The Jewish Education Experience Podcast

Yasminah Huberman
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Education

The Jewish Education Experience Podcast by Yasminah with the goal to uncover gems of wisdom with Jewish educators from around the world. The podcast features interviews with Jewish educators outlining their stories, tips of the trade, advice, support, and insights. We hope this podcast will assist educators at every stage of their journey - those who are just beginning and those who have dedicated their lives to this vital profession that is Jewish Education. 

  1. Nov 2

    122: Hebrew At The Speed Of Light with Yoel and Orly Ganor

    Yoel and Orly Ganor are the founders of Ulpan-Or, which was established in 1995. It’s an International Center for Hebrew studies and Israeli culture. Yoel has been at the forefront of revolutionizing Hebrew language studies. He studied at Technion-The Israeli Institute of Technology where he studied Electronic Engineering. He later pursued a degree in Business Administration and a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering. Orly is an innovative educator who has degrees in Hebrew Literature and Judaic Studies from Hebrew University and Kerem Institution in Jerusalem. She was a Language Lab developer at the Hebrew University Ulpan and Beit Ha’Am in Jerusalem. Yoel and Orly pioneered the Rapid Language Acquisition (RLA) method, a groundbreaking approach to language learning that blends traditional teaching with modern technology. Their success with Ulpan-Or has empowered over 70,000 students globally to improve their Hebrew proficiency. Ulpan Or provides innovative programs and self-study kits using technology.  We talk with Yoel and Orli Ganor, founders of Ulpan Or, about how they help kids and adults speak Hebrew quickly through rapid language acquisition and a multisensory, tech supported approach. We also dig into why Hebrew connects to Jewish identity, what changes after October 7, and how teachers stay essential by shifting from lecturer to facilitator.  • Why Hebrew feels like more than a subject for many Jewish learners  • How Ulpan Or began with an intensive three-week success story  • What rapid language acquisition means in real classroom terms  • Using video, audio, and curiosity to lower fear and unlock speech  • Designing online Hebrew learning with ebooks, Zoom, and self study kits  • Why students should speak most of the lesson and teachers should guide  • The challenge of hiring Hebrew teachers and training Israelis to teach Hebrew as a second language  • How Hebrew fluency changes travel, Israel connection, and confidence  • What successful Jewish education looks like when it stays creative and experiential  Book: Wisdom of Jewish EducatorsFeaturing 100 of the most notable tips from educators who were featured on the podcast.Wellnesse Natural Personal Care ProductsWellnesse was founded by a mom who wanted healthier options for families. Check out my unique link!Parenting On PurposeThis course will help you better understand your child and build a deeper connection.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

  2. Sep 24

    121: Building Independent Jewish Learners with Rabbi Yehuda Adelist

    Rabbi Yehuda Adelist was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia in the Yeshiva College school. He studied in the Rabbinical College of Australia & New Zealand and the Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim of Crown Heights. He received a Rabbinic Degree from Rav Mordechai Shmuel Ashkenazi in 2004 and graduated with a Master's degree in Education & Special Education in 2009. He has been in the field of education for over 20 years and is the founder of Torah For Children www.torah4children.com, publishers of Applied Kodesh Curriculum in core textual subjects including the Children's Chumash, Children's Gemara and Seder Kriah. He can be contacted at admin@torah4children.com or at 3477436132. Gems:  Take the time to help students master the skills, and don’t take for granted that they’re going to get it as they go along.Students need to become independent learners by a certain age.It’s rare to have a child who is an independent learner as it requires multiple skill sets.First a child needs to be able to read in a language, then make the connection and understand what they’re reading, and then they need to learn how to apply it.We need to be intentional about how we’re teaching and help our students develop all three skill sets.Teach in a way that every child will pick up what we’re teaching.When we teach so that we’re thorough in multiple skills we’re able to reach all of the students in the class and picks up the speed.The time to reach students is in the prevention, not the cure, meaning from day one in the learning process.The teacher is not supposed to be the architect. They’re the ones who know how to build up the child properly.Teachers must give over a love of learning.Every school ought to have a handbook with goals clearly mapped out and what the outlook is.Chinuch is like having a little sapling and when you make a mark on it, that mark grows bigger and bigger as the plant grows bigger.The education we give children makes a difference to them and also has a ripple effect on future generations.The Torah is a lesson for how we ought to live life.Make sure we’re reaching the children where they’re holding.We don’t need to teach everything all at once.Be flexible. Listeners of the podcast will receive 20% off your first purchase of Hebrew worksheets by using the code JEE20. Visit HebrewWorksheets.com.  Book: Wisdom of Jewish EducatorsFeaturing 100 of the most notable tips from educators who were featured on the podcast.Parenting On PurposeThis course will help you better understand your child and build a deeper connection.TikvahTikvah focuses on Classical Jewish Education.Wellnesse Natural Personal Care ProductsWellnesse was founded by a mom who wanted healthier options for families. Check out my unique link!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

