Jewish Education Innovation Challenge - JEIC

07/30/2026

We changed the conversation on Jewish day school education.
And we are still keeping it going.

Watch "Mishnah Impossible: A JEIC Retrospective" here: https://bit.ly/4bnnrOp

Credits: Ariel Nishli

Send a message to learn more

05/27/2026

Can an "A" get in the way of a student's relationship with Judaism?

A small but growing movement in Jewish day schools, including OHDS Oakland Hebrew Day School and Luria Academy of Brooklyn, is shifting away from traditional letter grades in favor of qualitative, progress-based feedback.

Spearheaded by Jewish Education Innovation Challenge (JEIC), this shift aims to foster intrinsic motivation and prevent students from feeling "judged as Jews" by the numbers on their report cards.

Learn how several schools are working to reshape the future of Judaic studies in this JTA News article: https://bit.ly/3RplCJI

05/26/2026

At the 2026 Innovators Retreat, JEIC announced a bold new chapter: the launch of a tech-enabled central hub designed to support Jewish educators at every career stage, from recruitment through advanced professional development.

Guided by a strategic working group of field leaders and the leadership of incoming Managing Director Ruchel Green, this platform will serve as a premier online home for growth and connection, doubling down on the belief that the educator is the heart of extraordinary Jewish education.

Read more about JEIC's next chapter here: https://bit.ly/4nDa0yu

05/20/2026

Reflecting on nearly 50 years of avodat hakodesh (holy work) in Jewish day school education, outgoing JEIC Managing Director Sharon Freundel shares a heartfelt message that celebrates a lifetime of Jewish education and issues a stirring call to action for the future of our schools.

Read "L'hitraot...Rather Than Farewell" here: https://bit.ly/4v6s2Mp

05/12/2026

JEIC's 2026 Innovators Retreat, hosted by the Mayberg Foundation, brought its national network of expertise to Atlanta, bringing together more than 100 Jewish educators, funders, and stakeholders to explore how Jewish education can thoughtfully engage emerging tools like AI while staying rooted in its core values. The retreat's relevance to the Atlanta community was carefully built by the JEIC team with Shelley Fogelson, Manager of Day School Partnerships for the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, who worked together in the months leading up to IR26 to ensure the retreat's content reflected the real priorities and needs of Atlanta-area schools.

Sessions explored how AI can support rather than replace human connection in the classroom, serve as a tool in limmud Torah, and preserve the intellectual struggle at the heart of deep Jewish learning — all while keeping students' Jewish identity and relationship to God at the center. Participants left with concrete frameworks and a sense of renewed purpose, with many describing the experience as both practically useful and personally energizing.

JEIC is grateful to the Mayberg Foundation, Jake F. Aronov Foundation, the Zalik Foundation, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta for their partnership and support of IR26.

You can read more about the Innovators Retreat at:

JEIC’s 2026 Innovators Retreat convened educators, leaders, and partners from across the Jewish day school landscape for three days of learning, reflection, and forward-thinking conversation. Set against the backdrop of rapid technological change, the retreat focused on one central question: how c...

03/26/2026

Wishing everyone a meaningful and peaceful Passover.

02/04/2026

The latest "DEEP Dive E-Journal" from The Deep Consortium features thought leadership from Rebecca Ostro Nagata and Ayala Rachel Raice at SAR Academy, Audi Hecht at Civic Spirit , and Naomi Eisenberger and Julie Fisher at The Good People Fund.

They examine how to teach students what it means to be a Jewish citizen in America today, explore the intersection of civic and Jewish values, and evaluate the impact of authentic educational partnerships through the lens of SAR Academy’s partnership with Civic Spirit.

Learn from these outstanding educators and leaders about building community, fostering agency, and shaping the next generation of changemakers here: https://bit.ly/45RqLyy

01/19/2026

Leadership from the Mayberg Foundation, The Zalik Foundation, and Jewish Education Innovation Challenge recently brought together Jewish day school leaders, funders, and influencers from across Atlanta’s denominational spectrum to focus on strengthening Jewish day school education. By sharing personal stories and bold ideas, the group highlighted how much more is possible when schools work together—not just for enrollment, but for inspiring a deeper, more lasting Jewish identity.

This spirit of collaboration is paving the way for the JEIC’s 2026 Innovators Retreat in Atlanta this April, where Jewish day school educators, leaders and funders will explore the future of Jewish day school learning at the intersection of Torah, teaching, and technology.

Read more about this evening's discussions here: https://bit.ly/4bFC5kQ

Special thanks to Sara and Ross Kogon for hosting this important evening!

Lay leaders and funders from Atlanta’s Jewish day schools gathered at an event hosted by Manette and Louis Mayberg and Helen and David Zalik at Sara and Ross Kogon’s home. The evening fostered connections and shared visions for strengthening Jewish education in Atlanta across the denominational ...

01/09/2026

How will AI reshape the way Jewish values and texts are taught?

This JTA article highlights Jewish day schools across North America that are thoughtfully bringing AI into Judaic studies classrooms, and JEIC’s upcoming 2026 Innovators Retreat in Atlanta, where educators will explore how AI can support, rather than overshadow, core Jewish values in the classroom.

The Jewish Leadership Academy ICJA JCDS, Boston's Jewish Community Day School Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School Berman Hebrew Academy

Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gEqz5qmu

12/18/2025

ICYMI - the last issue of the DEEP Consortium's DEEP Dive e-journal focused on the partnership between the Mandel Teacher Educator Institute MTEI and the Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago. In particular, the articles show how the High Quality Professional Development (HQPD) of transformative sustained MTEI learning impacts educational leaders, teachers, school culture, and students.

Take a first look at the journal >> https://deepconsortium.org/deep-dive-e-journal-fall-25/

Big news: MTEI is the featured program in The DEEP Consortium’s Fall 2025 Deep Dive e-journal — a major recognition of our 30 years cultivating Jewish educational leaders. As we head into Thanksgiving, we’re feeling especially grateful for the graduates and faculty whose work is at the heart of this feature.

The spotlight on the Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago team, in particular, shows just how transformative sustained MTEI learning can be for educational leaders, teachers, school culture, and students. Their leadership — and the ways they’ve brought MTEI principles into their schools — is what makes this recognition possible.

Stay tuned: over the next several weeks, we’ll be sharing highlights from the issue.

Thank you to our extraordinary MTEI community for all you do. Wishing you a warm and meaningful Thanksgiving.

Take a first look at the journal >> https://deepconsortium.org/deep-dive-e-journal-fall-25/