Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education
Episodes
‘Genocide’ Comparisons: A Holocaust Educator’s Take
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
October 7th was the largest attempt at genocide against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. What does this moment reveal about modern antisemitism ...
Values in Action: Giving for the Jewish Future
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How can we turn collective responsibility and shared values into meaningful action for the future of the Jewish people? Josh Schalk, Executive Direct...
An Optimist in Uniform: Reflections from IDF Reserve Duty
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
To kick off the new year, David Bryfman sits down with TAMID Group’s CEO, Yoni Heilman. In a conversation that humanizes one of our own heroes, Yoni...
Reflections After Bondi Beach from David Bryfman
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In an unscheduled and urgent episode of Adapting, Australian-born CEO of The Jewish Education Project, David Bryfman, sheds light on his own Australia...
Including + Celebrating Jewish Voices in American Public Schools
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath is joined by another history professor, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, who is the lead scholar of Hidden Voices, an initiative to...
How to Best Support Educators Right Now
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Adapting, Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath speaks with Zev Eleff, president of Gratz College and professor of American Jewish history, to addres...
A Wide Tent with Clear Boundaries: Lessons in Jewish Leadership and Peoplehood
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
David Bryfman engages with Dr. Mijal Bitton, one of today’s leading Jewish scholars and leaders, in an illuminating, nuanced conversation about defi...
The Power of Storytelling to Strengthen Jewish Community
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For writer and podcaster Zibby Owens (On Being Jewish Now, Blank: A Novel), it was never her plan to center her work around Jewish identity. But as th...
What is This Thing Called Jewish Peoplehood?
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to belong to the Jewish people, especially during a time of deep division? This week, Dr. Elana Stein Hain and David Bryfman explore...
How to Light the Inner Spark of Today’s Jewish Learners
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Adapting, David sits down with Rabbi Mark Wildes, the founder of Manhattan Jewish Experience. Together, the pair explore what it really m...
Meet Our New Co-Host: Dr. Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the first episode with Dr. Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath as our new alternating co-host, Samantha shares the true purpose of Jewish education: to help ...
Welcome Home: The Complexity of Hope
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This morning, we received joyous news that all 20 living hostages are back home. At the same time, we’re awaiting the return of the bodies of the re...
Two Years Later: A Message to Jewish Educators (and Their Supporters/Champions)
05 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Two years after October 7th, CEO David Bryfman delivers an unscripted, deeply personal message to Jewish educators who have carried impossible burdens...
The Secret Sauce of Jewish Survival
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to bring your whole self into Jewish education? Activist, educator, and previously named one of the 50 most influential rabbis in th...
Torah and Teshuvah for a Better World
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, transformative Jewish thinker Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg joins us for a rich conversation about morality and justice, and how we...
Reclaiming Our Story with Sarah Hurwitz
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How can educators help Jews reclaim their identity from shame, assimilation, and antisemitism, and instead embrace the richness of Jewish tradition in...
The State of Jewish Education: A Conversation with David (and David)
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For the Season 5 finale of Adapting, David sits down with a very special guest— himself! Before leaving for his sabbatical, David answers some of th...
In Defense of Rest: The Importance (and Jewishness) of Taking a Break
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 enviro...
Inside America's First Classical Jewish Prep School
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine a classroom where students face each other, rather than the whiteboard, and discuss David Ben-Gurion and Aristotle, while studying Hebrew and ...
Educating for Justice: Black-Jewish Solidarity
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Breaking the Barriers to Israel Education
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Adapting, David sits down with Dr. Keren Fraiman, Dean of Spertus Institute and winner of the prestigious Ilia Salita Excellence in Resea...
Strengthening Jewish Identity Through Israel-Centered Education
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 A...
The Big Problems Facing Holocaust Education
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, hear from prominent author Dara Horn (“People Love Dead Jews,” “One Little Goat”) about the key issues with the way the Holoc...
Tech & Torah: How Jewish Educators Can Embrace Technology
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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. R...
What AI Thinks About Jewish Education
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Adapting, David Bryfman sits down with... well, robots. In an innovative and fitting approach, he leverages artificial intelligence — a...
What's God Got to Do With It?
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Adapting gets spiritual with Dana Sheanin, CEO of Jewish Learning Works. Dana first shares glimpses into the Jewish Bay Area, marked by pol...
