1. Setting up a Global Collaboration Network • Foster a sustainable, worldwide community of educators to:
    1. Exchange innovative ideas, practices and insights
    2. Address emerging challenges collaboratively
    3. Cultivate meaningful educational partnerships between colleagues and between Diaspora and Israeli institutions
  2. Transformative Action in Jewish-Zionist Education • Identify and implement groundbreaking strategies to revitalize and modernize educational approaches
    1. Deepening students’ connection to Israel, cultivating a sense of shared responsibility for Israel’s future
    2. Curriculum and strategies innovation
  3. Evolving Role of Schools • Analyze the changing landscape of education, focusing on:
    1. Enhancing perceived value of Jewish schools
    2. Addressing challenges and opportunities in the post-October 7th era
    3. Reinforcing Israel education and its centrality in Jewish identity and pride

Participants

Dr. Miriam Heller Stern

Vice Provost for Educational Strategy, National Director of the School of Education and Associate Professor at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, based on the Skirball Campus in Los- Angeles. She is the founder of Beit HaYotzer/the Creativity Braintrust, an initiative based at HUC-JIR designed to catalyze creative thinking and artistic expression through Jewish education and leadership, funded by the Covenant Foundation. Stern has published widely in various academic and professional journals and popular media outlets and is a frequent presenter at academic and professional conferences, on webinars and podcasts. She is called upon as a strategic thinker on national task forces across the sectors of Jewish education. She earned her Ph.D. in Social Sciences, Policy and Educational Practice and her MA in history at Stanford University as a Wexner Graduate Fellow.

Dr. Daniel Held

Daniel is the Executive Director of UJA Federation of Greater Toronto’s Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Education, which builds capacity for Toronto’s system of Jewish education and engagement. He has a wide range of experience in strategic philanthropy, conducting research and evaluation to maximize funders’ impact in Jewish education. Daniel holds a doctorate in education from JTS’s Davidson School of Education and is an alumnus of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship. Previously, he served as the Director of the Educators Track at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, as a senior educator at Brandeis University’s Office of High School Programs, and as a teacher at TanenbaumCHAT, Toronto’s community high school. Daniel has also been a frequent columnist for the Canadian Jewish News.

Dr. Rona Novick​

Dean of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration and holds the Raine and Stanley Silverstein Chair in Professional Ethics and Values. In addition to her Yeshiva University appointment, Dr. Novick has, since its founding, served as the Co-Educational Director of the Hidden Sparks program which provides consultation and professional development to day schools and Yeshivas to support the success of diverse learners. Dr. Novick received her PhD in Clinical Psychology and served in various teaching, clinical and leadership positions in mental health settings. She developed the Alliance for School Mental Health at North-Shore Long Island Jewish Medical Center and served as its director bringing state-of-the-art social emotional, behavioral, and mental-health prevention and services to schools. Dr. Novick has extensive clinical and research expertise in behavior management and child behavior therapy, bullying and trauma, diverse learners and social emotional learning in schools. She is the author of a children’s book Mommy Can You Stop the Rain? and a book for parents: Helping Your Child Make Friends, and edited the book series Kids Don’t Come With Instruction Manuals.

Dvorah Serrao

General Director of the Alliance Israelite Universelle and a teacher for many years in the Jewish schools in Paris, France. Dvorah obtained her CAPEJ from the Institut André Neher in 1999. After completing her BA in modern Hebrew from INALCO, the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations, Université Paris Sorbonne Cité, she obtained a stipend to attend the Scholar Circle Program at the Drisha Institute of New York. At the end of this experience in the United States, she obtained a second stipend to attend the Melton Senior Educator program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she simultaneously earned her MA. Dvorah coordinated training programs at the Institut André Neher for Jewish educators, she was the former director of the Tachkemoni School Antwerp, Belgium, Former Director of Education in Alliance Israelite Universelle school network and former Director of La'morim, a project in building partnerships between the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and key foundations in France.

Jo Toledano

Jo Toledano currently serves as a Leadership Renewal Senior Consultant at Praxis International in Paris. Since 2016, he has also been the Chairman of the Paris-based ‘École Juive Moderne’. Jo also serves as a board member of the Alliance Israelite Universelle and the Consistoire Rabbinical School of France and co-presides the Sciences Po-Emouna Fraternité Alumni, which aims to foster the dialogue on leadership and religious development in French society. Born in Meknes (Morocco) in 1948, and with a background as a journalist and Communication and Information Sciences teacher at Strasbourg University, Jo has dedicated his all career to Jewish education and communal service. He started his career by leading the French Jewish Social Department network where he founded the national campaign for Tsédaka raising. He then directed successfully the A. & R. Neher teacher Training Institute and the Franco-Swiss Gustave Leven Rashi Foundation. From 2008 to 2015, he was the General Director of the international ‘Alliance Israelite Universelle’, having a global impact on Jewish Education. Jo is married to Muriel Kottek, a psychologist and Bible researcher and teacher. They have four children and eight grandchildren.

Marlyn Bloch Jaffe

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Dr. Nehama Bendet

Nechama Bendet has more than 30 years of experience in Jewish education. She is the co-chair of the Australian Council of Jewish Day schools, representing more than 20 schools, and 10,000 students across Australia and has held this position since 2007. The Council provides strategic and operational advice to schools, and advocates for schools with state and federal governments. Nechama has been instrumental in securing millions of dollars in government funding for Jewish schools in Australia. Nechama was appointed as Secretariat of the Jewish Education Foundation in 2022. The Foundation was established by philanthropists, to improve access to Jewish education in Melbourne. The Foundation launched the highly successful Fee Assessment Board Program to assist children from government schools to enroll in Jewish schools. Nechama consults to a number of Jewish schools and organizations in Australia and Israel, specializing in philanthropy, Gifts in Wills, strategic planning, and enrolment growth.

