Student Centered Learning for Yeshiva/Day School Educators

Gary Pretsfelder is Senior Manager, Professional Learning and Growth at the Jewish Education Project in New York, where he consults with, and coordinates professional development for, Yeshivot and Day School educators in the New York area in support of educational and cultural change in their schools. Gary is a former long-time, day school Principal and teacher in New York who built communities that put students and active learning at the center. 

Tikvah Wiener is Founder and Co-Director of The Idea Institute, which, since 2014, has trained close to 2000  educators in project-based learning and innovative pedagogies. From 2018-2023, she was also Head of School of The Idea School, a Jewish, project-based learning high school in Tenafly, NJ. Tikvah was an Upstart Fellow, 2014-16, and was one of ten educators in JEIC’s 2016-17 HaKaveret Design Team, a group that innovated new models of learning for Jewish education. She also presented an ELI Talk on why we need more passion-based learning in the field. Tikvah started her educational career as an English and art history teacher and has been in Jewish education for 27 years.

Rabbi Tavi Koslowe has over twenty years of experience as a teacher, administrator, and educational consultant across lower, middle, and high school settings. He currently serves as Chief Academic Officer at Kadima Coaching Inc., an educational consulting firm that partners with Jewish schools and organizations to provide robust, customized professional development solutions. Previously, he held leadership roles including High School Dean at The Leffell School (Hartsdale, NY), Judaic Studies Principal at The Idea School (Tenafly, NJ), Head of Lower School at the Ramaz School (Manhattan, NY), and Middle School Assistant Principal at Yeshivat Noam (Paramus, NJ).