Prizmah Podcasts: Podcasts by Prizmah Center for Jewish Day Schools

In this episode of Research Encounter, delve into the question of middle school--when and why it came into existence, what makes it a unique time, why people choose to teach there, and ways that educators can improve their practice to support student development at this phase of life. Encounter students shooting airballs in the hall, a student who beat Natan Sharansky in chess, and one who sold to an investor part of the company that he devised the night before. Explore how teachers strive to balance student autonomy with accountability, teach for identity formation and strengthen executive functioning, all while leaning into the optimism, joy and "mess" of their charges. Special guests

• Zak Cohen is the associate head of school at Jewish Leadership Academy in Miami, and the author of Wise Freedom: Giving Students the Tools to Thrive in Middle School and Beyond.
• Dr. Matthew Dorsch is the director of the Saligman Middle School at Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.
• Gabriel Felder is the middle and upper school principal at Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy in Stamford, Connecticut.
• Dr. Missy Rivner is the middle school principal at Atlanta Jewish Academy.

Presented in partnership with the Shalom Hartman Institute with Dr. Elana Stein Hain and Dr. Ethan Zadoff.

For many Modern Orthodox schools in North America, Religious Zionism holds a particular resonance. The writings of its leaders and the core texts of the movement are relevant to their mission, teaching and learning. Yet, Religious Zionism in Israel today is rife with moral, religious and political disagreement about land, democracy, messianism, ultranationalism and more. How should North American day schools educate their constituents to think about these issues? What role do North American day schools play in articulating their own moral vision related to these debates? To address these questions, the Shalom Hartman Institute initiated a 20-month fellowship for Modern Orthodox day school leaders.

In this webinar, Dr. Elana Stein Hain of the Shalom Hartman Institute and Dr. Ethan Zadoff of DRS Yeshiva High School will reflect on the central conversations that have emerged through the program and share how participants are translating their learning into curriculum, school culture, and community conversations that can deepen Israel and Zionist education in Modern Orthodox schools.

What do parents want from their children's Hebrew education? How do they think about and value Hebrew, and does their thinking align with the way that Hebrew is taught in their children's school? Hebrew educators explore these questions and share innovative ways that they engage students with Hebrew, both inside and outside of the classroom. The discussion is sparked by a chapter written by Sharon Avni, "What Do Parents Want from Hebrew Studies in Jewish Education?" that appeared in Teaching & Learning in Jewish Day Schools. The student-made video mentioned by Roman Shnaider can be found here. Featured guests Dr. Sharon Avni is a professor of academic literacy and linguistics at CUNY-BMCC. Dr. Gila Azrad is the Hebrew department chair at Pressman Academy in Los Angeles, an early childhood to 8th grade school. She teaches and mentors teachers internationally. Ortal Klyman is a doctoral candidate in modern languages. She teaches Hebrew in grades 9-12 at Shalhevet High School in Los Angeles, where she also serves as the Hebrew department chair and mentors Hebrew teachers. She is a faculty member at the School of Hebrew at Middlebury College, teaching Hebrew at multiple proficiency levels and conducting research as part of her doctoral studies. Roman Shnaider is the incoming Hebrew department chair at de Toledo High School in West Hills, California, and a faculty member at the School of Hebrew at Middlebury College, where he teaches adult learners and conducts research in the Doctor of Modern Languages program.

Learn how middle school Tanakh teachers can help students develop not just their own interpretive skills but also their capacity to collaborate and generate fresh insights together. Educators reveal some of their pedagogical toolkit and discuss the challenges to cultivating literacy in the age of AI. The conversation is rooted in a chapter by Ziva Hassenfeld, "Intercomprehending in Action: Text-Based Discussion in a Seventh-Grade Bible Classroom," that appeared in Teaching & Learning in Jewish Day Schools.

