12:10 – 12:50 PM
Jewish Artist of the Week – Dvir Cahana:
Judaism was fabricated from an inclination of creative reads. Once we give ourselves permission to try things that have never been done, the porential is boundless. In my workshop, I will describe an innovative methodology of using the language of art and parshanut to allow for rich discussions to emerge from intentional chevruta study.
Stolen Beam – Jeffrey Gold/ Devorah Jacobson:
The Stolen Beam course – devoted to understanding the concept of reparations for descendants of enslaved African Americans and the Jewish case for Reparations – was an outgrowth of both study and dialogue of members of the Jewish Community of Amherst (JCA). The Stolen Beam has been used by Jewish, Christian and secular groups to further the understanding of the history racism in the United States and the need to address it. In this workshop, we share with you the Stolen Beam’s history, the process within the JCA and its governing body regarding reparations, and some ways the Stolen Beam and its accompanying manual have been utilized in the wider community.
MishMash – Sarra Lev:
Our workshop will guide you through using an application that can be used for teaching Talmud to anyone from beginner to advanced. We will start by demonstrating the features of the app and then teach a short sugya using the app.
The Deep Dive – Eliana Light:
The Deep Dive: A New Way Into Liturgy and Prayer
Join Eliana Light, founder of the Light Lab, for a taste of their signature offering, the deep dive. Using the Light Lab methodology, we’ll explore one piece of siddur text and attempt to alchemize liturgy into prayer. Along the way we’ll talk “T’fillahsophy,” podcasts, and the Light Lab’s mission to make Jewish liturgy and prayer practice accessible and meaningful to all seekers. No prayerbook experience necessary- we are all experts and we are all beginners.
3:05 – 3:45 PM
Repair & Remedy – Caryn Aviv:
Repair & Remedy is a 7 week exploration of Jewish and Black American texts about harm and repair. This workshop will introduce the touchstones of the course, and ask questions about how we might apply Jewish concepts of teshuvah to addressing America’s unhealed wounds from slavery and racism.
Jewish World History Through the Arts – Liora Ostroff:
This project explores the questions, “How do Jewish content learning standards map onto antiracist learning standards?” and “How do we teach Jewish history and world culture in hands-on, creative, and student-led ways?” In the first iteration of this project, students explored menorahs from around the world, learning about how Jewish life and culture have been influenced by the places Jews have lived and the surrounding cultures Jews have interacted with.
Mural of Jewish Living Values – Eric Schulmiller:
Cantor Eric’s presentation will explore RSNS’ approach to engaging youth with Jewish values through the lens of art and the meaning of communal space. Participants will learn how the values-based decision making process was essential in the artist-student partnership which lead to the creation of a Mural of Living Values.
3:50 – 4:30 PM
Shabbat School Family Cooperative and Curriculum Treasury – Deborah Eisenbach-Budner:
What Happens When Parents are THE Teachers? Havurah Shalom Shabbat School in Portland is a Family Cooperative Jewish Education program with 130 students in Grades K-6, and parents from 90 families who work in 28 teams. Come hear how this amazing model works (for 40 years, now!); strengths and challenges of implementation. Consider whether there is a piece of this that might inspire your community. We have also developed a rich online Curriculum Treasury for 7 grades – with 28 curricular frameworks, 1003 activities, 261 sample lesson plans created by parent-teachers, and 653 additional curriculum resources – that contains a myriad of tools for hired teachers, too. We would like to share the model and Curriculum Treasury in a comprehensive and helpful way, including learning about the potential settings and needs of interested communities.
The Deep Dive – Eliana Light:
The Deep Dive: A New Way Into Liturgy and Prayer
Join Eliana Light, founder of the Light Lab, for a taste of their signature offering, the deep dive. Using the Light Lab methodology, we’ll explore one piece of siddur text and attempt to alchemize liturgy into prayer. Along the way we’ll talk “T’fillahsophy,” podcasts, and the Light Lab’s mission to make Jewish liturgy and prayer practice accessible and meaningful to all seekers. No prayerbook experience necessary- we are all experts and we are all beginners.
Tikkun Ha’ir – Pam Sommers:
Tikkun Ha’Ir (Repairing the City) has immersed close to one hundred middle and high school participants in a study of hunger, homelessness, and racial inequity in Washington DC. Living and working in a church in a gentrifying neighborhood of Washington, DC. for several days and nights, participants prepare and serve meals for those in need, work in a family shelter, assist senior residents of a low-income apartment building, and participate in workshops and simulations on shelter life, homelessness, eviction and hunger with folks from area non-profits. They also grapple with historical and ethical issues through a Jewish prism.