The Jewish Education Experience Podcast

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]

112: Bringing Out a Child's Innate Wisdom with Rabbi Jonathan Rietti

Rabbi Jonathan Rietti – a descendant of the Sephardic leader the Ben Ish Chai and son of the famous British actor Robert Rietti, known as ‘The Man of a Thousand Voices’ and ‘King of the Dubbers’ – received his rabbinical diploma from Gateshead Talmudical College, England, after which he helped establish the now flourishing Kollel in Gibraltar. Having received a master’s in education, he has practiced for over thirty years as an educational consultant to parents of gifted children and those with ADD. With Montessori training, he has developed a curriculum which dovetails a Torah education with Montessori methodology. He has authored over two hundred lectures on topics including inner growth, health, parenting and Jewish identity, and draws upon his background in the film and advertising industries to entertain the listener while sharing powerful insights on love, happiness and ‘emotional intelligence. Rabbi Rietti founded Breakthrough Chinuch in 2009 with the goal of offering a “hands-on” curriculum to compliment the traditional Chinuch system for teachers, parents, schools, and homeschooling parents. https://www.breakthroughchinuch.com/ [https://www.breakthroughchinuch.com/] Gems: * It is critical to learn Chumash through the prefixes, suffixes, and shorashim (root) letters. * Allow ample time for review of what your students are learning. * If you don’t learn sequentially from beginning to end based on actual skills, then there won’t be a strong chance of covering ground and knowing what you learn.  * The first thing we as educators have to recognize is that we must observe the child first, and then we can educate according to their strengths.  * Once a child masters the shorashim, and prefixes, and suffixes commonly found in Tanach, it makes it much easier to learn. * Children have the ability to figure things out for themselves. * We are causing the wisdom that’s already within the child to come out. * The greatest teachers are ones who facilitate learning. * A Rebbe has to have a lot of ways to reach his students. * The Torah is written so that we ask questions, and the answers are in the Torah She’Be’al Peh (Oral Torah). * When you know the Shorashim, prefixes and suffixes, you gain access to most of Bereishit. * Find the strengths of the child and use that to teach any subject you want to teach. * There needs to be constant back and forth in the classroom. * Provide the skills and the connection to Torah. 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. 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]