brand

Ramona Brand

Director of Youth Learning, Temple Beth El
Ramona Brand M.Ed, is the Director of Youth Learning at Temple Beth-El in Richmond, Virginia. She has been a director of Congregational Supplemental schools for twenty-five years and is excited to be able to share her passion for Jewish education with other educators. She will be... Read More →
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Unpacking and Previewing the 2026 Israeli Election
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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.
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Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Bringing Generations Together: Models and Grant Support for Jewish Educators
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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
avatar for Judith Turner

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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Is it a Mitzvah to Vote?
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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 TBA
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The Power of Jewish Stories
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
In this interactive session, participants will explore the psychology of storytelling: how stories move us, connect us, and help us think more deeply. Together, we will examine how personal and communal Jewish stories can be used as powerful tools for meaningful education.
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Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Words to Action: Empowering Jewish Students
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
Words to Action empowers young Jewish people to become leaders in addressing antisemitism and encourages them to explore and connect to their Jewish identity and to each other. This session will demonstrate activities that young people engage in, and share the ways WTA can be brought to school and Jewish communities.
Speakers
avatar for Shayna Meisel

Shayna Meisel

Shayna Meisel is Director of Education Content & Advocacy for ADL (the Anti-Defamation League). She began her career with ADL as the D.C. region’s Education Director, after an 8-year career as a classroom teacher. Shayna oversees the development, editing and updating of ADL’s... Read More →
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Comparing Shabbat Service Sections
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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!
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Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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How the Right Siddur Can Open Doors
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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
avatar for Joshua Cahan

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 →
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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The Tefilah Reboot Project
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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
avatar for Joshua Cahan

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 →
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Between Word and Deed: Music, Middot, and Meaning-Making
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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
avatar for Deborah Peretz

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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Moments of Memory: Using Storytelling to Enhance Your Holocaust Education Program
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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
avatar for Cathy Polakoff

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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How to Create Learning That's Deep AND Fun for Kids - and Yourself!
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
In this session we’ll explore a text in a multimodal way, hear case studies on how applying these practices has increased learner curiosity and engagement, and unpack theories of what makes multimodal learning powerful. Attendees will leave with strategies on how to apply these practices in their schools and classrooms.
Speakers
avatar for Miriam Roochvarg

Miriam Roochvarg

Miriam Roochvarg is a Jewish Placemaking Resident at Makom Community. Miriam earned her Masters in Education with a concentration in Jewish Instructional Education from Gratz College. Before becoming a Resident, Miriam served as Director of Jewish Learning and Programming for a shul... Read More →
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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All my Values Come From the Movies (and streaming and binging...)
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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 TBA
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Built to Last: Jewish Practice and Lifelong Resilience
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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
avatar for Julie Hirschfeld

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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Experiential Learning for Beginners
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
There are so many ways to create learning experiences that engage our students. What if you could create experiences where the students are the masters of their own learning? Experiential learning may be the answer. In this session we will begin to explore how one educator has helped teachers adapt the methods and ideas developed by the Institute for Experiential Jewish Education, where he trained. We will attempt the deliberate infusion of Jewish Values (Middot) into engaging and memorable experiences that impact on the formation of Jewish Identity.

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 TBA
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Level Up Your Classroom: The Power of Team-Building Games
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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
avatar for Jill Eisen

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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Project-Based Learning: A How-To Workshop
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
Using the Buck Institute method for developing PBLs, we will explore the beauty and power of PBLs in the Jewish classroom and the intentional creation of this type of learning. You will also have the time, tools, and guidance to begin to create your own. A PBL created by the workshop facilitator during a Buck Institute workshop, currently used in schools throughout the country, will serve as an example.

PBLs are a learning model that engages learners deeply, is fun, and leads to a showcase that engages the entire family and the congregation. They can develop one for their schools.
Speakers
avatar for Ronni Ticker

Ronni Ticker

Founder and Chief Imagination Officer, Jewish Learning Central

Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Wool Needle Felting and the Energy of Separation
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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
avatar for Jill Eisen

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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Adding Elders to the Classroom: Enhancing Jewish Learning with Intergenerational Connections.
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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
avatar for Shai Rosenfeld

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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Rhythm & Voice: Engaging Students through Spoken Word
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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 TBA
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The Jewish Future: Investing in Teen Leadership Development
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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
avatar for Brandon Gabay

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 →
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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Vayikra for Vegetarians: Teaching Objectionable Texts
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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
avatar for Paul Solyn

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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Waterworld or Desertville: Why Does Torah Tell Us Two Different Creation Stories?
Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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…
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Sunday July 26, 2026 TBA
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