Hebrew College’s Bonim Beyachad Fellowship

“I started understanding that I am a Jewish educator, but by the time we reached the siyum, I truly feel and believe I am one.” — Sarah Jane Heyman, Bonim Beyachad Fellow

Become a Fellow

Hebrew College’s Bonim Beyachad program is an online, 10-month national cohort-based fellowship to support adults new to teaching in part-time and supplemental Jewish educational settings. The fellowship provides professional development in pedagogy, Jewish content knowledge, and classroom management for new teachers. Fellows attend a three-day subsidized in-person, fall retreat at Hebrew College.

We Need You!

More and more Jewish educational leaders, both affiliated and unaffiliated with synagogues, are turning to community members to teach in their programs. These community members are committed to a vibrant Jewish life, deepening their own Jewish learning, and are inspired to share their love for Judaism with children. Yet, they have little or no background in education. The Bonim Beyachad fellowship provides deep Jewish content and scaffolded learning in a robust community of learners.

“We established Bonim Beyachad to support lay people in becoming Jewish educators, empowering them with the skills, knowledge and confidence to enter classrooms ready to make a difference in children’s lives. We are excited to welcome our second national cohort of Bonim Fellows, who will be part of a community of learners trained in pedagogy and Jewish content, and receive one-on-one, personalized mentoring.” — Dr. Susie Tanchel (left), Hebrew College Vice President

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Hebrew College hears the call. There aren’t enough teachers for synagogue and other part-time or supplemental Jewish schools. We are ready to usher more community members into the field by helping to support new and aspiring teachers into these Jewish education settings.

About the Program

Every Bonim Beyachad encounter will introduce a theory or pedagogy, offer practical classroom applications, and provide content through a pluralistic lens. Fellows will engage with Jewish content and curricular materials, explore educational pedagogies, and be part of a community of educators who reflect on their practice with the goal of improving their teaching. At the end of the program, Bonim Beyachad Fellows will have gained knowledge, skills, colleagues, confidence, and resources which will benefit their home community.

Program Design

• 18 synchronous Zoom seminars
• One in-person retreat at Hebrew College outside of Boston, MA: Sunday afternoon, January 10, 2027 through lunchtime on Wednesday, January 13, 2027
• 7 sessions of personalized mentoring
• 10 hours of adult learning

Bonim Beyachad Fellows should plan to attend eighteen 90-minute sessions which will take place on Zoom. In addition, Fellows will engage in seven personalized mentoring sessions, an in-person three-day retreat, and selected adult learning opportunities.

In between Zoom sessions, participants will be expected to reflect on their teaching and learning through journaling, short-reading assignments, and creating materials for use in their work with students.

All Bonim Beyachad Fellows will receive a Certificate of Participation from Hebrew College upon completion of the program.

Cost

With gratitude to a generous funder, the cost of Bonim Beyachad is heavily subsidized. Participants (and/or their communities/institutions) are responsible for the subsidized cost of the year-long program ($895 in 2026-2027) plus travel expenses to and from the in-person retreat at Hebrew College in Newton, MA, including air and ground transportation.

Who should apply?

Adults in North America teaching or volunteering in Jewish supplemental school settings with little or no training in education who want to contribute to their community, engage in meaningful work, and deepen their relationship with Jewish traditions and rituals.

Teams or multiple teachers from the same institution are encouraged to apply.

All fellows must be teaching or volunteering in a part time or supplemental setting during the 2026-2027 school year. Hebrew College will help with job placement as needed once an application is received. Applicants do not need a teaching position to apply.

Application process

• Rolling admissions. We are recruiting for our next cohort now. Apply here
• Interviews will be scheduled once applications are complete
• Acceptances sent out no later than June 20, 2026
• Signed Letter of Participation from applicant due by June 30, 2026

Apply Now

Applications for the 2026-2027 (Cohort 3) Bonim Beyachad Fellowship are being accepted on a rolling basis.

