Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education

Sabbaticals, break weeks, and paid vacation, oh my! For many, the idea of taking a break from work is daunting. With the disruption in the work environment, how will anything get done? As he prepares his own upcoming sabbatical, David Bryfman discusses the role that rest plays in the workplace with Josh Feldman, CEO and founder of R&R: The Rest of our Lives.

In a time marked by burnout and uncertainty, especially in the nonprofi...

Imagine a classroom where students face each other, rather than the whiteboard, and discuss David Ben-Gurion and Aristotle, while studying Hebrew and Latin. 

Welcome to Emet, the first classical Jewish prep school in the U.S. Founded in 2023 in New York City, Emet is pioneering a model that integrates Jewish wisdom with academic excellence, offering students an education where Judaism is infused seamlessly into academic subjects, fr...

In this important episode, David sits down with recipients of the 2024 Shine A Light on Antisemitism Civic Courage Award, Dr. Devin Randolph and Rabbi Dr. Meir Muller. Together, they discuss ways to combat prejudice, racism, and antisemitism by searching for the commonalities in Black and Jewish fights for freedom and liberation.  

Dr. Randolph and Rabbi Dr. Muller encourage us to move away from black and white thinking and, instead...

This week on Adapting, David sits down with Dr. Keren Fraiman, Dean of Spertus Institute and winner of the prestigious Ilia Salita Excellence in Research Award, for an essential conversation on why Israel must be front and center in our classrooms—now more than ever. While many Jewish educators recognize the importance of teaching about Israel, research shows that fear of controversy and complexity often leads to hesitation.  

In th...

In this special Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzma’ut episode, David sits down with Adam Eilath, Head of School at Wornick Jewish Day School in the Bay Area, to explore the empowering integration of Jewish, Hebrew, and Israel education.  

As we commemorate these powerful national holidays, Adam shares how centering Israel in Jewish life and education has successfully inspired stronger Jewish identities and has built vibrant, resilient co...

In this episode, hear from prominent author Dara Horn (“People Love Dead Jews,” “One Little Goat”) about the key issues with the way the Holocaust is discussed and taught today.  

David and Dara discuss how the language used in Holocaust education threatens the erasure of modern Jewish culture and perpetuates antisemitism by painting Jews as feeble, helpless, and sometimes even extinct. They reflect on popular works about the Holoca...

In this episode of Adapting, host David Bryfman sits down with tech-savvy Rabbi Jason Miller, to discuss the role of technology in Jewish education. Rabbi Miller emphasizes the importance of embracing technology—not fearing it—and how it can bring the Jewish community closer together.  

If you’re worried about AI and other tech tools replacing Jewish educators, don’t worry! Rabbi Miller asserts that these tools will enhance the work...

This week on Adapting, David Bryfman sits down with... well, robots. In an innovative and fitting approach, he leverages artificial intelligence — a platform called NotebookLM — to make a point about the current landscape of Jewish education and where it’s headed. 

Featuring an AI-generated dialogue that tackles critical issues like how Jewish educational institutions are responding to rising antisemitism, technological challenges, ...

This week, Adapting gets spiritual with Dana Sheanin, CEO of Jewish Learning Works. Dana first shares glimpses into the Jewish Bay Area, marked by political activism and repercussions in education since October 7th. 

Dana then explores how reconnecting with spirituality—including relationships with community and the divine—can provide resilience and meaning for Jewish educators and students. To return to spirituality is an essential...

As Purim begins tonight, we reflect on resilience, courage, and hidden miracles—themes that feel more relevant than ever. In this special re-release, Dr. Erica Brown of The George Washington University joins CEO, David Bryfman, and Chief Advancement Officer, Nessa Liben, to explore not only the heroines of the Purim story, but also the heroism of Jewish educators today and Jewish women across the world. 

This episode was produced by...

From transformative teen programs like RootOne to life-changing Birthright and Masa  trips, studies have shown that Israel educational travel has been the most essential tool for building a lasting connection to Israel. But October 7th has presented a new set of challenges in the field. 

This week on Adapting, David Bryfman talks with Anna Langer, who oversees the Israel Education Travel Alliance, a collective of over 140 organizati...

This week on Adapting, in honor of Tu BiShvat, Yoni Stadlin of Adamah challenges us to see our connection to the earth through a Jewish lens. 

From his unconventional journey—spending three months living in the canopy of California redwoods—to his belief that Jewish environmentalism should be the default rather than a niche, Yoni reminds us that every breath we take is like receiving CPR from a tree. Tu BiShvat is more than a celebr...

Judaism gives us the tools to hold both joy and pain simultaneously. Few understand this better than Rabba Yaffa Epstein, The Jewish Education Project’s Senior Scholar and Educator in Residence, who tragically lost her nephew, Yakir Hexter z”l, while fighting in Gaza one year ago.  

Yakir was much more than a soldier—he was a brilliant Torah student, a talented artist, an athlete, and a bartender with his own signature cocktail. In ...

If you’re in a Jewish leadership role, don’t miss this pertinent conversation between David Bryfman and Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, a prominent Jewish leader and author.  

Drawing on insights from Rabbi Cosgrove’s new book, For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today, they delve into relevant topics, like: 

• The generational divides within the Jewish community, as younger generations grapple with complex issues surrounding Israel an...

As the largest Jewish community in Europe and the third largest in the world, French Jewry—primarily of Sephardic descent from North Africa—blends a rich, thriving Jewish heritage with modern challenges.

Giving a voice to the French Jewish community on this week’s episode of Adapting, David Bryfman sits down with Devorah Serrao, CEO of Alliance Israélite Universelle, to explore the unique dynamics of Jewish education and identity in...

As of this episode’s recording, 461 days have passed since Dalia Cusnir last heard from Yair and Eitan, her brothers-in-law who have been held captive in Gaza by Hamas.  In the most important Adapting episode yet, David Bryfman speaks with Dalia about her personal journey, and the educational and moral imperative of pidyon shvuyim (redeeming the captives).  

At a time when compassion fatigue feels all too common, this episode remind...

In the final 2024 episode of Adapting, David Bryfman hosts Jonathan Shmidt Chapman—award-winning artist, writer, and Jewish educator—for a lively conversation about bringing Jewish education to life through drama and creativity. Focusing on Chanukah, Chapman emphasizes using multi-sensory experiences, like smell and taste, to make Jewish traditions more immersive and meaningful for children and families. This episode explores how m...

In the aftermath of an arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, David Bryfman interviews two Melbourne-based Jewish educators Itzik Sztokman and Marc Light. Together, they explore the emotional and educational ripple effects of this act of antisemitism on their local Jewish community. 

Itzik reflects on the growing sense of unease among Jewish students and families, emphasizing the need for resilience, open dialogue,...

Do you, as an educator or parent, wish there was a guidebook for combatting antisemitism? Look no further than Lynne Azarchi and Harlene Lichter Galen’s new curriculum: Countering Anti-Semitism and Hate: A How-to Guide for Youth, Family, and Educators.  

In a conversation with David Bryfman, the authors share insights from three years of research and emphasize the importance of transforming bystanders into upstanders by instilling p...