Special Guests Shifra Chelst is a Judaic studies teacher at Berman Hebrew Academy in Rockville, Maryland. Melanie Eisen is the principal of teaching and learning at Gesher Jewish Day School in Fairfax, Virginia. Ziva Hassenfeld, PhD, is the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Assistant Professor of Jewish Education at Brandeis University. Rabbi Jack Nahmod is the middle school Judaic studies head at the Heschel School in Manhattan.

What makes teachers feel that they belong at a school? Explore the different aspects of community that teachers participate in within a school. Based on Shira Hammerman's chapter "Designing Schools Around Five Dimensions of Community" in the volume Teaching & Learning in Jewish Day Schools, this conversation enables school leaders to share practices, stories and reflections on ways that they support teacher culture and belonging in their schools.

With special guests

Rabbi Gavriel Brown is the head of school at Margolin Hebrew Academy–Cooper Yeshiva of the South, a Pre-K through 12th grade Orthodox Jewish day school in Memphis, Tennessee.

Tamar Cytryn is the director of Jewish studies at Chicago Jewish Day School, a JK-8 community school.

Dr. Shira Hammerman is the director of faculty learning and professional development at the Jewish Educational Center (JEC) in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She received a doctorate in education and Jewish studies from New York University and has worked in a variety of Jewish educational settings.

Ilana Ruskay-Kidd is the founder and head of school at The Shefa School, a K-8 school for students with language-based learning disabilities in Manhattan.

Featuring Dr. Vardit Ringvald and Sharon Schoenfeld

The events of October 7 marked a turning point for Hebrew educators, shifting their role from language instructors to cultural mediators of Israel’s complex realities. This situation has brought us to a critical moment of reconsideration for the profession. Explore the evolving professional identity of Hebrew educators and begin to consider your own pedagogical approach and actions. Examine the connection between the Hebrew language, Israel, and Israelis, and how language serves as a reflection of its speakers and their place in the world. Leave this webinar with concrete strategies and best practices to ensure that Hebrew education remains effective in fostering language acquisition while authentically expressing the culture and lived realities of its speakers.

In partnership with Academic Studies Press Dr. Vardit Ringvald

Vardit is the director of the Brandeis University Consortium for The Teaching of Hebrew Language and Culture and a research professor at the Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education. Her current work includes a focus on the intersection of Hebrew language and culture in pedagogy and practice.

Sharon Schoenfeld

Sharon holds a master’s degree in teaching Hebrew as a second language from Middlebury College She is currently the director of Kayitz Kef / Hebrew at Camp at the Brandeis Consortium for the Teaching of Hebrew Language and Culture. Her work focuses on experiential Hebrew immersion initiatives and the mentoring and training of program leaders.

How do rabbinics teachers conceptualize, implicitly or explicitly, the nature of the material that they teach to their students? Starting with a paper titled "Three Conceptions of Rabbinics: Understanding Teachers' Thinking" by Joshua Ladon, a chapter in the recent collection Teaching & Learning in Jewish Day Schools, this conversation allows seasoned teachers to explore the ways that they think about and teach the heart of Jewish studies in their classrooms. Rabbi Dr. Joshua Ladon is the vice president for the West Coast and senior faculty for the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. Rabbi Aaron Horn is the High School Principal at Kohelet Yeshiva right outside of Philadelphia where he has taught Gemara and Biology, ran student activities and served as the Dean of Students.
Grace McMillan is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School who later spent a year learning Nishmat. Grace has been teaching Jewish Text for over a decade at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School and is currently the Nancy and Paul M. Hamburger Jewish Text High School Department Chair. Rabbi Yechiel Shaffer is the Campus Rabbi of the Jewish Leadership Academy in Miami and the director of its novel Service Entrepreneurship Program. He is also the Founder of the new platform PdThatworks.com and has served as a community Rabbi in 3 cities.

For decades, Israel education in North American day schools has centered on fostering positive feelings toward Israel. But is “feeling good” about Israel the right goal? Drawing on qualitative research with Jewish day school students, Jonah Hassenfeld challenges the assumption that connection must precede knowledge. Explore why knowledge and connection are inseparable, why complex topics including conflict, inequality, and diversity are essential for building both, and how educators can design experiences that help students develop their own informed perspectives. Leave with concrete strategies for creating classrooms that invite deep inquiry into Israel’s history, politics, and culture—without fear of “ruining” students’ connection.