Apply now | Nominate a Bonim Beyachad Fellow

California

Allison Silverstein, Cohort 1
Temple Sinai, Oakland

Emily Haan, Cohort 2
Congregation Beth El, Berkeley

Maddie Langbein, Cohort 1
Temple Isaiah, Lafayette

Morey Lipsett, Cohort 1
Congregation Beth Shalom, San Francisco

Colorado

Elana Adler, Cohort 1
Congregation Har HaShem
Boulder, CO

Connecticut

David Fisher, Cohort 1
Temple Israel, Westport

Jordan Shefsky, Cohort 1
Beth El Temple, West Hartford

Georgia

Facely Roames, Cohort 1
Temple Kol Emeth, Marietta

Jonathon Adler, Cohort 1
Congregation Etz Chaim, Marietta

Illinois

Jenna Solomon, Cohort 1
Am Shalem, Glencoe

Michael Ornstein, Cohort 1
Beth Emeth The Free Synagogue, Evanston

Sarah Jane Heyman, Cohort 1
Am Shalem, Glencoe

Maryland

Jennifer Goldberg, Cohort 1
Congregation Har Shalom
Potomac, MD

Julie Ross, Cohort 2
Temple Emanuel, Kensington

Lucy Fields, Cohort 2
Temple Emanuel, Kensington

Massachusetts

Elizabeth Shulman, Cohort 1
Temple Israel, Boston

Erika Edwards, Cohort 1
Falmouth Jewish Congregation, Falmouth

Gabriel Williams, Cohort 2
Congregation Agudas Achim, Attleboro

Jonathan Tatelman, Cohort 1
Temple Emanuel, Newton

Jordana Truboff, Cohort 1
Congregation Kehillath Israel, Brookline

Lissa Saidel-Goley, Cohort 2
Temple Sinai, Brookline

Mark Beal, Cohort 1
Temple Beth David, Westwood

Minnesota

Deborah Camasta, Cohort 2
Temple of Aaron, St. Paul

Evana Hershkowitz, Cohort 2
Temple of Aaron, St. Paul

Gabi Herzog Isaacs, Cohort 1
Mount Zion, St. Paul

Izzy Lundquist, Cohort 2
Beth Jacob Congregation, Mendota Heights, MN

Jonathan Norman, Cohort 1
Mount Zion, St. Paul

Rebecca Zerlin, Cohort 1
Mount Zion, St. Paul

New York

Jasmine Buzzella, Cohort 2
Temple Israel Center, While Plains

Karizmah Brauner, Cohort 1
Shaarei Tikvah, Scarsdale

Sylvia Fallas, Cohort 1
East Midwood Jewish Center, Brooklyn

Pennsylvania

Amy Spitofsky, Cohort 1
Germantown Jewish Center, Philadelphia

Claire Pettigrew, Cohort 2
Chisuk Emuna Congregation, Harrisburg

Jem Oshins, Cohort 1
Congregation Rodeph Shalom, Philadelphia

Washington

Chaya Cable, Cohort 2
Congregation Beth Shalom, Seattle

Lyric Crane, Cohort 1
Congregation Beth Shalom, Seattle

Maya Ness, Cohort 2
Herzl Ner Tamid, Mercer Island

Wisconsin

Ezra Stonyte, Cohort 1
Congregation Shalom
Milwaukee, WI

“Bonim Beyachad models and teaches creative and engaging activities and pedagogies that can be directly applied to the classroom. I’ve already used line-by-line Torah study with my students and often use post-it notes to gauge students’ reactions to historic events we are learning about. Every Bonim Beyachad seminar has given me a new creative tool for my classroom and students.” — Jennifer Goldberg, teacher at Congregation Har Shalom in Potomac, MD

> Read an interview with Jennifer

“I find the Fellows are more collaborative and open to learning and sharing with others. I observe that new teachers can often be hesitant to share what they are doing because they don’t think it is good enough or to ask for help because they don’t want to seem like they don’t know what they are doing. After participating in the Bonim Beyachad program, I have seen my teachers more willing to reach out to one another both to ask for advice and to share what is working well. They have done this with other teachers in our community as well so I see how they are more confident and spreading that feeling amongst our staff.” — Alisha Sawyer, Religious School Director at Mount Zion Temple in St. Paul Minnesota

>> Read an interviedw with Alisha

“I love learning from others, gaining new perspectives, and learning new teaching tools. In my journal I reflect a lot about how to incorporate what I learn into lessons, and I feel more purposeful in how I want to teach and improve my skills in Jewish education.” — Julie Ross (Cohort 2), Temple Emanuel, Kensington, MD

“I’m thinking more creatively about my lessons and how to incorporate more age-appropriate and dynamic modes of teaching. I’m focusing more on teaching one thing well than trying to cram multiple topics into an hour that may not engage the kids. I’m thinking a lot more about different learning styles and how to teach in a way that engages kid bodies and minds as I prep.” — Emily Haan (Cohort 2), Congregation Beth El, Berkeley, CA

“It is easier for me to write lesson plans now, and I am developing my time management skills. I know more about how to frame the lessons, so we have time for everything, including clean up and heading up to tefillah at the end of every Shorahsim day. Bonim Beyachad has helped me deepen my understanding of what education is, given me ideas on how to implement information, and a community to bounce ideas off.” — Jasmine Buzzella (Cohort 2), Temple Israel Center, White Plains, NY

“Being part of this program under your guidance has been an incredible learning experience. Thanks to your teaching and mentorship, I feel inspired to move forward and pursue formal certification. Bonim Beyachad has given me the confidence to see a long-term path for myself in Jewish education, and for that, I will be forever thankful. I have truly enjoyed every moment of the program so far, and I am already looking forward to the rest of our time together—and hopefully many more opportunities to learn from you in the future.” — Facely Roames (Cohort 2), Temple Kol Emeth, Marietta, GA

“I feel more confident as a Jewish educator knowing that there are so many others like me who don’t have formal teaching training but who are willing to learn more to create a better learning environment for their students. Before Bonim Beyachad, I talked a lot to the students and gave them coloring pages. Now, as I prepare to teach, I think much more strategically. I am able to modify lesson plans for individual students, and I do art, tactile learning, acting, reading, and more.” — Chaya Cable (Cohort 2), Congregation Beth Shalom, Seattle, WA