Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education

32:44

Exploring Joy Through Dark Humor

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/10/08

If suffering breeds comedy, who should be funnier than the Jewish people after the last 3,000 years? This week, David Bryfman talks about humor in hard times with Israeli-American comedian, writer, and educator Benji Lovitt. Having recently returned to the U.S. after living in Israel for nearly two decades, Benji brings a unique perspective on the differences between Israeli and American Jewish humor, particularly in times of crisis. From inspirations like Larry David and The Marv...

en

44:25

From Victimhood to Power: 10/7 as the Rupture in Our...

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/10/01

As we approach the third anniversary of the October 7th massacre, Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath sits down with thought leader Yossi Klein Halevi of the Shalom Hartman Institute for a profound conversation about what it means to be a survivor people and how that identity is changing. Yossi describes October 7th as a point of rupture in the Jewish story, a moment that returned Jews to a mindset of victimhood even as the Jewish people now possess something generations of Jews did not: power. T...

en

40:57

Where Jewish Media Meets Jewish Learning

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/09/24

At the end of the day, Jewish educators empower their learners to feel like they're in the driver's seat of their own Judaism. This is the hallmark of Jewish thriving. Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath discusses how Jewish media can create new access points for learning, connection, and belonging with Molly Tolsky, Editorial Director of Culture & Lifestyle at 70 Faces Media and Founding Editor of Hey Alma. Specifically, they get into what Molly wishes Jewish institutions knew while i...

en

44:39

We're Serious About Jewish Joy

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/09/17

Joy might sound like the fluffy, easy, and "nice to have" way of exploring Judaism. But what changes when joy is the intentional, critical centerpiece? From the smell of challah to a grandmother exclaiming, "What is this balagan?", Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath explores the seriousness of Jewish joy with authors Suzy Ultman and Amanda Kingloff. Their new book, The Art of Jewish Joy, helps children and families make meaning of their identity through the sacred act of creating. The ac...

en

12:50

Jewish Education Can and Should Be Joyful

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/09/10

Around 2,000 years ago, Jews gathered around the Temple to celebrate the festival of Sukkot. They debated, danced, sang, ate challah, and drank wine. That's not escapism; that's Jewish life. David Bryfman kicks off Season 7 of Adapting with a solo episode pondering the question: After everything the Jewish people have endured, how do we create more room for joy in Jewish life? How can educators incorporate more fun and joy into Jewish learning? David makes the argument that Jewish joy isn't s...

en

37:38

Educating After October 7: Israel, Identity, and Hope...

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/06/11

After October 7, educators were asked to guide students while still making sense of their own evolving relationship to Israel and to Jewish peoplehood. What does it mean to teach when the ground beneath the curriculum is still shifting? What has changed in Israel education? What do educators need to hear? As season of six of Adapting comes to a close, Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath interviews David Bryfman on what’s changed in Israel education after October 7, drawing on ideas from his new b...

en

34:43

When Families Become the Classroom: Jewish Learning...

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/06/04

This week on Adapting, Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath sits down with Ariela Ronay-Jinich, founder and executive director of Olamim, to explore how education helps people navigate the richness of their identities. Drawing on her experiences as a Mexican Jew, educator, and parent, Ariela reflects on how her identities shaped her understanding of learning as a powerful tool for development, belonging, and community-building. Ariela shares how Olamim empowers parents, children, and grandparents ...

en

44:40

Hebrew School & Innovation: Is It Possible?

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/05/28

Every few years, Jewish education declares the Hebrew school model overdue for reinvention, yet the same structures persist. That tension sits at the center of this conversation. In this episode, David Bryfman speaks with Jonathan Krasner, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Chair of Jewish Education Research at Brandeis University, about the history and possible innovation in Jewish education. Together they examine the role of B-Mitzvah, and why many families remain satisfied with a mo...

en

48:43

Fighting Toxic Masculinity and Raising Healthy Jewish...

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/05/20

Being a man is not about how tall you are or how much money you make, despite what some voices in the Manosphere may claim. It’s about overcoming impulses, taking responsibility, and learning how to show up for others with dignity and care. But in a culture where many boys encounter masculinity first through algorithms, educators and parents are left asking a difficult question: How do we teach young men what healthy manhood actually looks like? In this episode, Samantha Vinokor-Meinrat...

en

45:20

Don’t Wring Your Hands; Roll Up Your Sleeves: Israel...

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/05/14

When Israel was created on this exact day 78 years ago, she didn’t come with an instruction manual called “How to Build a Jewish State.” If she had, Jewish educators wouldn’t be grappling today with the tensions between Israel’s Jewish and democratic values, or needing conversations like this week’s episode. This relevant conversation between David Bryfman and Rabbi Josh Weinberg confronts one of the most pressing questions facing Jewish educators today: How do we teach Israel at a moment whe...

en

43:39

Kippahgate: From Controversy to the Classroom with...