  3. Aug 26

    120: Keeping Jewish Teens Connected with Rabbi Glenn Black

    Rabbi Glenn M. Black is a passionate Jewish educator and mentor dedicated to inspiring teens through meaningful Torah learning and community building. He has played a significant role in strengthening Jewish identity and engagement through his leadership as CEO of NCSY. For more than 30 years, Rabbi Black has devoted his career to creating transformative opportunities for Jewish youth and helping thousands of teens build a lasting connection to their heritage. His leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment have helped shape stronger Jewish communities and inspired countless young people to carry their Jewish identity forward with pride, ensuring a vibrant Jewish future for today and for generations to come. Gems: Care about Yiddishkeit.Help young people learn who they are.There must be consistency in the home.Investing in NCSY helps with all three major difficulties facing our nation today are the safety of Israel, assimilation and intermarriage, and antisemitism. Jewish identity is crucial to teach.Multigenerational learning is monumental today.Be role models for children.Children need rules and guidance.Parents need to be parents.Look at each child and ask yourself what does this child need from me today?Give children a sense of belonging.Make Torah relevant to our children’s lives today.Book: Wisdom of Jewish EducatorsFeaturing 100 of the most notable tips from educators who were featured on the podcast.Parenting On PurposeThis course will help you better understand your child and build a deeper connection.TikvahTikvah focuses on Classical Jewish Education.Wellnesse Natural Personal Care ProductsWellnesse was founded by a mom who wanted healthier options for families. Check out my unique link!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

  4. Aug 6

    119: Being the Guide on the Side with Rabbi Avi Horowitz

    Rabbi Avi Horowitz grew up in Scranton, PA. He studied in Baltimore in Yeshivat Ner Israel where he received his Semicha. He has a Masters in Philosophy from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. He studied at YU at Azrieli where he received a Masters in Education. Rabbi Horowitz was a community rabbi and school principal for 23 years in Santiago, Chile. In 2019, he made Aliyah and started an elementary school in Israel. Now he’s a tour guide and works for Moreshet Hakotel in the Old City. Rabbi Horowitz is also completing a Masters in Jewish History. He’s married with six children and many grandchildren. He loves biking and tennis.  www.rootsandroutesisrael.com/home-1-2 https://www.maagalot.org Gems: If you can’t explain complex ideas to laymen, then you can’t understand what you’re learning.Make sure to get a mentor.Knowing Hebrew as a Jew is completely different.Help students feel comfortable with the basics of the language and Tanach.Expose students to Israeli culture.Jewish education is about building relationships.Students need us to be the “guide on the side”. Education is passed down parents to children first.Return to the basics.Book: Wisdom of Jewish EducatorsFeaturing 100 of the most notable tips from educators who were featured on the podcast.TikvahTikvah focuses on Classical Jewish Education.Wellnesse Natural Personal Care ProductsWellnesse was founded by a mom who wanted healthier options for families. Check out my unique link!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

