Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education

The Jewish Education Project

'Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education' is a weekly podcast hosted by The Jewish Education Project. Hear CEO David Bryfman or alternating co-host Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath and a different guest each episode explore the big questions, challenges, and successes that define Jewish education. Available on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

  1. 6h ago

    Hebrew School & Innovation: Is It Possible?

    Every few years, Jewish education declares the Hebrew school model overdue for reinvention, yet the same structures persist. That tension sits at the center of this conversation.   In this episode, David Bryfman speaks with Jonathan Krasner, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Chair of Jewish Education Research at Brandeis University, about the history and possible innovation in Jewish education. Together they examine the role of B-Mitzvah, and why many families remain satisfied with a model educators often criticize. For educators, funders, and communal leaders wrestling with institutional change and the future of Jewish learning, this conversation offers both historical perspective and a more honest framework for thinking about what comes next.  Read Jonathan Krasner's piece: https://www.sourcesjournal.org/articles/when-jewish-educational-innovation-reinforces-the-status-quo  Learn more about The Jewish Education Project at jewishedproject.org This episode was produced by Miranda Lapides and Dina Nusnbaum. The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben.  This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media.  If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a 5-star rating and review, or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released. To learn more about The Jewish Education Project visit jewishedproject.org where you can find links to our Jewish Educator Portal and learn more about our mission, history, and staff. We are a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York.  Send us Fan Mail

    45 min

  2. May 20

    Fighting Toxic Masculinity and Raising Healthy Jewish Boys

    Being a man is not about how tall you are or how much money you make, despite what some voices in the manosphere may claim. It’s about overcoming impulses, taking responsibility, and learning how to show up for others with dignity and care. But in a culture where many boys encounter masculinity first through algorithms, educators and parents are left asking a difficult question: How do we teach young men what healthy manhood actually looks like?  In this episode, Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath speaks with Adam Teitelbaum about the growing crises facing boys and men, from loneliness and lack of belonging to the absence of visible male role models in Jewish communal life. Together, they explore how Jewish ritual, obligation, and community can offer an alternative framework for raising confident, emotionally healthy Jewish young men without diminishing anyone else’s humanity in the process.  Learn more about The Jewish Education Project at jewishedproject.org This episode was produced by Miranda Lapides and Dina Nusnbaum. The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben.  This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media.  If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a 5-star rating and review, or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released. To learn more about The Jewish Education Project visit jewishedproject.org where you can find links to our Jewish Educator Portal and learn more about our mission, history, and staff. We are a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York.  Send us Fan Mail

    49 min

  3. May 14

    Don’t Wring Your Hands; Roll Up Your Sleeves: Israel Education for Today

    When Israel was created on this exact day 78 years ago, she didn’t come with an instruction manual called “How to Build a Jewish State.” If she had, Jewish educators wouldn’t be grappling today with the tensions between Israel’s Jewish and democratic values, or needing conversations like this week’s episode. This relevant conversation between David Bryfman and Rabbi Josh Weinberg confronts one of the most pressing questions facing Jewish educators today: How do we teach Israel at a moment when love, values, politics, and identity often feel out of sync?  As students wrestle with headlines, moral complexity, and their own sense of belonging, the two discuss what it means to cultivate an informed, morally serious relationship with Israel. At a time when many educators feel uncertain about how to lead these conversations, this discussion offers a vision for what meaningful Israel education can look like now.  Learn more about The Jewish Education Project at jewishedproject.org This episode was produced by Miranda Lapides and Dina Nusnbaum. The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben.  This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media.  If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a 5-star rating and review, or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released. To learn more about The Jewish Education Project visit jewishedproject.org where you can find links to our Jewish Educator Portal and learn more about our mission, history, and staff. We are a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York.  Send us Fan Mail

    45 min

  4. May 7

    Kippahgate: From Controversy to the Classroom with Alex Sinclair

    In this exclusive, uncensored conversation, David Bryfman interviews Alex Sinclair, the Israel educator at the center of a recent controversy. His kippah, embroidered with both Israeli and Palestinian flags, sparked outrage, led to his arrest, and was ultimately returned to him with the Palestinian flag removed.  David and Alex go beyond the incident to explore the deeper, harder questions: How can you be a proud, public Zionist while openly criticizing Israel? Can you hold complexity without losing connection?   Alex pushes the boundaries of what it means to love a country authentically, reminding us that there’s no such thing as apolitical Israel education, and that the work is personal. A raw and honest must-listen for anyone having these conversations with their students or children.  Learn more about The Jewish Education Project at jewishedproject.org This episode was produced by Miranda Lapides and Rina Cohen Schwarz. The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben.  This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media.  If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a 5-star rating and review, or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released. To learn more about The Jewish Education Project visit jewishedproject.org where you can find links to our Jewish Educator Portal and learn more about our mission, history, and staff. We are a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York.  Send us Fan Mail

