At this year’s National Jewish Retreat in Washington, DC—a six-day event attended by more than 700 people—JEIC's Founding Director Rabbi Shmuel Feld and Managing Director Sharon Freundel joined a distinguished group of Jewish thought leaders to deliver insightful lectures, debates, and interactive workshops, expanding JEIC’s contributions to Jewish communal conversations and ideas.
What does it take to get kids thinking — and talking — about God in Jewish day schools? For most students, it’s not on the syllabus. But a growing movement, led by JEIC and fueled by creative educators, is putting God back at the center of classroom conversations. From digital siddurim (prayer books) to meditative walks, discover how schools across the country are helping students build real spiritual connections — in ways as varied as their own beliefs. Dive into the new approaches reshaping Jewish education, and see why “God-centered learning” might just be the most personal lesson of all.
As the school year begins, our Jewish tradition reminds us that every student—no matter their background or struggles—deserves respect and inclusion. Drawing from the Talmud and the Kol Nidrei prayer, JEIC Managing Director Sharon Freundel explores why classrooms should embrace every child, celebrating the unique value each brings to the community.
Jewish spirituality is coming alive in classrooms, thanks to JEIC and OpenDor Media/Unpacked for Eduators' Jewish Spirituality Video series partnership. See how this video series, which launched one year ago, is sparking deeper conversations and connections for students and teachers across the country.
Co-hosted by the Mayberg and Samis Foundations, JEIC’s first Innovators Retreat in Seattle brought together 90+ Jewish day school leaders and funders for hands-on learning, spiritual exploration, and new ideas to spark real change in schools.
Explore the crucial role of women in yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus from Egypt) with this engaging lesson plan for grades 6-12, developed by JEIC Managing Director Sharon Freundel. The plan examines both named and unnamed female figures who helped bring about this transformational moment in Jewish history. Through the use of text analysis, discussion questions, and a graphic organizer, students will gain a deeper understanding of women's contributions to this pivotal event.
JEIC Managing Director Sharon Freundel shares creative solutions for supporting Jewish educators without burdening parents with higher tuition in her latest eJewishPhilanthropy opinion piece.
Jewish Teachers Now (JTN), a partnership of JEIC and Touro University, is revolutionizing the recruitment and retention of Jewish educators through innovative community-wide benefits and engaging initiatives for the next generation. By fostering a supportive ecosystem for educators and inspiring young minds, JTN is shaping the future of Jewish education and ensuring a vibrant community for years to come.
The arba banim, the four children from the Passover Seder aren't just characters in an ancient story -- they're a surprisingly modern framework for understanding how students engage with learning. In this fascinating exploration, we'll see how these traditional archetypes align perfectly with contemporary educational psychology, especially when it comes to student motivation and engagement. Whether you're an educator or simply curious about the intersection of ancient wisdom and modern teaching, this piece offers a fresh perspective on an age-old challenge: how to truly inspire the next generation of learners.
How do we get Jewish day school educators, parents, and donors to understand that High-Quality Professional Development is not a cost, but an investment? Dr. David Farbman, project director of JEIC's DEEP Consortium project, offers his answer in this eJewish Philanthropy article. Read here
The JEIC team visited Seattle, touring five Jewish day schools and meeting with faculty to prepare for this year's Innovators Retreat, thanks to the partnership with the Samis Foundation. During these visits, JEIC also offered their Intrinsic Motivation workshop series, equipping educators with student-centered learning tools to enhance their teaching practices.
JEIC Managing Director Sharon Freundel explores creative ways to bring Midrash to life in the classroom, helping students connect deeply with Jewish texts in her Lookstein Center Jewish Educational Leadership article, Opening the Middle School Window to Midrash.
Rabbi Shmuel Lichtenstein, head of school at the Torah School of Greater Washington (TSGW), explains TSGW redefines Jewish day school education by blending timeless Torah values with modern, learner-centered teaching to best serve each learner's needs.
Last month, we explored an aspect of the dilemma of how we can do the best for each and every one of our students. This month, we will look at a totally different manifestation of the same question. That is the amount of time it takes to develop passionate, trained teachers.
Educators aspire to do what's best for their students. But what if something that is good for one student is terrible for another student? What’s the solution to the dilemma in which we are not serving all of our children in the best way possible?
Reuven Margrett, Associate Director (North America), Pardes Center for Jewish Educators asks the question: How do we support new and emerging tefillah coordinators?
He explains that the tefillah coordinator role needs to be about more than just focusing on the product (minyanim, curriculum, logistics), and shares ideas on how schools can consciously support, build, and grow a cadre of tefillah coordinators who can lead and inspire.
Author Elena Aguilar identifies six core human needs in her most recent book, "Arise: The Art of Transformational Coaching." Her list closely parallel's JEIC's list of the six pillars of intrinsic motivation. Her focus is on educator training, making the classroom teacher her "end user." But is that the right focus... especially in the field of Jewish education?
Rabbi Jeremy Bruce, director of programming at The Rabbi Sacks Legacy and Rabbi David Stein, the dean of academic affairs at Shalhevet High School and co-founder and managing director of Lahav Learning, explain the Torah V’Chochmah program. This program, inspired by Rabbi Sacks' teachings in Bible, Parashat Hashavua, and Jewish thought trains Jewish educators in curriculum development.
About two weeks before schools starts, the “what ifs” take over every teacher's mind. Gesher Jewish Day School Principal of Teaching and Learning Melanie Eisen shares the lessons she's learned over her 33-year career that have helped her calm the what ifs so she can focus on having a great school year.
This year, the Jewish calendar creates an oddity in that the first month or so of school is the month of Elul rather than Tishrei. What educational message can we glean from this unusual turn of the calendar?