  5. Jul 7

    118: How Jewish Educators Can Make Learning Feel Real with Rabbi Noach Muroff

    Rabbi Noach Muroff was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada. He studied in Yeshivas Bais Yisroel in Yerushalayim for six years. While in Israel, he received his semicha from Rav Zalman Nechemia Goldberg. He then earned a Masters of Education in Administration and Supervision from Loyola University in Chicago and completed the Ohr LaGolah Teacher Training Program. During a six-year tenure as a high school Rebbe in Connecticut, Rabbi Muroff made international headlines for returning $98,000 that he found in a secondhand desk. He started at Torah Day School in 2017 as the 8th Grade Rebbe and joined the administration in 2019, now serving as the Boys' Principal. Rabbi Muroff is passionate about educating the next generation to lead their lives with Torah, middos tovos, and Kiddush Shem Shamayim. Gems: To be an effective teacher there are two parts: you have to master and be comfortable with the material that you’re teaching, and you must be able to effectively give over that material.It’s important to have the basic skills of classroom management, etc. Allow yourself time to grow in your role.Make the material relatable, it makes all the difference.Make sure our students feel that they’re loved, cared for, and that you want them to succeed.Technology is one of the biggest challenges we’re facing today that makes teaching harder.There’s nothing a teacher or Rebbe can do to compete with the fast-paced technology.Find ways to teach in an engaging and exciting way.Talk about different scenarios that come up in our daily lives.You can’t force it.Educate the parents and make sure they fully understand the dangers of technology.Too much exposure to videos on the internet sets up our children for a harder time learning.If children are not bought into the decision, they will find a way around it.Help them understand and appreciate the benefits of living a Torah lifestyle. Teach them how to use technology responsibly.Gather other parents to sign an agreement to not allow cell phones for the children.Parents need to be the parent and stand their ground on important issues.Make sure students can read well.We need to constantly adapt to reach our students.You have the opportunity to make a real impact and change people for the rest of their lives.Usually it’s the way that a student is taught is what they remember. Book: Wisdom of Jewish EducatorsFeaturing 100 of the most notable tips from educators who were featured on the podcast.Parenting On PurposeThis course will help you better understand your child and build a deeper connection.TikvahTikvah focuses on Classical Jewish Education.Wellnesse Natural Personal Care ProductsWellnesse was founded by a mom who wanted healthier options for families. Check out my unique link!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

  6. Jun 8

    117: How Relationship First Teaching Keeps Kids Connected To Torah with Rabbi Ezra Elstein

    Rabbi Ezra Elstein grew up in Philadelphia, went through the local Jewish day school system, and somewhere along the way lost his connection to Torah. It wasn't anyone's fault — it just wasn't the right fit. Years later, learning in Eretz Yisroel through open conversation and genuine curiosity, he rediscovered what Jewish learning could feel like. That experience changed everything. When he and his wife started raising their own children, they dreamed of a school where Torah felt alive and personal — where every child felt seen. So they built one. With guidance from Rav Shalom Kamenetsky, TIDE began in their basement with four kids. Today it's a thriving school at Keneseth Israel serving boys in grades 1–8. With over 15 years in education, Rabbi Elstein leads TIDE around one simple belief: every child deserves to discover that learning Torah can be joyful and meaningful. Gems: Work on solving problems, don’t ignore them.Avoid/limit screens.Be with our children every step of the way.Hashem gave us our children because we’re the right people to help this particular child grow to be who they need to be.Help your child along their path.Trust that we’ve raised our children properly.Our generation needs more training in life skills than previous generations.It’s not about providing a certain template or format but finding the child’s path that he can grow up with.Find out what the deeper thing is that they’re struggling with.Build the relationship with the child first, before beginning curriculum.Think long term.Wellnesse Natural Personal Care ProductsWellnesse was founded by a mom who wanted healthier options for families. Check out my unique link!Parenting On PurposeThis course will help you better understand your child and build a deeper connection.TikvahTikvah focuses on Classical Jewish Education.Book: Wisdom of Jewish EducatorsFeaturing 100 of the most notable tips from educators who were featured on the podcast.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

