The Jewish Education Experience Podcast

Bracha Goetz (Getz) is the Harvard-educated author of 40 books that help children’s souls shine. She also wrote Searching for G-d in the Garbage , a memoir for adults about overcoming food addictions and becoming observant. Her books can be found on the Bracha Goetz Amazon author page and on her website: goetzbookshop.com . Gems: Share your own sense of wonder. Make Torah come alive. G-d is about...

Rabbi Danny Nevins has led three Jewish organizations since being ordained in 1994. He was senior rabbi of Adat Shalom in Farmington Hills, MI. He served as Dean at JTS Rabbinical School for fourteen years. In the summer of 2021, Rabbi Nevins began his current position as Head of School at Golda Och Academy, in West Orange, NJ. He is also a scholar of modern Jewish law. He has written many respons...

Rabbi Eliezer Rubin is currently the Head of School at The Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy/Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School in Livingston, NJ. He began his career in Israel, where he studied at Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav before receiving semicha from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. In addition to teaching many young men and women at Israeli yeshivot and seminaries for their gap year, he served as an office...

Sari Kopitnikoff is a Jewish educator, illustrator, and author. She founded That Jewish Moment in 2014 in order to spread positivity about Judaism. She is passionate about creating books, games, activities, shows, and virtual challenges that bring Judaism to life. For the last decade, Sari has taught elementary, middle, and high school, but her creativity and energy have reached beyond the classro...

Rabbi Eli Zians is the Director of Jewish & Student Life for grades K-8 at Brauser Maimonides Academy in Hollywood, FL, and he teaches middle school. He is the Teen Director for the Boca Raton Synagogue and the former Director for NCSY's JOLT Summer Program where he led high school groups through Poland, Germany/Austria and Israel for the past 8 years. Eli also served as Program Director...

Rabbi Benjy Owen has served as Head of School of Margolin Hebrew Academy-Feinstone Yeshiva of the South in Memphis, TN since 2015. During his tenure, this PreK-12th grade Day School and High School Dormitory institution has experienced significant growth in enrollment and has conducted a major building campaign and campus renovation effort. The school has a strong and cohesive community. Prior to...

Aryeh was born in Brooklyn NY and graduated from Jewish Educational Center high school in Elizabeth, NJ. He previously taught history at Yeshiva Toras Emes in Brooklyn, NY and taught at Yeshiva of Central Queens and Yeshiva Derech Eres of Brooklyn, he now has come full circle as he teaches in JEC.  Gems: 90%of of teaching is classroom management. If you can connect with your students, you can teac...

Rabbi Doctor Judd Kruger Levingston has served as Director of Jewish Studies at Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy in Bryn Mawr, PA since 2009. Before coming to Barrack, he taught and held senior positions at Rebecca and Israel Ivry Prozdor High School Program at The Jewish Theological Seminary, Solomon Schechter High School in NY, Chestnut Hill Academy, and Perelman Jewish Day School in Philadelphia,...

Rachel Zivic grew up in Chicago, attending Jewish Day School for elementary   and high school. She is currently the Head of School/Principal at Kellman Brown Academy in Voorhees, NJ. Prior to becoming Head of School, she was the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. Rachel also served on the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools Accreditation committee.  Model compassion and supportive l...

Rabbi Lori Forman-Jacobi who is the Director of Jewish Journeys. She has worked in Jewish education for over 30 years, heading both a community congregational school and two Hebrew High schools in the New York Metropolitan Area. She was ordained from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1988 and was a member of the first rabbinical class that included female students. She is the co-editor of Sacred...

Rabbi Elazar Grossman is a native of Brooklyn, NY. He is the Director of the Long Island Torah Network. He lives in Huntington, Long Island, NY. Rabbi Grossman attended the Rabbinical Seminary of America - Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim of Queens from 1995 - 2011. Rabbi Grossman believes that Torah study is the key to unlocking our potential in every area. He studied and taught in many cities from San Dieg...

Rabbi Gil Perl is the CEO of the Ades Family Foundation and the founding Head of School of the Jewish Leadership Academy which is a middle and high school opening in Miami in 2023. He is the former Head of School at Kohelet Yeshiva in Merion Station, PA. He is the author of the book The Pillar of Volozhin: Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin and the World of Nineteenth Century Lithuanian Torah Scholar...

Judy Groner has served as the Head of Perelman Jewish Day School since 2014. She was previously the head of B’nai Shalom Day School in Greensboro, NC. She is one of the founders of Kibbutz Hannaton, where she acte as Mazkira. While living in Israel, she also worked for Project Oren at Oranim Seminary. Judy began her career as a teacher at Solomon Schechter of Philadelphia, PA (now Perelman). She w...

