MaTaRoT Monthly Workshop Recordings

Questions, Questions: Interrogating Jewish Storytelling
Instructor: Caren Schnur Neile
Date: June 4, 2024
Time: 12 – 1pm

It is often said that great stories don’t provide answers; they pose questions. The same can also be said for a great storytelling series. Asking questions is inherent in Jewish culture. What questions has this series raised in your mind about the importance, meaning, and utility of Jewish storytelling? What do you still wonder about how—and why—to use storytelling in your own life and work? Do you want to tell better stories? Learn how to adapt personal anecdotes to telling? Start your own storytelling tradition, or group? Come bring these questions and others for a lively and informative discussion with a “community storytelling activist” who has employed story in hundreds of places and in dozens of different situations.

Engaging Diverse Families with PJ Library
Instructor: Kayla Reisman
Date: May 14, 2024
Time: 12 – 1pm

How well do the families involved in your organization reflect the wider population locally? This virtual interactive workshop will bring together PJ Library books and engagement strategies as an opportunity for participants to reflect on the stories that they tell in their communities, and how to use them to reach new families.

Israel Story: Behind the Scenes
Instructor: Mishy Harman
Date: April 9, 2024
Time: 12 – 1pm

Israel Story, or ‘Sipur Israeli,’ was born as a late-night project in 2011 at the hands of childhood friends Mishy Harman, Yochai Maital, Shai Satran, and Ro’ee Gilron. Their hope was to step outside of their social bubbles and explore the diversity of Israel. By 2014, Israel Story launched its English podcast. The focus of the English podcast was the same. The Israel people loved, as well as the Israel people hated, was – largely speaking – an imaginary place. Israel Story on the other hand, tells stories of the ‘real’ Israel; to showcase a different, more nuanced, and more diverse, Israel.

Healing Hearts: Telling my Family’s Story is Telling my Story
Instructor: Irene Stern Frielich
Date: March 12, 2024
Time: 12 – 1pm

Author and daughter of a Holocaust survivor Irene Stern Frielich will share the importance of the stories she knew and the emptiness of those she didn’t have. She will discuss how storytelling helped transform her from a quietly suffering inheritor of intergenerational trauma to a woman engaged in her path toward healing; healing she hadn’t been aware she needed.

Check out Irene’s website: www.shatteredstars.org and Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ShatteredStarsHealingHearts

Magic Unlocked: Bringing Education to Life with Mystery, Play, and Storytelling
Instructor: Sari Kopitnikoff
Date: February 27, 2024
Time: 12 – 1pm

For the last number of years, experiential educator and game designer Sari Kopitnikoff has been creating educational games and mystery experiences for learners of all ages on a host of topics. The games have been very successful – both in encouraging teamwork and building community as well as creating meaningful and engaging learning experiences. The games build on stories that are anchored in Jewish history and text but are fictionalized and allow for student interaction and creativity. Learn how to create such magic in your own learning environment. Discover 8the value of such learning, play one of Sari’s mystery games, and finally, learn the process of creating your own.

Sari’s books, Sometimes When I Pray, Only Kidding!, My Davening Diary, My Escape from Egypt, and Jewmagine That!, have all made best-seller lists on Amazon. Order your copies here.

Check out Sari’s free educational packets, virtual games, and more. Click here.

Up Close and Personal: A Talmudic Tale about a Teacher and a Learner
Instructor: Elie Holzer
Date: January 9, 2024
Time: 12 – 1pm

We tell ourselves “stories” about the kind of teacher we are, and we tell ourselves “stories” while observing other teachers and students. What intricacies of these two types of stories might be at play in our day-to-day experience? This experiential workshop is designed to explore that question as we delve into a short rabbinic story.

Watch Part I of this workshop

Watch Part II of this workshop

Jewish Stories and their Influences
Instructor: Rabbi Ben Rosen
Date: December 12, 2023
Time: 12pm – 1pm EST

Judaism, and its strong storytelling tradition, has never existed in a vacuum. Across thousands of years, Jewish stories have come into contact with the traditions and myths of their neighbors and emerged stronger and more fascinating with each passing generation. In this session, we will compare and contrast various Creation myths and try our hand at adaptation.

