Jewish Futures 2025
Jewish Futures 2025 is not your typical conference. It’s a bold convening of visionary leaders, educators, and changemakers, exploring hope as the driving force behind Jewish education and communal transformation. Culminating with A Conversation about Hope & Resilience with Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, this immersive, interactive experience will spark new visions of a Jewish future rooted in optimism and resilience.
Together, we will uncover the science and spirit of hope, challenge inherited assumptions, and imagine new possibilities for Jewish learning. Throughout Jewish Futures 2025, we will explore:
• The philosophy and psychology of hope, spirituality, faith, and doubt
• The latest research on resilience and wellbeing among Jewish educators
• Jewish texts and traditions that illuminate pathways to renewal and strength
You will leave feeling energized, inspired, and deeply connected to a community committed to cultivating hope.
Participants can expect:
• Visionary plenaries featuring thought leaders who are reimagining the role of hope in education, leadership, and communal life
• Immersive breakout sessions that blend Jewish wisdom, mental health insights, and cutting-edge research into transformative learning experiences
• Curated moments of meaning—ritual, reflection, and relationship-building designed to nourish the soul and strengthen community
• A powerful community-wide closing program with Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, offering personal testimony and collective inspiration
*final schedule in formation; check back for updated speaker list
Please be in touch with Tova Perlow at tperlow@jewishedproject.org with any questions.
- Educator Training
- Congregational Learning
- Day Schools and Yeshivas
- Early Childhood
- Teen Engagement
- Jewish Futures
Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s son, Hersh, was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023, after having his dominant forearm blown off. Since then, the couple, who are dual American-Israeli citizens, have become full-time hostage advocates. They have been speaking worldwide about Hersh's abduction and fighting for all of the hostages to be freed. Almost a year after being stolen, on day 330, the IDF announced that Hersh had been murdered by Hamas, in a tunnel in Gaza, along with 5 other young people with whom he was being held. Despite the devastating loss of their son, Jon and Rachel remain steadfast in their quest for the freedom of every hostage held by Hamas.
Dr. Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath, Ed.D., is the Senior Director of Knowledge, Ideas and Learning at The Jewish Education Project. A lifelong Jewish educator and learner, Samantha has lived and worked in Jewish communities in Israel, Washington DC, Cleveland, and New York. Samantha is a recognized expert on Israel education, Jewish teens, antisemitism education, and Jewish peoplehood. She is the author of #antisemitism: Coming of Age During the Resurgence of Hate, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award in the category of Education and Jewish Identity. She is an alumna of the University of Pittsburgh, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and Gratz College. Samantha lives in Westchester with her husband, two children, and two beloved rescue dogs.
Discover more
United Methodist Pastor Kenda Dean shares inspires her passion for what she calls the privilege of connecting with young people.
Rev. Liddy Barlow and Rabbi Ron Symons discuss working together in Pittsburgh and beyond in Episode Aleph of the Thought Experiment Podcast.
Dr. David Bryfman, Chief Executive Officer, The Jewish Education Project