  7. May 27

    116: Developing Independent Thinkers with Rabbi Yehuda Winder

    Rabbi Yehuda Winder, previously a Rebbi at the Bais Medrash Chofetz Chaim in Israel, returned to America and found himself presented with an opportunity at Yeshiva Tiferes Moshe: a position as a first-grade Rebbi. He learned that the curriculum being used was one in which students memorized phrases and repeated what their Rebbe said. He believed that there must be a different way, one that focused on fostering skills and comprehension regarding the origins of words, and this is how Lshon Hatorah was born. Rabbi Winder’s method invovled students learning the “shoresh” or root of a word separately and then understand how prefixes and suffixes could modify its meaning. Each of the words came directly from the Torah which provided students with a solid foundation of language skills. Gradually, students progressed with learning Hebrew more easily through each grade level. Rabbi Winder’s method has become standard in many Jewish schools. The primary objective of the Lshon Hatorah series is to empower students with the proficiency needed to translate Hebrew text with precision and ease. Gems: Give students the ability  to learn by themselves. Develop independent learners. Help students figure out what the words in Hebrew mean. The basic skills children learn will carry them throughout their lives. Encourage students to figure things out by giving them the tools they’ll need and as a result, they’ll want to learn more. Teach as much as you can through song.   Wellnesse Natural Personal Care ProductsWellnesse was founded by a mom who wanted healthier options for families. Check out my unique link!TikvahTikvah focuses on Classical Jewish Education.Parenting On PurposeThis course will help you better understand your child and build a deeper connection.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

  8. Apr 28

    115: From Text to Transformation: Classroom Techniques for Jewish Educators (Solo Episode)

    Blank stares after a thoughtful question can make even great teachers doubt themselves. We have all been there: one student answers, everyone else checks out, and a rich Jewish text turns into a worksheet. So we focus on what actually changes the room fast practical classroom techniques you can try tomorrow to spark real thinking and real conversation. We start by reimagining chavruta, not as “turn and talk,” but as a structured partnership with roles like Questioner, Connector, and Challenger. That simple move turns reading into dialogue and gives every learner a clear way to contribute. From there we shift into inquiry-based Jewish learning: treating Torah and Talmud like problems to solve instead of facts to recite. We lean into tension, contradiction, and moral complexity, and we practice the hardest skill of all not rescuing students too quickly so they can discover meaning for themselves. Then we widen the lens to experiential Jewish education. We talk about embodied learning through acting out biblical scenes, using movement to build memory, and helping students locate themselves inside the ideas. We also share reflection prompts that move from learning about Judaism to living Judaism, plus ritual as pedagogy: experiencing Shabbat with candles and quiet before explaining what it “means.” You will walk away with concrete tools for student engagement, deeper comprehension, and stronger Jewish identity. If this helps, subscribe so you do not miss what we are trying next, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a review so more Jewish educators can find it.  Chapter Markers 0:01Welcome And Sponsor Message2:04From Blank Stares To Dialogue2:55Chavruta Roles That Spark Talk4:19Treat Text Like A Mystery5:31Learn By Moving And Acting6:45Reflection That Makes It Personal7:35Ritual As A Teaching Tool8:13One Small Shift Challenge8:54A Closing Question For You Wellnesse Natural Personal Care ProductsWellnesse was founded by a mom who wanted healthier options for families. Check out my unique link!Book: Wisdom of Jewish EducatorsFeaturing 100 of the most notable tips from educators who were featured on the podcast.Parenting On PurposeThis course will help you better understand your child and build a deeper connection.TikvahTikvah focuses on Classical Jewish Education.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

See All (122)

Ratings & Reviews

About

The Jewish Education Experience Podcast by Yasminah with the goal to uncover gems of wisdom with Jewish educators from around the world. The podcast features interviews with Jewish educators outlining their stories, tips of the trade, advice, support, and insights. We hope this podcast will assist educators at every stage of their journey - those who are just beginning and those who have dedicated their lives to this vital profession that is Jewish Education. 

Information