Rabbi Moshe Schwartz is the Head of School at Krieger Schechter Day School in Baltimore, MD. He previously served as the Head of School at Kellman Brown Academy in Voorhees, NJ. He recently completed a two year Certificate in School Leadership and Management from the Harvard Business School and Harvard Graduate School of Education. Rabbi Moshe is a lifelong New York Jets and Mets fan.  Gems: Model...

Rabbi Aaron Horn is the Associate Principal of Kohelet Yeshiva High School in Merion Station, PA. He earned his BA in Biology and Semicha from Yeshiva University. Previously, He served as Director of Middle School NCSY in NJ and as a Rabbinic intern at the Herzlia Adas-Yeshurun Synagogue in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Rabbi Horn has taught Gamara and Tanach to adults and children.  Gems: Talk with...

Danit Schusterman- is a Certified Montessori Primary Teacher and Educational Consultant with over 20 years of experience. She is the author of A Jewish Homeschool Blog and published a Kosher cookbook called Maui Kosher. Danit homeschooled her 5 children on the island of Maui, HI where she and her husband ran Chabad of Maui for 13 years. Currently, she teaches 4th grade and does education consultin...

Samara Sofian is the head of school at The Silver Academy in Harrisburg, PA. Born and raised in Central PA, she is happy to have the opportunity to return home. She has been an Education Director in various Hebrew schools. She also served as Director of Development at the Silver Academy.  Gems: Connect with G-d daily. Recognize the strengths that G-d has given your students. Education is the proce...

In this episode we interview the founders of the Ani Ve Ami curriculum: Amy Bodkin, Yehudis Litvak, and Malkie Swidler.   Amy Bodkin is an Autistc Adult, School Psychologist, and Homeschool Mom to her two Autistic kids. She consults primarily with homeschool families as the Special Needs Consultant at Ani VeAmi and A Charlotte Mason Plenary. She works with families who have experienced chronic hea...

Cantor Jacqueline Rafii is the Cantor at Shomrei Torah Synagogue in West Hills, California, where she develops and directs all musical programming, creative prayer experiences, and music education. Cantor Rafii had a previous career as an entertainment lawyer before switching career paths and following her calling. She is a Wexner Graduate Fellow, and as part of her Master’s Thesis collected and n...

Rabbi Ilyse Kramer is a long-time educator and former director of life long learning at Gesher in Harrisburg, PA. She is currently the director of Kesher: Connection at Columbia Jewish Congregation in Columbia, Maryland. She has extensive educational experience with both children and adults.   Best way to reach students is to ask them what they think. Give students content that is meaningful. Enco...

Hilary Greenberg is an experienced teacher, education director and consultant. She has a master’s degree in Jewish Education from Gratz College and a doctorate in Education from The University of Pennsylvania. Prior to becoming a Jewish educator, Hilary received her law degree from UCLA School of Law. Currently, she is the co-founder of Move Better, which is a fitness training and lifestyle coachi...

In this epic episode we interview Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe. Rabbi  Wolbe  is  the  Director  of  Outreach  for  TORCH,  a  Houston-based  Jewish  education  and  community outreach organization. He hosts six podcasts with listeners in over 118 countries. Rabbi  Wolbe  holds  Rabbinic ordinations from Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, Chief Justice of the Supreme Rabbinical Court of Jerusalem and Aish HaTo...

Rabbi Chaim Galfand is a former lawyer and is currently the Rabbi of Perelman Jewish Day school which has two campuses: one in Wynnewood, PA and the other in Melrose Park, PA. He was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA where he attended various Jewish day schools including Perelman. Rabbi Galfand trained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, the Schechter Institute in Jerusalem, and the...

Professor Aaron Hahn-Tapper, originally from Philadelphia, PA, now calls Northern California his home. He has been a professor at the University of San Francisco in Jewish studies for 14 years. He is the director of the Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice.  Professor  Hahn-Tapper is also the Executive Director of the Center for Transformative Education which was founded to create emp...

Rabbi Erez Sherman is currently a rabbi at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, CA. He is originally from NY and is the brother of Rabbi Nogah Marshall- (listen to her episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1257653/8092562 ).  He is also a graduate of Albert A. List College and Columbia University (with degrees in Music and Talmud), where he wrote his thesis, “Music in the Synagogue in the 21st Century. Rabb...