Dr. Jonah Hassenfeld
Director of Learning and Teaching at Schechter Boston
Jonah oversees curriculum and instruction across general and Judaic studies. His research on Israel education has been published in Contemporary Jewry and Journal of Jewish Education. A former high school history teacher, Jonah writes and speaks widely about how schools can engage students in complex and sometimes controversial topics without sacrificing intellectual rigor or community connection.

At the Rabbi Jacob Pressman Academy of Temple Beth Am, healthy, supportive relationships aren’t just a priority; they’re the foundation of everything they do. Learn how the school builds a culture where resilient relationships fuel academic success, increase teacher job satisfaction, strengthen parent partnerships, and empower effective leadership. Get a behind-the-scenes look at how Pressman brings this vision to life through weekly Kesher (“Connection”) classes, proactive community building in classrooms and advisory, a relational approach to discipline, and proactive and honest parent communication systems, all with rich Judaic Studies integration. This discussion will blend inspiring vision with actionable strategies for creating a relationship-centered school community.

Dr. Erica Rothblum has served as the head of school at Pressman Academy since 2014. She received her EdD in educational leadership from UCLA, she holds an MA in teaching from Loyola Marymount, a California multiple subject teaching credential, a BA in American studies from Barnard College and is a Wexner Field Fellow (class 1). Prior to working at Pressman Academy, Erica was a Teach for America Corps member; taught in both the suburbs of Boston as well as at Camino Nuevo Charter School in Los Angeles; and worked as the director of general studies and then as the head of school at Beth Hillel Day School in Los Angeles. Additionally, Erica has served as a peer coach, lead teacher, grade level chair, mentor teacher and as a teaching supervisor at the American Jewish University.

Shira Landau is a licensed clinical social worker with over 20 years of experience in experiential Jewish education. This is her eleventh year at Pressman Academy, where she served first as the middle school counselor and now as the director of wellness. Shira holds an MA in nonprofit management from Hebrew Union College and an MA in social work from USC. Her master’s thesis focused on the prevalence of bullying and other forms of harassment in Jewish day schools, and included a study of Pressman’s Kesher program as a model for bullying prevention and intervention.

Explore how 20 Israel educators from Jewish high schools across the denominational spectrum address the "you never told me" phenomenon—graduates’ sense of betrayal when encountering criticisms of Israel not covered in their Jewish day school education. These educators integrate both Zionist and Palestinian narratives to strengthen students’ Jewish identification with Israel and the Jewish people while equipping them to engage the complex “Israel conversation” on campus through education rather than advocacy. By presenting critical perspectives on romantic Zionism alongside Palestinian narratives, they aim to ensure students encounter multiple viewpoints and feel prepared rather than misled when confronted with challenging information.

Dr. Benji Davis is an American-born Israeli educator and scholar, currently serving as assistant professor of Jewish education at Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration. He previously served as the 2024–2025 Israel Institute Teaching and Research Fellow at George Mason University. In 2024, he received the Harold Wechsler Award for Emerging Scholars from the Network for Research in Jewish Education (NRJE) for his research on the philosophy and pedagogy of Israel education.

This episode is part our Research Into Practice in Israel Education series and features a conversation with Dr. Keren Fraiman. There is a growing consensus that successful and holistic Israel education demands a sophisticated and nuanced engagement with critical questions within Israel, and in particular, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This feels especially pressing in a post-Oct. 7 world. Despite this critical need, many educators continue to express reticence for conflict education. Explore why educators are hesitant to engage in conflict education, highlighting the greatest sources of challenge and a typology of barriers to entry. Learn what we can do to support our educators, educational systems, and the community more broadly.

