M² ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON

JEWISH PEOPLEHOOD AND WELLBEING

Join us for a virtual Symposium, an afternoon of learning how Jewish peoplehood and wellbeing can inform the ways in which we teach. Delve into bold new methods and practices for teaching Jewishly designed by the 2023 M² Research Fellows to increase the depth and impact of 21-century Jewish education.

The virtual Symposium will take place on March 18, 2024, 12:00-2:30 ET

For the complete program schedule, please click here.

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We ask the following information because it is important that we understand the scope of Jewish educators we are reaching.

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Jewish day schoolJewish supplementary school (e.g. Hebrew school, Sunday school)Jewish preschool or early childhood careJewish summer campJewish youth group / movementCollege campus Jewish organization (e.g. Hillel, Chabad on Campus)Israel education / advocacy organizationJewish Federation / FoundationJCCA department in a university / collegeSocial justice / service elearningEngagementInnovationSynagogueNon-profitProfessional DevelopmentAdult educationSelf-employment / independent contractor / "gig" workerSomething else

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Workshop Sections

Please select the workshops you would like to attend so that the workshop leaders can know how many participants to expect and can plan accordingly.

Please try your best to attend the session that you sign up for in this form.

Thank you!

Round 1 of Workshops: (12:15-12:45 pm ET)

My Israeli Story: Between Hope and Reality

Dr. Yakir Englander (Peoplehood)

Experience the Hasidic pedagogy of storytelling, and explore how it can be used to expand our learners’ perception of Israel – both as a tangible place and as a hope.

Na’anua: A Pedagogy of Jewish Transformative Movement

Rabbanit Dalia Davis (Wellbeing)

Experience the transformative power of movement! Engage the six spatial directions, move from the contained to the expansive, and discover opportunities for reflection, healing, and a return to oneself.

A Pedagogy of Rootedness: Reclaiming a Sense of Belonging

Dominika Zakrzewska (Peoplehood)

Build a sense of communal belonging by using tangible artifacts to ground learners in the rich history of a local Jewish community. & Kissing the Sages: Cultivating Peoplehood Through Talmud Torah

Laynie Soloman (Peoplehood)

Explore what it means to study Torah as a “mispar hadoros,” a conversation between the generations, and how we might nurture peoplehood by weaving a tapestry of Torah with those who came before us.

Speaking Jewish: A Phraseology of Peoplehood

Rabbi Josh Weinberg (Peoplehood)

Engage with the pedagogy of pitgamim (phrases) – the utilization of Jewish phrases, sayings, and quotations – to transmit Jewish literacy, culture, and a connection to Jewish peoplehood. & Facing Difference and Fostering Belonging

Maia Ferdman (Peoplehood)

Gain a lens for navigating, accepting, and honoring the differences between our learners, and for fostering a more authentic sense of belonging as a result.

Life Meets Text: Sara Bareilles and Song of Songs

Rabbi Jen Gubitz (Wellbeing)

Climb the life-meets-text ladder and elevate the modern learner’s path to finding meaning in Jewish wisdom through this learner-centric pedagogy, rooted in eisegesis and essential questions. & Kol Demama: A Pedagogy of Nuance

Devora Katz (Wellbeing)

How can we effectively listen to, consider, and respect the perspectives of all individuals – even those with whom we strongly disagree? Post October 7th, this pedagogy of nuance looks to find comfort through storytelling.

Round 2 of Workshops: (1:10-1:40 pm ET)

Let's Farbreng: The Original Farbrengen Game

Hashaliach Peretz Chein (Wellbeing)

Farbrengen is an age-old Chassidic practice of gathering to explore and connect – and now, for

the first time, to play. Play the Farbrengen game, and don't forget to bring along a l'chaim of your choice.

Embodying My Jewish Story

Dr. Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath (Peoplehood)

Reflect on our Jewish stories through a low-barrier art activity, while considering how our individual narratives contribute to those of the Jewish people as a whole.

Kaveh: A Pedagogy of Hope

Rabbi Amitai Fraiman (Peoplehood)

Let us sigh together. Let us breathe together. Explore how breath and hope are integral to our Jewish communal experience, and how they have sustained us throughout the generations.

Amplifying Minority Voices Through Storytelling

Dr. Beza Abebe (Peoplehood)

Foster representation, center minority experiences, and invite authenticity through the art of storytelling.

Cultivating Curiosity

Rabbi Paul Cohen (Wellbeing)

By continually asking questions of the Torah, we find that it contains infinite wisdom. Move beyond the superficial and invite deeper understanding of each other through the methodology of leading with genuine questions. & Building Interpersonal Connection Through Wonder

Fraidy Aber (Wellbeing)

Combat the epidemic of loneliness through three Jewish communal experiences of wonder that can strengthen interpersonal connection, lift the soul, and create a sense of belonging.

Round 3 of Workshops: (1:50-2:20 pm ET)

Parsha Play as a Portal to Regenerative Torah

Aura Chaya (Wellbeing)

Venture into the “prayground” of words and worlds, engaging with the sacred text of Vayikra through a call and response with our inner Divine. Please bring a pen and paper.

Hineni: A Call to Humble Action

Rabbi Aytan Kadden (Peoplehood)

Enter a learning space that demands we take a firm position – yet, at the same time, asks that we learn with humility and a generosity of spirit to others.

What Do We Owe Each Other?

Rabbi Joshua Mikutis (Peoplehood)

Explore activities that can help our learners interrogate questions around interpersonal obligation.

& A Pedagogy of Responsiveness

Dr. Sandra Anusiewicz-Baer (Peoplehood)

Answer ethical questions with compassion and empathy – taking into account various sources, contexts, and experiences – through a pedagogy that draws on the Jewish practice of Teshuvot.

Cultivating Joy: Mitzvah Gedolah Lehiyot BeSimcha

Jessie Gindea (Wellbeing)

Build a practice of seeking joy through this pedagogy for educators. Form a communal language through structured practice, strengthening relationships and infusing wonder into our teaching and personal journeys.

& Shtika: Reclaiming Silence for Embodied Jewish Ethics

Mira Neshama Weil (Wellbeing)

What kind of space does silence enable? Foster presence, wellbeing, and emotional intelligence through the Jewish tradition of quieting (shtika), and gain concrete tools for embodying the values we teach.

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