Breakout Session #2 - 11:15 AM PST
TITLE: Navigating Antisemitism: Practical Tools for Middle/High School Educators
PRESENTERS: ADL - Ariella Lowenstein, Matthew Friedman
DESCRIPTION: Educators working with older students (Grades 6-12) are invited to join ADL Los Angeles for an informative session to discuss the realities of antisemitism both locally and nationally through concrete examples and data. Participants will learn invaluable strategies to empower Jewish students and address instances of antisemitic language or behavior within the educational environment.
TITLE: My Heart is in the East
PRESENTER: I-Center - Dan Tatar & Michael Soberman
DESCRIPTION: Join a conversation with your peers to hear from one another, learn together, and provide support in a safe space. This will be an opportunity to bring questions from your communities, challenges you are facing, and thoughts on what you need as human beings, educators, and communal leaders during this difficult time.
TITLE: Peoplehood in an Intersectional World – How Adults Can Help Teens Find Their Place in Jewish Community
PRESENTER: Moving Traditions - Rabbi Daniel Brenner
DESCRIPTION: When Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan advanced the idea of Jewish peoplehood in the 1930s, he envisioned a world where Jews felt safe to live in multiple civilizations, including in the historic homeland of the Jewish people. In our post October 7th 2023 reality, Jewish people are returning to timeless questions about safety, freedom, and responsibility, including questions about assimilation, alliances, and core values. Educators will have time to explore the underlying assumptions about peoplehood, to engage in conversation about how Jewish identity is changing, and to envision new ways to help teens feel connected to one another and to the Jewish people.
TITLE: The Top Five Zionist Moments All Students Should Know
PRESENTER: OpenDor Media - Yoni Buckman
DESCRIPTION: One of the most important tools in Israel education today is ensuring our students have a strong sense of cultural literacy around Israel and Zionism. This session will highlight five key moments in Zionist history that our students should know, discuss why each event is so crucial to learn, and share practical tips on how educators can use UED resources to teach about these moments in their classrooms. This session is geared for educators 6th grade and up.
TITLE: Examining Student Thinking about October 7th and Its Aftermath
PRESENTERS: Dr. Sivan Zakai & Dr. Lauren Applebaum
DESCRIPTION: Facilitated by Dr. Lauren Applebaum, the Director of DeLeT Programs at HUC-JIR, and Dr. Sivan Zakai, the Sara S. Lee associate professor of Jewish Education at HUC-JIR. How do Jewish children think about the events of October 7th, the Israel-Hamas war, the ongoing hostage situation, and the rise of antisemitism in the US? In this session, we will examine transcripts of children from both day and supplementary schools thinking about this question. We'll consider: what do children say? What do children's words reveal about their thoughts, questions, and concerns about world events? And what do children's ideas mean for our own practice as educators?
TITLE: CRISIS AND SELF: THE IMPACT OF WAR ON PERSONAL IDENTITY AND SELF-IMAGE
PRESENTER: Rabbi Dr Dovid Fox, Director of Crisis and Trauma Services, Chai
Lifeline International Forensic and Clinical Psychologist
DESCRIPTION: This workshop will provide an interactive presentation on the psychological effects of war news on students and faculty in Jewish schools. Crisis Stress and its impact on emotional functioning, on sense of security, on public and personal image and on cognitive functioning will be described. Guidelines and tools for addressing students and for personal coping, and self care, will be shared.
TITLE: Mental Health Open Discussion facilitated by JFS
PRESENTERS: JFS Professional Staff
DESCRIPTION: A facilitated discussion for mental health professionals