Dr. Keren Fraiman is the vice president and chief academic officer at Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership, where she also holds a faculty appointment as Professor of Israel Studies. Keren works with educational organizations across the country to support their Israel educational efforts, and also serves on the faculty of the iFellows Masters Concentration in Israel Education program, Hillel International’s MasterClass Israel, and the Wexner Heritage Program. Her research focuses on Conflict Education – how we learn and teach about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within Jewish settings.

Featuring Dr. Alex Pomson and Dr. Jessie Kalbfeld

Rosov Consulting visited Har Herzl several times during the summer of 2024 to observe North American teen programs in Israel as part of ongoing work with RootOne, an organization founded to increase the number of Jewish teens travelling to Israel each summer. This session shares the findings of their observations at Har Herzl and explores powerful lessons for Israel education that extend far beyond that sacred space.

In partnership with Rosov Consulting and RootOne

After receiving a grant for professional development, Sulam teachers were able to deepen their learning and create Presentations of Learning (POL). Learn how the teachers started to take pride in their own learning, while teaching their team new and innovative strategies, encouraging others to deepen their own professional development.

Presenters

Lisa Houben is the upper school director at Sulam, a program that fosters and provides inclusive, high quality special education support for diverse learners in grades K-12 within Jewish day schools across the Greater Washington area. Having recently completed Prizmah’s YouLead program, she is now entering her fourth year at Sulam.

Lianne Heller is in her eleventh year as executive director at Sulam, a program that fosters and provides inclusive, high quality, special education support for diverse learners in grades K-12 within Jewish day schools across the Greater Washington area. She is deeply committed to providing her faculty and staff opportunities to grow as professionals.

Part of our Research into Practice series, this episode draws on a qualitative study conducted in six classrooms during the first two and a half months following the attack, explore how educators navigated the tension between preserving childhood innocence and fostering resilience, while also questioning traditional understandings of developmentally appropriate practice. Learn how teachers use developmentally sensitive yet courageous approaches, including guided conversations, creative play, Jewish ritual, and cultural identity, to help children feel emotionally safe while making meaning of difficult realities. This conversation highlights the predictable routines, strong relationships, and Jewish values that teachers draw upon to support both student well-being and their own, offering enduring strategies for educators facing crises in today’s classrooms. Special guests Dr. Lyndall Miller, Dr. Meir Muller and Alan Rifkin Gelnick.

Special guest bios

Lyndall Miller

Dr. Miller is a researcher and consultant in Jewish early childhood education, with a focus on inquiry and leadership development, currently working with the Masor School for Jewish Education and Leadership at American Jewish University. She was previously the developer and director of the Jewish Early Childhood Education Leadership Institute (JECELI).

Meir Muller

Dr. Muller is the Associate Dean of Community Empowerment at the University of South Carolina, specializing in early childhood education and promoting justice through a lens informed by Jewish tradition. Learn more about him here.

Alana Rifkin Gelnick

Alana is the founder and CEO of Dreamearly, dedicated to empowering educators and leaders with innovative strategies in early childhood education. Previously, Alana served as the associate principal of SAR Academy in Riverdale, New York, for a decade.

Part of Prizmah's Research Into Practice in Israel Education Series, this episode focuses on new research on the gender confidence gap in Israel education. While Jewish day schools have succeeded in fostering emotional connections to Israel among their students, new research reveals a troubling pattern: girls are significantly less confident than boys when discussing Israeli politics and history. Drawing from survey data of over 3,700 students across 96 Jewish day schools, Ilana Horwitz explores the gender confidence gap—present in 4 out of 5 schools—and its implications for Israel education. The data shows that 12th-grade girls report confidence levels similar to or lower than 7th-grade boys, a gap that persists across all denominations and grade levels. Moving beyond affective goals alone, this research challenges educators to build both heart connections AND intellectual confidence in their students. In partnership with Brandeis University Press.

Research into Practice in Israel Education Series

Learners undergo a series of developmental stages as they move through childhood and early adolescence, in their attempt to make sense of political systems and political issues in Israel and about Israel (in global politics). In this recorded webinar, gain insight into facilitating developmentally sensitive conversations about tricky political questions with day school students at the elementary and middle school levels with special guest Sivan Zakai and host Matt Reingold.