Ariel Cohen-Imach

Director of AMIA, AMIA, Central Council of Jewish Education in Argentina ("Vaad Hachinuch"). Ariel ia a sociologist from the University of Buenos Aires. He holds an M.A. in Education from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a graduated from the Jerusalem Fellows Program of Mandel Institute. Ariel is a teacher of Jewish content. He is a former Director of the Yeshurun Tora High School in Buenos Aires, Argentina and a former Director of Jewish Studies of the Jaim Weizmann Hebrew Institute in Santiago, Chile.

Marlyn Bloch Jaffe

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Erica Herskowich

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Paul Bernstein

Founding CEO of Prizmah, Center for Jewish day schools in North America. Prior to joining Prizmah, Paul served as CEO of The Pershing Square Foundation, a private family foundation, and as the Global Managing Director of Absolute Return for Kids (ARK), a nonprofit focused on global health, education, and child protection. The preceding years of Paul’s career focused on government, telecoms, and new media. He has also served on the boards of various nonprofits in the UK and the US. Paul holds an MA from Cambridge University and an MBA from Cranfield School of Management.

Prof. Daniel Fainstein

Nechama Bendet has more than 30 years of experience in Jewish education. She is the co-chair of the Australian Council of Jewish Day schools, representing more than 20 schools, and 10,000 students across Australia and has held this position since 2007. The Council provides strategic and operational advice to schools, and advocates for schools with state and federal governments. Nechama has been instrumental in securing millions of dollars in government funding for Jewish schools in Australia. Nechama was appointed as Secretariat of the Jewish Education Foundation in 2022. The Foundation was established by philanthropists, to improve access to Jewish education in Melbourne. The Foundation launched the highly successful Fee Assessment Board Program to assist children from government schools to enroll in Jewish schools. Nechama consults to a number of Jewish schools and organizations in Australia and Israel, specializing in philanthropy, Gifts in Wills, strategic planning, and enrolment growth.

Rabbi David Meyer

Executive Director of PaJeS, UK. During his time at PaJeS he has revolutionized the way that Jewish schools interact with and support each other. Under his leadership the organization has committed itself to excellence, innovation and collaboration in Jewish schools. In particular he focuses on areas of strategic development, teaching and learning, and school services to achieve these aims. Rabbi Meyer has previously held leadership positions including Executive Headteacher of Hasmonean High School and Executive Director of the Jewish Association for Business Ethics. He is also a highly acclaimed public speaker and has been invited to present at conferences across the UK as well as in Israel, USA, Europe and Australia. Rabbi Meyer has been honored with an OBE for Services to Education in the Queen’s Birthday Honors list for 2020 which recognises his hard work over the past 30 years.

Prof. Daniel Fainstein

Representative of JEVF *Jewish Educational Vision Forum (*Information attached in english and hebrew) Fellow in Harvard University Graduate School of Education Worked as a Director General at Instituto Hebreo, Chile, which is an Education institution with an estimated of 70 employees. He used to work at Bialik College and Tarbut in Argentina. In April 2023 he began working as the new General Director of Tarbut Jewish School in Mexico.

Dr. Seymour Kopelowitz

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Tereza Gafna Váňová

A teacher of Jewish studies and deputy director for Jewish studies in the Lauder school of Prague. She has worked for the school for the past 16 years and helped to transform it into an open community school with rich communal life. In her approach to Jewish education she focuses on social ties, community building and learning through experience.

Rabbi Yehuda Brandes

President of Herzog College in Gush Etzion and Jerusalem. He is the former head of the Beit Midrash at Beit Morasha in Jerusalem and the author of many books and articles on Talmud, Jewish law, education and Jewish philosophy. In his books "Agada Lema'aseh" and "Mada Toratekha" and many articles, he examines the connection between the Talmudic law and legend, exposing both the philosophical aspects of religious law and the practical aspects of the Talmudic legend.

Dr. David Bryfman

CEO of The Jewish Education Project. After working in formal and informal Jewish educational institutions in Australia, Israel, and North America, David earned his Ph.D. in Education and Jewish Studies from NYU, focusing on the identity development of Jewish adolescents. David has authored several articles and presented broadly on topics ranging from the Jewish teenage experience, innovation and change in Jewish life, Israel education and more broadly about Jewish education. He is a founder of the annual Jewish Futures conference, helped direct the 2019 study GenZ Now: Understanding and Connecting with Jewish Teens Today, was the lead researcher of the groundbreaking 2016 study, “Generation Now: Understanding and Engaging Jewish Teenagers Today,” and editor of “Experience and Jewish Education,” a compendium of essays written by and for Jewish experiential educators. David is an alum of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship Program and the Schusterman Fellowship.

Dr. Joshua Sevitz

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Ayala Dekel

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Barbara Spector

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Damian Weber

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Dr. Karen Gazith

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Dr. Rani Jaeger

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Estela Kalinsky

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Dr. Karen Tal

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Lisa Dack

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Luciana Tabach Jafif

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Marli Ben Moshe

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Michael Berger

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Prof. Maria Liberman

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Rabbi Tully Harcsztark

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Shari Lowe

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Dr. Yossi Prager

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Yuval Oliverston

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Dr. Szonja Rahel Komoroczy,

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

Partner Organizations

I would like to get news and updates from UnitEd

Site by ClassE

Branding 0304

UnitEd 2023©

Welcome to UnitEd's new website!

Our website is just starting its journey,  and we'll be adding new content, features, and resources regularly.

We invite you to return to our website and follow its growth!