JEIC and UNPACKED, a division of OpenDor Media, are partnering to bring back the WHY of Judaism to Jewish day school classrooms through a new, ten-part Jewish Spirituality video series.

Watch the Jewish Spirituality playlist here

JEIC and Unpacked's 10-part Jewish Spirituality series, featuring Jewish influencer Becky Tahel, has sparked animated, thoughtful conversations about core aspects of Jewish thought and practice. Now, JEIC and Jewish Unpacked for Educators (UED) are bringing those conversations to Jewish day school classrooms across the US.

JEIC and UED developed a variety of units and lessons for each of the videos, which are being piloted in the following schools that represent a cross-section of geographic and denominational sectors:

• High Schools: Maimonides School, Ida Crown Jewish Academy, Bruriah High School, The Weber School

• Middle Schools: Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School, Pressman Academy, Oakland Hebrew Day School, Fuchs Mizrachi School

JEIC and UED are conducting both qualitative and quantitative research to track students' spiritual growth, and are offering ongoing professional development for participating teachers via WhatsApp.

About the Jewish Spirituality Video Series

The ten-part video series, generously supported by the Mayberg Foundation, The Zalik Foundation Fund, and The Weisfeld Family Charitable Foundation, is featured on the Big Jewish Ideas Youtube channel and offers young Jews a way to connect with their spirituality and heritage through new episodes being released biweekly. JEIC and Unpacked for Educators (UED) will be working closely with selected schools to incorporate the series into their curriculum.

This series explores Jewish tradition and teachings that can infuse viewers’ daily lives with understanding, personal connection, and meaning. It provides a new perspective on the Jewish tradition, looking beyond the “dos and don’ts” to understand the “why,” the spiritual element that elevates, punctuates, and gives context to the “what” of Judaism. Topics include, “Why doesn’t God stop evil?”, “Why does Judaism have so many rules?” and “How do I know I have a soul?”

“Jewish people of all ages need meaningful opportunities for spiritual connection,” said Sharon Freundel, managing director of JEIC. “Through this partnership with UNPACKED, we seek to both inspire and inform our young people: Inspiration draws them in; information will help them stay involved in the tradition.”

“With this series, our goal is to bring spirituality back into the conversation,” said Dr. Noam Weissman, executive vice president of OpenDor Media. “By exploring the big ‘whys’ of Judaism, we are hopeful that young Jews will understand their own identities in powerful ways.”