Explore how Hillel Torah North Suburban Day School in Skokie, Illinois, reimagined teacher compensation—from identifying the challenges, to engaging faculty voices, to building a transparent and sustainable system. Hear the lessons learned, the questions asked, and the insights generated. This story can help guide other schools on a similar path. With special guests Rabbi Menachem Linzer, Dov Shandalov, and Rabbi Dr. Barry Kislowicz.

School heads need to manage, decide upon and negotiate difficult challenges every day. This episode gives listeners a window upon the ways that three heads would think about and handle challenges that may arise with various stakeholders. Hear them discuss and probe several cases drawn up by Rabbi Dr. Barry Kislowicz, who moderated the conversation with special guests Ginny Galili, Stephanie Ives, and Rabbi Jeffrey Kobrin.

Special guests

Ginny Galili is the head of school at Gross Schechter in Pepper Pike, Ohio.
Stephanie Ives is the head of school at Beit Rabban in New York City.
Rabbi Jeffrey Kobrin is the head of school at North Shore Hebrew Academy in Great Neck, New York.
Rabbi Dr. Barry Kislowicz is the former HOS at Fuchs Mizrachi School in Cleveland and now head of Kislowicz Consulting. A recipient of the Covenant Foundation's Pomegranate Prize, Barry is now the author of a Substack and podcast called Leadership Lenses.

With a "Culture of Belonging" microgrant from Prizmah, the Seattle Jewish Community School launched a Seattle Sephardic Heritage Initiative in the fall of 2023, in partnership with the Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle. At its inception, this program aimed to introduce 5th graders from both schools to the distinctive Sephardic roots of Seattle's Jewish community and to the ongoing influence of the Jewish culture of Rhodes and Turkey on their hometown. From the start, this initiative inspired an enthusiastic response from the Sephardic community, opening an array of opportunities, exceeding all initial aspirations. Discover the origins of the initiative and how it has flourished. Presentation followed by a Q&A session with host Josh Gold. Special guests Gabrielle Azose and David Zimand.

Gabrielle Azose is the director of curriculum & pedagogy at Seattle Jewish Community School, where she has worked in a variety of roles, including general studies and Jewish studies teacher.

David Zimand serves as head of school at the Seattle Jewish Community School, having previously worked in administrative roles at community day schools in Washington, DC, and Palo Alto, CA.

Rabbi Dena Glasgow is the Director of Jewish Education at Gann Academy in Waltham, Massachusetts, where she is responsible for both the Jewish Studies Department and the Hebrew Department. She is also part of the instructional leadership team.

Sheri Gross is the Director of Arts, Culture, and Creative Programming at Gross Schechter Day School in Cleveland, and the director of Testimony Theater--a program where teens interview Holocaust survivors and turn their stories into a performance along with personal reflections. She is also the arts critic for the Cleveland Jewish News, and the former director of the Mandel JCC Playmakers Youth Theatre and Performing Arts Camp for 21 years.

Why is creativity such an important factor in education? What are the key modes by which creativity manifests itself in Jewish culture? What place does creativity hold in helping Jews and Israelis stay resilient in a post-October 7 world? This conversation explores these questions and more, as participants reflect upon the innumerable ways that teachers and schools foster student creativity. The starting point is Miriam Heller Stern's recent study "Jewish Creativity: An Essential Aspiration for Jewish Education."

Dr. Miriam Heller Stern, an expert on creativity and Jewish education, directs the School of Education at Hebrew Union College and is the Incoming CEO of Builders of Jewish Education, Los Angeles.

Hadas Wolff Yitzhak, Director of English Educational Programs at Beit Avi Chai and former head of its Hebrew Educational Programs department, previously taught Jewish Studies in Jerusalem’s public high schools and now designs initiatives that foster meaningful connections through music and Jewish Israeli culture. She Lives in Jerusalem.