Writing and Telling Stories
Instructor: Susan Meyer
Date: November 14, 2023
Time: 12 – 1pm

Award-winning children’s author Susan Lynn Meyer will discuss the inspiration and research behind her latest book, A Sky Full of Song, a novel about eleven-year old Shoshana and her large family, Jewish refugees from persecution in Tsarist Russia, who take up homesteading in a dugout on the North Dakota prairie. She will also talk about the ways that children can interview family members and use the recordings as inspiration to write their own stories.

Learn more about A Sky Full of Song, and purchase it here.

Using Social Media to Create and Tell our Stories
Instructor: Micah Hart
Date: October 17, 2023
Time: 12 – 1pm

It’s hard to get people’s attention these days – there’s a never-ending bombardment of the senses from every possible outlet – but it’s also never been easier to tune out the things you prefer to ignore. The answer is simple: if you want people to give you their time, you have to give them something of value in return. This workshop will give you the tools to help you do that by using storytelling to build relationships with your community.

Bringing Memory to Life
Instructor: Sarah Palmer
Date: April 25, 2023
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST

Yom HaZikaron and other Israeli national holidays can be challenging to authentically observe and teach in the diaspora. As we observe Yom HaZikharon together we will explore and study some of the rich resources from the National Library of Israel (NLI). Our session will provide us with the opportunity to study and commemorate together. We’ll learn how to navigate the educator guides and curated primary sources such as photographs, posters, newspaper articles, maps, music, and more. We will dive into NLI’s resources for Yom HaZikaron and give you the tools to infuse your curriculum with primary sources that will enrich your teaching of any Jewish theme.

Want more information? Check out NLI Resources for Educators.

From the Narrow into Expanse: A Pre-Passover Ritual
Instructor: Amalia Mark
Date: March 21, 2023
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST

Join Mayyim Hayyim for a liberatory handwashing as we prepare for the holiday of Passover. We will learn about mikveh and immersion as models of ritual liberation and transition. Using text study and a guided journaling process, we will explore what we want to leave behind in our own “narrow places” and how we will journey towards expansive possibility. The hour will end with a collective “mikveh moment” of a Passover themed handwashing. No experience with mikveh, text study, or Passover necessary!

Materials needed: A large empty bowl, a vessel filled with water, hand towel, pen/paper/favorite way to journal

Chesed: The Core of Connection and Creating Community
Instructor: Gina Tzizik
Dates: February 28, 2023
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST

This workshop will explore how Chesed and Loving-kindness can transform your classroom and provide a foundation for a lifetime of robust connections, fulfillment, and the ability to contribute and adapt to a changing world. In this workshop we will explore practical ways to introduce materials and practices to integrate Chesed loving-kindness into your classroom and community. This is a hands-on interactive workshop!

Creating Relational Space, Creating New Norms for Dialogue
Instructor: Kathy Simon
Dates: January 24, 2023
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST

It’s a sad fact of our society — and in most schools — that we’re not that skilled at talking through difficult issues. We tend to avoid topics that are likely to cause strife or controversy, or we engage those topics in ways that leave somebody or everybody feeling hurt and disconnected. We know that relationships and communication are at the heart of teaching, learning, and collaborating, and so lifting the level of our skills at communication is essential to our power as educators. In this brief workshop, we’ll explore ways of guiding difficult conversations in ways that are more likely to be engaging, encouraging, and productive for everyone involved.

Designing and Re-designing Programs: Creative Thinking and Innovation in Jewish Education
Instructor: Yafit Shriki Megidish
Dates: December 13, 2022
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST

As the Executive Director of Studio 70 in Berkeley, CA, Master Educator Yafit Shriki Megidish has led the creation of unique programs such as Midor LeDor, Yotzrot Makom, and Edah. Tapping into the market of what Jewish teens, kids and parents are looking for in afterschool enrichment, these programs have been widely recognized for their innovation and engagement. In this one-hour session, you will be introduced to the process of designing and re-designing programming, from identifying audiences and needs to acquiring tools for unleashing creativity and innovative thinking with your staff.

Madrichim: They’re Good For More Than Just Sharpening Pencils. Partnering with Teens to Make Your Classroom More Inclusive & Accessible 
Instructor: Sandy Gold & Mia Hyman
Dates: November 8, 2022
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST

Teens who work in our schools and programs can be essential partners in helping a school be more inclusive and accessible to diverse learners. This session is intended for educators and directors who are interested in learning how teen madrichim can become active, valuable collaborators in the religious school setting. Participants will walk away from this session with an understanding of the kinds of concrete strategies that teens can help implement which focus on key areas such as assessing and understanding why students engage in certain behaviors, and adjusting and adapting the environment to help students be successful in the classroom.