    44 min

  5. Apr 30

    Creating Meaningful Experiences for Every Child—B-Mitzvah and Beyond

    The B-Mitzvah is a defining milestone in American Jewish life, and offers a powerful lens into how Jewish communal spaces can foster inclusion and belonging. In light of their new book, A Different Spirit: Creating Meaningful B’nai Mitzvah for Children With Disabilities, Howard Blas and Ilana Trachtman join Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath in conversation about what it means to build truly inclusive Jewish experiences. Together, they explore how clergy and families can create meaningful B-Mitzvah celebrations for children with disabilities, and more broadly, what it takes to ensure that every individual feels a sense of belonging in Jewish spaces, from synagogue life to summer camp to Israel experiences with peers.  Learn more about The Jewish Education Project at jewishedproject.org This episode was produced by Miranda Lapides and Rina Cohen Schwarz. The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben.  This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media.  If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a 5-star rating and review, or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released. To learn more about The Jewish Education Project visit jewishedproject.org where you can find links to our Jewish Educator Portal and learn more about our mission, history, and staff. We are a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York.  Send us Fan Mail

    36 min

  6. Apr 21

    A Conversation on Memory This Yom HaZikaron

    This episode features Omri Rose, author of Echoes of October, a graphic novel exploring events leading up to October 7th through four young people from different backgrounds.  In conversation with Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath around the themes of memory and Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, Omri reflects on how the events of October 7th reshaped his understanding of the world, and how we remember loss. Designed with education in mind, the novel serves as a meaningful tool for educators and families to spark thoughtful conversation around grief, empathy, and human stories beyond headlines. Their dialogue invites us to reflect on both absence and presence, asking whose stories we tell and how we carry the legacy of those we’ve lost.   Learn more about The Jewish Education Project at jewishedproject.org This episode was produced by Miranda Lapides and Rina Cohen Schwarz. The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben.  This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media.  If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a 5-star rating and review, or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released. To learn more about The Jewish Education Project visit jewishedproject.org where you can find links to our Jewish Educator Portal and learn more about our mission, history, and staff. We are a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York.  Send us Fan Mail

    34 min

  7. Apr 13

    Living Memory & Holocaust Education: A Conversation on Yom HaShoah

    Yom HaShoah begins this evening. As we remember and honor the legacy of the six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust, Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath sits down with Dave Reckess, a third-generation survivor and executive director of 3GNY.  3GNY empowers grandchildren of survivors to share their family’s Holocaust stories with students to educate and inspire future generations. Samantha and Dave discuss Holocaust education as an effective tool to address antisemitism, and how it shouldn’t be the only antidote to hate, but as an entry point into the richness and nuance of Jewish culture and the obligations we have in building a more just world. They also reflect on how the Holocaust isn’t just history and serves as a reminder for how hate manifests today.   We owe this education not only to the victims and survivors of the Holocaust, but also to the generations who will carry these lessons forward.   Learn more about The Jewish Education Project at jewishedproject.org This episode was produced by Miranda Lapides and Rina Cohen Schwarz. The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben.  This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media.  If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a 5-star rating and review, or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released. To learn more about The Jewish Education Project visit jewishedproject.org where you can find links to our Jewish Educator Portal and learn more about our mission, history, and staff. We are a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York.  Send us Fan Mail

    31 min

  8. Mar 26

    The Psychology of Jewish Living: Faith in a Modern World

    What does it actually look like to live Judaism in today’s world?   And what does it mean to be part of a collective when we have so many different worldviews, orientations, and perspectives?  In this episode, Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath and Cantor Laura Stein explore this question through the lens of practical theology, or looking at how religion is lived, especially when paired with modern reality.  As a Ph.D. candidate in practical theology at Boston University, Cantor Stein and Samantha discuss her research in the psychology of religion, burnout for educators and clergy, turning struggle into growth, and moving through the world with our Jewish values. This episode is perfect for anyone who has ever felt both deeply connected to their Jewish community and at odds with it, and is searching for a more authentic way to belong.  Learn more about The Jewish Education Project at jewishedproject.org This episode was produced by Miranda Lapides and Dina Nusnbaum. The show’s executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben.  This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media.  If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a 5-star rating and review, or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released. To learn more about The Jewish Education Project visit jewishedproject.org where you can find links to our Jewish Educator Portal and learn more about our mission, history, and staff. We are a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York.  Send us Fan Mail

    51 min
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4.6
out of 5
38 Ratings

About

'Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education' is a weekly podcast hosted by The Jewish Education Project. Hear CEO David Bryfman or alternating co-host Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath and a different guest each episode explore the big questions, challenges, and successes that define Jewish education. Available on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

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