Revisiting Esther and Vashti: Heroines of the Purim Story
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As Purim begins tonight, we reflect on resilience, courage, and hidden miracles—themes that feel more relevant than ever. In this special re-release...
The Future of Israel Educational Travel
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From transformative teen programs like RootOne to life-changing Birthright and Masa trips, studies have shown that Israel educational travel has bee...
Rooted in Responsibility: A Jewish Approach to Environmentalism
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 hi...
Finding Light in Loss with Rabba Yaffa Epstein
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Judaism gives us the tools to hold both joy and pain simultaneously. Few understand this better than Rabba Yaffa Epstein, The Jewish Education Project...
Jewish Leadership for Such a Time as This
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re in a Jewish leadership role, don’t miss this pertinent conversation between David Bryfman and Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, a prominent Jewish ...
What We Can Learn from the French-Jewish Experience
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the largest Jewish community in Europe and the third largest in the world, French Jewry—primarily of Sephardic descent from North Africa—blends...
Redeeming the Hostages: An Educational Imperative
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 capti...
The Festival of Lights When We Need It Most
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the final 2024 episode of Adapting, David Bryfman hosts Jonathan Shmidt Chapman—award-winning artist, writer, and Jewish educator—for a lively ...
Resilience Down Under: Antisemitism in Melbourne
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the aftermath of an arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, David Bryfman interviews two Melbourne-based Jewish educators Itzik Sz...
From Bystander to Upstander: A Guide to Fighting Antisemitism
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The Fight for Jewish Inclusion in Public Schools
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What does an inclusive classroom look like if there's no education on antisemitism? Public school teacher Shana Dworken knows and has been a voca...
Sights and Visions of Israel Education
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As we look at the future of Israel education, it's just as critical to look back and reflect on how we as educators have succeeded and could have...
Judaism's Role in Democracy: An Election Season Conversation
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For centuries Jews have contributed to American democracy, while American democracy has simultaneously contributed significantly to the success of Ame...
Prayer and Presence: A Conversation Between Rabbis
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this essential episode for Jewish educators, Rabba Yaffa Epstein, an Orthodox rabbi, and Rabbi Dena Klein, a Reform rabbi, discuss the challenges a...
Together, We Will Endure: A Special Rosh Hashanah Episode
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Education has the power to break down divisions that separate us.This week on Adapting, David Bryfman is joined by Dr. Ethan Zadoff to discuss how a r...
October 7th as a Jewish Peoplehood Moment
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Judaism is many things—a religion, a culture, a history, a set of values—but above all, it is a people. This week on Adapting, David Bryfman is j...
From Classroom to Combat
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last 10 months, Dr. Tuvia Book, an author, tour guide, and educator, has been serving in the Israel Defense Forces as a paramedic. His experi...
From Educator to Activist
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Since October 7th, Australian educator Sharonne Blum has been on the frontlines on the war of information both in the classroom and on social media. H...
The Communal Reckoning We Need
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Zack Bodner is asking tough, necessary questions—engaging in a kind of post-October 7th Cheshbon HaNefesh, or self-reflection, for Jewish educators....
Navigating New Realities: Season 5 Launch
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
CEO David Bryfman kicks off Season 5 of Adapting with a powerful episode that sets the tone for the season ahead, now more critical than ever especial...
Where Did We Go Wrong?
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
October 7th has forced Jewish educators and parents to look inward as to how they are impacting Jewish youths' relationship to Israel.Since Octob...
The Power of Jewish Summer Camp (Especially Right Now)
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What makes Jewish summer camp so powerful? How can it shape the lives and perspectives of Jewish youth and Jewish adults for years to come? How are ca...
Tech-Forward Teaching: Revolutionizing Jewish Education
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If Jewish educators want to produce kids of tomorrow, then they must embrace the technology of today to help get them there. Technological tools like ...
Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World: Mourning and Celebrating Together
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of October 7th, this year's observances of Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha'atzmaut feel different and carry a profound sense of weight....
Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World: Mastering the Art of Israel Education
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Please note, this episode was recorded prior to the Iranian attacks on Israel on April 13th.In our ongoing series, "Israel Education in a Post-Oc...
Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World: Jewish Pride as a Radical Idea
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jewish pride isn't just an emotion, but is an idea that can be taught. According to this week's Adapting guest, if it's not taught, it&...
Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World: What Does it Mean to Bear Witness?
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re continuing our limited series, Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World, with Rabbi Dr. Laura Novak Winer, a Reform Jewish Educator who ju...
Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World: Jewish Education Goes to Hollywood
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Adapting, we return to the series, Israel and Jewish Education in a Post-October 7th World, with a conversation on antisemitism, particul...
Uplifting Women in the Workforce
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Recorded on International Women’s Day, this week's episode of Adapting poses the question: if the workforce of Jewish education is largely domi...
Jews Don't Surf, or Do They?
29 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Danny Mishkin and Lynn Lancaster are making waves in experiential Jewish education. Sababa Beachaway, a co-ed residential summer camp in Virginia Beac...
Leading the Learning Revolution
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Starting from kindergarten, how do we as educators connect Jewish tradition to where children are developmentally? This week on Adapting, David Bry...
Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World: Everyone Counts - Redeeming the Captives
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We are facing a unique time as a Jewish people when the mitzvah of pidyon shvuyim, redeeming the captives, is top of mind as 134 hostages are still he...
Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World: No School is Immune to Antisemitism
08 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week's multi-faceted conversation between David Bryfman and Jonathan Cannon demonstrates that even deeply religious and Zionist schools are ...
Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World: The Heart-Head-Hand of Israel Education
01 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How has October 7th impacted your connection to Israel? Since then, is there someone you have been holding in your heart?These are just some of the qu...
Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World: All Changes Great and Small in Education
25 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode kicks off a new series: Israel Education in a Post-October 7th World. Stay tuned for more episodes in this series. In the aftermath of O...
Tu BiShvat: Where Nature Meets Tradition
18 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Each and every tree has something important to say. If you listen closely, you might too hear their whispers." Rabbi Jackson Mercer create...
The Beating Heart of Jewish Education
11 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
According to Rabbi Danny Burkeman, the congregation is the beating heart of Jewish education, a driver of change which brings community together and i...
Embracing the Future of Artificial Intelligence
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the midst of war, the essential and timely work of Jewish educators must continue. That is why on this week's episode of Adapting, David Bryfm...
Hanukkah Special: Identity, Safety, & Pride
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
During the eight nights of Hanukkah, Jews all over the world publicize the miracle of the holiday by lighting menorahs by the window for everyone to s...
The Power of Secular Prayer
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
During a time of war, it's so important to maintain and uphold our spiritual selves as well as community, two traits that are essential to Judais...
Israel at War: The College Campus Conversation
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine that you work on a U.S. college campus today while Israel is at war. Meanwhile, your Israeli cousin texts you from her mamad (safe room in an ...
Maintaining Hope and Humanity in the Face of Evil
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rebecca Bardach has devoted her life to progressive education and coexistence between Jews and Arabs living together in Israel. How does she maintain ...
Jewish Educators on the Frontlines in the War of Ideas
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Right now, alongside the war in Israel, there is a battle occurring in America, one that plays out in academic settings through ideas that use Israel ...
How to Talk to Children About Israel Today
20 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
During this time of war, it's imperative that educators and parents remain a calm presence for children. In a webinar held by The Jewish Educatio...
Educating and Parenting in a Time of War
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Jewish community is still reeling from the massacre that Hamas carried out in Israel over one week ago.In a somewhat cathartic conversation, David...
Jewish Educators: Flicking the Proverbial Switch
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of devastation and sorrow coming out of Israel, Jewish educators have been grappling with how to best communicate the events unfolding wit...
Research and Practice in Jewish Education
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As a reputable scholar of contemporary American Jewish education, Dr. Arielle Levites is curious about all things Jewish, from "Jews of no religi...
Where Does the Pendulum Swing?
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
To kick off an inspiring new season of "Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education," David Bryfman dissects the origins of Sunday School in Am...
Straight to the Source: Kids and Jewish Education
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As educators, we all have a lot to say. But in this special season finale of Adapting, we flipped the script and got to hear from the learners! CEO Da...
A Tap on the Shoulder: From Students to Educators, Season 3, Episode 34
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
According to the latest CASJE study, there are more than 14,000 Jewish Day School educators in the U.S. How would the future of the Jewish people chan...
Brave Spaces for Jewish Teens, Season 3, Episode 33
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Building educational spaces for teens is no easy task -- especially for those with viewpoints considered by some to be outside the mainstream, or even...
The I and Thou of Jewish Education, Season 3, Episode 32
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Every person has a story to be told, and today’s episode of Adapting tells one individual’s unlikely journey to become a Jewish educator.David Bry...
