The Jewish Education Experience Podcast

117: How Relationship First Teaching Keeps Kids Connected To Torah with Rabbi Ezra Elstein

Rabbi Ezra Elstein grew up in Philadelphia, went through the local Jewish day school system, and somewhere along the way lost his connection to Torah. It wasn't anyone's fault — it just wasn't the right fit. Years later, learning in Eretz Yisroel through open conversation and genuine curiosity, he rediscovered what Jewish learning could feel like. That experience changed everything. When he and his wife started raising their own children, they dreamed of a school where Torah felt alive and personal — where every child felt seen. So they built one. With guidance from Rav Shalom Kamenetsky, TIDE began in their basement with four kids. Today it's a thriving school at Keneseth Israel serving boys in grades 1–8. With over 15 years in education, Rabbi Elstein leads TIDE around one simple belief: every child deserves to discover that learning Torah can be joyful and meaningful. Gems: * Work on solving problems, don’t ignore them. * Avoid/limit screens. * Be with our children every step of the way. * Hashem gave us our children because we’re the right people to help this particular child grow to be who they need to be. * Help your child along their path. * Trust that we’ve raised our children properly. * Our generation needs more training in life skills than previous generations. * It’s not about providing a certain template or format but finding the child’s path that he can grow up with. * Find out what the deeper thing is that they’re struggling with. * Build the relationship with the child first, before beginning curriculum. * Think long term. Wellnesse Natural Personal Care Products [https://wellnesse.com/pages/toothpaste-offer?oid=30&affid=612] Wellnesse was founded by a mom who wanted healthier options for families. Check out my unique link! Parenting On Purpose [https://la-med-learning-center.teachable.com/p/parenting-on-purpose-developing-a-deeper-connection-with-your-children] This course will help you better understand your child and build a deeper connection. Tikvah [https://jewishclassicaleducation.org/] Tikvah focuses on Classical Jewish Education. Amazon [https://amzn.to/4sPoSMG] We receive a small commission for any items purchased through my Amazon link. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/JewishEducationExperiencePodcast]

116: Developing Independent Thinkers with Rabbi Yehuda Winder

Rabbi Yehuda Winder, previously a Rebbi at the Bais Medrash Chofetz Chaim in Israel, returned to America and found himself presented with an opportunity at Yeshiva Tiferes Moshe: a position as a first-grade Rebbi. He learned that the curriculum being used was one in which students memorized phrases and repeated what their Rebbe said. He believed that there must be a different way, one that focused on fostering skills and comprehension regarding the origins of words, and this is how Lshon Hatorah was born. Rabbi Winder’s method invovled students learning the “shoresh” or root of a word separately and then understand how prefixes and suffixes could modify its meaning. Each of the words came directly from the Torah which provided students with a solid foundation of language skills. Gradually, students progressed with learning Hebrew more easily through each grade level. Rabbi Winder’s method has become standard in many Jewish schools. The primary objective of the Lshon Hatorah series is to empower students with the proficiency needed to translate Hebrew text with precision and ease. Gems: Give students the ability  to learn by themselves. Develop independent learners. Help students figure out what the words in Hebrew mean. The basic skills children learn will carry them throughout their lives. Encourage students to figure things out by giving them the tools they’ll need and as a result, they’ll want to learn more. Teach as much as you can through song.   Wellnesse Natural Personal Care Products [https://wellnesse.com/pages/toothpaste-offer?oid=30&affid=612] Wellnesse was founded by a mom who wanted healthier options for families. Check out my unique link! Tikvah [https://jewishclassicaleducation.org/] Tikvah focuses on Classical Jewish Education. Parenting On Purpose [https://la-med-learning-center.teachable.com/p/parenting-on-purpose-developing-a-deeper-connection-with-your-children] This course will help you better understand your child and build a deeper connection. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/JewishEducationExperiencePodcast]

115: From Text to Transformation: Classroom Techniques for Jewish Educators (Solo Episode)

