Space is limited. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis through May 21st.
How can we talk about Israel? Today's Jewish educators and learners often feel anxious, isolated, or overwhelmed when it comes to talking about Israel in their schools and classrooms.
This intensive—from Pardes and The Jewish Education Project—combines a disagreement pedagogy rooted in Jewish tradition with a focus on the most contentious topic in American Jewish communal life today. Fellows will gain SEL (Social Emotional Learning) tools and Jewish frameworks for leading challenging conversations about Israel with children and adults, as well as mentorship and an empowering educator network.
This is a critical professional development opportunity for educators in supplementary schools and other part-time Jewish education settings, working with learners 5th grade or higher. The intensive is a two-day in-person gathering in Manhattan in early June, with optional follow-up webinars to be scheduled. Fellows are expected to attend both days and to implement a related learning project in their school or educational setting during Summer or Fall 2026.
Sefi KrautPardes Institute of Jewish Studies (New York, NY)
Sefi Kraut has taught Judaic Studies since 2004 and is deeply committed to cultivating thoughtful, engaged Jewish educators. She directs the Pardes Mahloket Matters project, which offers a methodology and educational frameworks—rooted in Torah, social psychology, and conflict-navigation tools—for engaging disagreement constructively. At its core is a demanding conviction: Jewish tradition does not avoid conflict, but teaches how to navigate it wisely. Sefi leads fellowships and seminars for educators, rabbis, and communal leaders, and co-created a teen curriculum integrating Jewish text and social-emotional learning. Most recently, she helped launch the Mahloket Matters Israel Educator Fellowship, supporting educators in facilitating nuanced and challenging conversations about Israel.
Mikhael KesherThe Jewish Education Project
Mikhael Kesher is a curator of educational experiences and resources, whose professional passion is supporting Jewish educators and learners in building informed, constructive, and committed relationships with am yisrael (the Jewish people) and medinat yisrael (the Jewish state). As a British-born Israeli-by-choice and new American, he cares deeply about strengthening each Jew’s connection to global Jewry. Before joining The Jewish Education Project as Director, Israel Education, Mikhael worked at Harvard Hillel, MIT Hillel, and Hebrew College. He holds Master’s degrees in Philosophy (University of Cambridge), Near Eastern & Judaic Studies (Brandeis University), and Jewish professional leadership (Brandeis University). At home, Mikhael is an avid reader, ḥevruta enthusiast, and devoted abba to two young children.