Meaning Makers: Supporting Our Educators, Season 3, Episode 31
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In a time of shortage of Jewish educators, today’s episode of Adapting focuses specifically on why one would even consider becoming a Jewish educato...
A Shavuot Special: Learning with Rabba Yaffa Epstein, Season 3, Episode 30
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Your Shavuot is about to be elevated by this special episode of Adapting, where you will experience the profound wisdom of Rabba Yaffa Epstein, The ...
Where Jewish Education Meets Feminism, Season 3, Episode 29
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Gender, feminism, and power are all salient features of adolescent development today. Jewish youth is certainly no exception, and Jewish education m...
Play with Purpose - Summer Camp through a Historic Lens, Season 3, Episode 28
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
May is Jewish American Heritage Month, and what is more Jewish American than teens spending the summer at camp exploring their culture?Since the postw...
Teen Enrichment - Tricks of the Trade, Season 3, Episode 27
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
According to this week's Adapting guest, Liron Lipinsky, when it comes to youth programming, teens come for the social component and stay f...
Finding Possibilities from the Census Findings, Season 3, Episode 26
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There is much at stake for the future of Jewish education in these rapidly changing times. Last week, The Jewish Education Project released a comprehe...
How to Use Data to Make an Impact, Season 3, Episode 25
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Data can be used as an effective and important tool for measuring success of Jewish engagement. But what are the data points we are looking for? And...
Artificial Intelligence or Artificial Education?, Season 3, Episode 24
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we can interact with machine learning in new, unprecedented ways. Educators can ask a chatbot to write lesson plans at the click of a button. S...
A More Inclusive Jewish Education, Season 3, Episode 23
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The way educators talk about identity has direct impact on how learners see themselves reflected in Jewish tradition. That is why LGBTQ+ advocacy and...
Uncovering the Israeli-American Jewish Experience, Season 3, Episode 22
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are almost one million Israelis living in the United States today. This includes immigrants who came to America as Israelis and discovered thei...
Why Yiddish Education is Anything but Meshugah, Season 3, Episode 21
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Schlep, klutz, shvigger... Yiddish is more than a few kitschy words. The language embodies and celebrates Jewish culture and daily life that is often ...
Raising the Bar: Jewish Learning at the Tavern, Season 3, Episode 20
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A rabbi walks into a bar... and opens a Jewish house of learning. Imagine a tavern playing Israeli music, the walls lined with old books written in H...
Jewish Leaders: You Need to Hear This, Season 3, Episode 19
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since the pandemic, the Jewish nonprofit sector has faced the same changes and challenges as the rest of the working world: the Great Resignation, shi...
Not Your Parents' Youth Movement, Season 3, Episode 18
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Empowerment. Ownership of your own destiny. Social engines of change. These were factors that spurred on the Zionist youth movement phenomenon and est...
Power to the Youth!, Season 3, Episode 17
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since the early 20th century, Jewish and Zionist youth movements have inspired individuals to come together as a collective around a shared aspiration...
Beyond the Bubble: Making the Magic of Summer Camp Last, Season 3, Episode 16
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Summer camp creates a unique environment that resembles a Jewish utopia inside a bubble. It's a culture built on kindness and connection without ...
The Ongoing Transformation of Jewish Day Schools, Season 3, Episode 15
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jewish day schools continue to be successful as they evolve with the changing needs of today’s families. Sharon Freundel, Managing Director of The J...
Implicating and Activating Learners, Season 3, Episode 14
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From the classroom to camp, at the top and the bottom of an institution, anybody can be a great leader. As we look at what makes an adaptive leader, ...
The Ruach Behind the Rhythm, Season 3, Episode 13
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Think of a time from your childhood when song helped you learn, whether it was memorizing all 50 states in the U.S., Jewish prayers, or the ABC's...
Re-cast: What it Takes to be an Adaptive Leader, Season 3, Episode 12
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When the world went into lockdown in 2020, there was a lot of uncertainty, but there was also a great deal of innovation and adaptability, especially ...
The Secret to Teen Engagement, Season 3, Episode 11
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Connecting with Jewish teens has always been a challenge, but today it brings more questions than ever, as teens have exponentially more demands on th...
Gaming Jewish Education, Season 3, Episode 10
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It is both an exciting and perhaps terrifying era for Jewish educators when digital technology is empowering learners in their own learning. Rather th...