How can we prepare OURSELVES for the New Year? An hour with Dr. Betsy Stone for Jewish Educational Leaders.
Instructor: Dr. Betsy Stone
Dates: September 13, 2022
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST

During Elul we prepare ourselves for the physical and spiritual hungers associated with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We may decaffeinate, or recite Psalm 27, or even make resolutions for our behavior. These days, educators scramble to figure out hybrid and live learning environments, hire and supervise new teachers, enroll students and talk to parents, and so much more. What we often don’t do is to take time to care for ourselves. We put that off until tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.  Spend an hour with your peers and Dr. Betsy Stone focusing on OUR hungers, OUR yearnings.

Bringing Mindfulness Closer to T’fillah (Prayer)

Instructor: Oren Kaunfer, JCDS Madrich Ruchani (Spiritual Educator) and Institute for Jewish Spirituality Local Boston Trainer
Dates: Tuesday, May 24, 2022

In this workshop we will learn how to bring the practices and sensibilities of mindfulness into t’fillah. Join us as we explore the idea of teaching mindfulness to students with a goal of showing students (through practice) that Mindfulness and T’fillah are not as different as they may think.

During our session together we’ll learn:
1 “secular” mindfulness practice
1 t’fillah inspired practice
1 parasha ( torah portion) inspired practice

The workshop promises to provide you and your students with new skills to strengthen prayer experiences.

Hebrew in Supplementary Schools: How do we get to “keyn”?

Instructors: Lori B. Sagarin, RJE & Tal Gale
Dates: Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Teaching Hebrew in a supplementary school can be stressful, lonely and at times frustrating. In this session, we will explore what can be accomplished for students, supporting feelings of success in teachers. Resources will be shared for bringing fun, interactive techniques into your classroom or zoom room. There will be opportunities to share best practices and methodologies and you will leave this session with ideas you can implement immediately. Presented by Lori B. Sagarin, RJE and Tal Gale from Hebrew at the Center.

Pedagogy of Partnership: Exploring the Hevruta Experience

Instructors: Allison Cook & Dr. Orit Kent
Dates: Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Havruta learning, a traditional form of Jewish study in pairs, is more than two people learning together. Havruta constructs a space built on humility and creativity – of generative collaboration and attuned responsiveness to one another and the texts or content we are learning. Come explore some of Pedagogy of Partnership’s core frameworks and harness the power of havruta to shape the values, skills, and experiences of learners in your program.

Understanding & Navigating Challenging Behaviors in a Supplemental School Setting

Instructor: Sandy Gold
Dates: Tuesday, February 15, 2022

In today’s formal and informal Jewish educational programs, children’s behavior is an important factor in their social and academic experience. Just as students’ behavior impacts their learning, their learning needs also impact their behaviors. During this workshop, we will explore the interaction between learning issues and behavior and we’ll examine strategies that can help teachers navigate challenging classroom situations.

Educator as Allies & Advocates

Instructor: Rabbi Micah Buck-Yael
Dates: Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Study after study has shown us the importance of inclusion, dignity, and diversity in the classroom. Students truly thrive in their learning when they are able to see themselves in their learning, and feel that they and their families are valued, seen, and embraced. All to often, LGBTQ students or students who are part of LGBTQ families encounter curricula, policies, and classroom practices that do not affirm them. Join Keshet to learn about classroom practices that can build LGBTQ-affirming learning environment in which students can thrive.

Teaching Primary Sources

Instructor: Lucy Marshall
Dates: Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021

Join the Jewish Women’s Archive Twersky Education Fellow, Lucy  Marshall, to learn about incorporating historical sources into your teaching. Together we will dive into a primary source document that helps bring Jewish women’s history to life. We’ll explore how primary sources can bring the past into focus and provide us and your students with rich images and content to inform our lives as Jews today. Lucy will also give us a  guided tour of the extraordinary wealth of teaching resources available on jwa.org.

Teaching about God & Faith

Instructor: Rabbi Dr. Michael Shire
Dates: Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021

Children have the innate ability to be curious about God and Faith. Join Rabbi Dr. Michael Shire as we explore together pedagogies that provide us as educators the keys to unlocking that curiosity.