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/05/07

In this exclusive, uncensored conversation, David Bryfman interviews Alex Sinclair, the Israel educator at the center of a recent controversy. His kippah, embroidered with both Israeli and Palestinian flags, sparked outrage, led to his arrest, and was ultimately returned to him with the Palestinian flag removed. David and Alex go beyond the incident to explore the deeper, harder questions: How can you be a proud, public Zionist while openly criticizing Israel? Can you hold complexity wi...

en

35:55

Creating Meaningful Experiences for Every...

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/04/30

The B-Mitzvah is a defining milestone in American Jewish life, and offers a powerful lens into how Jewish communal spaces can foster inclusion and belonging. In light of their new book, A Different Spirit: Creating Meaningful B’nai Mitzvah for Children With Disabilities, Howard Blas and Ilana Trachtman join Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath in conversation about what it means to build truly inclusive Jewish experiences. Together, they explore how clergy and families can create meaningful B-Mitzvah ce...

en

34:03

A Conversation on Memory This Yom HaZikaron

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/04/21

This episode features Omri Rose, author of Echoes of October, a graphic novel exploring events leading up to October 7th through four young people from different backgrounds. In conversation with Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath around the themes of memory and Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, Omri reflects on how the events of October 7th reshaped his understanding of the world, and how we remember loss. Designed with education in mind, the novel serves as a meaningful tool for educators ...

en

30:49

Living Memory & Holocaust Education: A Conversation...

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/04/13

Yom HaShoah begins this evening. As we remember and honor the legacy of the six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust, Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath sits down with Dave Reckess, a third-generation survivor and executive director of 3GNY. 3GNY empowers grandchildren of survivors to share their family’s Holocaust stories with students to educate and inspire future generations. Samantha and Dave discuss Holocaust education as an effective tool to address antisemitism, and how it shou...

en

49:59

The Psychology of Jewish Living: Faith in a Modern World

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/03/26

What does it actually look like to live Judaism in today’s world? And what does it mean to be part of a collective when we have so many different worldviews, orientations, and perspectives? In this episode, Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath and Cantor Laura Stein explore this question through the lens of practical theology, or looking at how religion is lived, especially when paired with modern reality. As a Ph.D. candidate in practical theology at Boston University, Cantor Stein a...

en

28:10

Responding to Violence: Raising Proud Children Today

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/03/17

In an urgent episode following the recent attack at Temple Israel in Michigan, David Bryfman sits down with Daniel Held, Chief Program Officer of United Jewish Appeal of Greater Toronto, whose community has also faced recent antisemitic threats and attacks. Daniel offers perspective and hope during this challenging time, sharing how educators and parents can help raise Jewish children who are proud, knowledgeable, and empowered, even in the face of hate. The pair explore how diff...

en

28:12

A Love Letter to Jewish Educators

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/03/12

Mister Rogers famously said that in scary times, look for the helpers. But what happens when the helpers themselves are exhausted? This week, host Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath sits down with certified coach, facilitator, and speaker Shoshana Bloom for what she calls a “love letter to Jewish educators.” Together, they explore some of the immense pressures educators are facing today: burnout, overwhelm, imposter syndrome, and chronic stress. In a moment of polarization, new technology,...

en

39:10

How to “Rehuman” in Hard Times

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/03/05

The world feels overwhelming right now. Amid war and uncertainty, Jewish educators are overworked, and parents and students are pummeled with headlines and some with siren alerts. So how do we return to what makes us human: creativity, play, connection, and belonging? Stephanie Malia Krauss joins Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath to discuss simple but powerful shifts we can make in the classroom and in our own lives, like incorporating movement, prioritizing creative projects, embracing ...

en

49:38

Israel, Anti-Zionism, and the Healthy Argument - with...

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/02/26

The goal of a healthy argument in educational settings is to help one grow, learn, strengthen relationships, and gain new perspectives. On this week’s Adapting, Abi Dauber Sterne and Robbie Gringras share their research of anti-Zionist Jews across the U.S. in conversation with David Bryfman, with the goal to reduce alienation, deepen understanding, and support healthier argument within the Jewish community. Their discussion leads the three of them to wrestle with questions such as: Shou...

en

59:20

Iranian, Jewish, American: Holding Complex Identities

Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education ·

2026/02/19

Before the Iranian Revolution, nearly 100,000 Jews lived rich, deeply rooted lives in Iran. Activist Tabby Refael, whose family fled in the 1980s, tells Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath in great detail how she holds complex identities of being Iranian, American, and Jewish. With the recent rise in protests against the Islamic Republic, Tabby’s conversation – taking us from Tehran to LA – feels more relevant than ever, and offers a window into a personal and oftentimes emotional world full of memory ...

en

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

The Clinical Problem Solvers

The Clinical Problem Solvers

» Divine Intervention Podcasts

Divine-Favour Anene

Daily Facts

Amalia Dupray and Montgomery Jones.

Les dents et dodo

BFMTV

AASR Live

The Alliance Against Seclusion and...