Blank stares after a thoughtful question can make even great teachers doubt themselves. We have all been there: one student answers, everyone else checks out, and a rich Jewish text turns into a worksheet. So we focus on what actually changes the room fast practical classroom techniques you can try tomorrow to spark real thinking and real conversation. We start by reimagining chavruta, not as “turn and talk,” but as a structured partnership with roles like Questioner, Connector, and Challenger. That simple move turns reading into dialogue and gives every learner a clear way to contribute. From there we shift into inquiry-based Jewish learning: treating Torah and Talmud like problems to solve instead of facts to recite. We lean into tension, contradiction, and moral complexity, and we practice the hardest skill of all not rescuing students too quickly so they can discover meaning for themselves. Then we widen the lens to experiential Jewish education. We talk about embodied learning through acting out biblical scenes, using movement to build memory, and helping students locate themselves inside the ideas. We also share reflection prompts that move from learning about Judaism to living Judaism, plus ritual as pedagogy: experiencing Shabbat with candles and quiet before explaining what it “means.” You will walk away with concrete tools for student engagement, deeper comprehension, and stronger Jewish identity. If this helps, subscribe so you do not miss what we are trying next, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a review so more Jewish educators can find it.  Chapter Markers * 0:01 * Welcome And Sponsor Message * 2:04 * From Blank Stares To Dialogue * 2:55 * Chavruta Roles That Spark Talk * 4:19 * Treat Text Like A Mystery * 5:31 * Learn By Moving And Acting * 6:45 * Reflection That Makes It Personal * 7:35 * Ritual As A Teaching Tool * 8:13 * One Small Shift Challenge * 8:54 * A Closing Question For You Wellnesse Natural Personal Care Products [https://wellnesse.com/pages/toothpaste-offer?oid=30&affid=612] Wellnesse was founded by a mom who wanted healthier options for families. Check out my unique link! Amazon [https://amzn.to/4sPoSMG] We receive a small commission for any items purchased through my Amazon link. Parenting On Purpose [https://la-med-learning-center.teachable.com/p/parenting-on-purpose-developing-a-deeper-connection-with-your-children] This course will help you better understand your child and build a deeper connection. Tikvah [https://jewishclassicaleducation.org/] Tikvah focuses on Classical Jewish Education. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/JewishEducationExperiencePodcast]

114: Length of Our Days: Living a Torah-Rooted Life with Rabbi Moshe Kurtz

Rabbi Moshe Kurtz serves as the Rabbi of Congregation Sons of Israel in Allentown, PA. He is the author of Meoros Moshe (Aleh Zayis, 2025), a Pirkei Avot anthology of scholarship and stories about HaGaon HaRav Moshe Feinstein zt”l. Rabbi Kurtz writes about contemporary and Halachic issues in forums such as the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society (RJJ Journal), OUTorah, The Lehrhaus, Torah Musings, and Jewsih Action. He hosts the the As I Walk Through the Valley podcast, and is currently working on writing a book based on unpacking the Iggerot.  Gems: * Education is an area of Halacha that is very important that nobody asks questions about. * Never give up on a child! * When there is a child who is disturbing the class, remove him from the class and pair him with an older student, if possible. * Jewish education is not just about giving over information, and it also can’t just be experiential.  * Jewish education needs to be conveyed through a Rebbe/Talmid relationship, this is how the mesorah is passed down. * There needs to be respect for Rebbes. * Learning Torah and Jewish education needs to be first and foremost, and everything else revolves around it. * Educators must exude that the Torah is our life and length of our days, we must feel it deeply that we live for. * Is the Torah driving our agenda, and are we being that example to our students? * Parents have an obligation to educate their chilren. * Though keeping Torah and Mitzvot are hard, it shouldn’t be a question whether parents are going to observe them, and children pick this up. * What’s the message we’re telling our children? * Impress upon children the importance of being an honest, upright Jew. * There are certain things we do even when we don’t feel like it, or don’t like to do it. * What is the will of Hashem?  *Rabbi Daniel Korobkin [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1257653/episodes/11943864] *Joanna Powers [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1257653/episodes/6982702] Parenting On Purpose [https://la-med-learning-center.teachable.com/p/parenting-on-purpose-developing-a-deeper-connection-with-your-children] This course will help you better understand your child and build a deeper connection. Amazon [https://amzn.to/4sPoSMG] We receive a small commission for any items purchased through my Amazon link. Tikvah [https://jewishclassicaleducation.org/] Tikvah focuses on Classical Jewish Education. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/JewishEducationExperiencePodcast]

113: Helping Children Examine the World and Find Their Place In It with Gila Ogle

Gila Ogle is the Head of School at The Silver Academy in Harrisburg, PA where she is committed to fostering a thriving, mission-driven learning environment built on strong community partnerships. A social studies teacher at heart, Gila began her career in charter and public schools in New York and Miami before transitioning to Jewish education. She is passionate about empowering students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to navigate an ever-changing world with integrity and purpose. Through her leadership, Gila strives to create a school culture that nurtures curiosity, critical thinking, and a deep sense of responsibility for the future. She is, most importantly, a proud wife and mom of three amazing kids. Gems:  * Keep your mind open about what you can become and what you can share with the world. * Think about what we would like our students to get out of what we’re teaching. * Make efforts to allow students to interact with each other.  * Help children examine the world and find their place in it. * One of our roles is to examine what we learn from children and find ways to guide them with the knowledge they already have. * Empower the child to understand what they bring to the world.  * Find the spark in the child. * Focus on building the relationship with the child first. * Find colleagues and mentors. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/JewishEducationExperiencePodcast]