ISJL Southern & Jewish 2026

The Art of Sweet Tea and Torah invites participants to slow down, sip something sweet, and be B’yachad: All Together Now in creative practice. We’ll work with text and respond with paint, collage, color, and imagination. No art experience needed—just curiosity and a willingness to play. Together we’ll explore how art-making can open new pathways into tradition, personal reflection, and shared meaning.

In strong, caring communities, difficult conversations are part of leadership. In this interactive session, grounded in the MTEI principle How We Talk Matters, we’ll explore practical tools for listening with empathy, speaking with clarity, and navigating differences with care. Together, we’ll practice skills so that even hard conversations can strengthen relationships and deepen our sense of being b’yachad—all together.

Chances are that your religious school is struggling with one or more of the following challenges: less Hebrew learning time, more student absences, a shortage of local Hebrew teachers, mixed grade level classes, concerns that pre-B'Mitzvah students aren't ready. If one or more of these are true for you, don't miss this workshop! Onward Hebrew offers successful research-backed approaches to Hebrew education that are well worth considering. Join us to learn about these innovations your congregation could adopt (or adapt!) that address today’s most common Hebrew learning challenges. You will also take home easy-to-implement (and teacher-tested) teaching strategies that are proven to improve students’ Hebrew reading/decoding skills. 

Israel shows up in our communities in complicated ways: as love, longing, discomfort, pride, grief, questions, and conflict. In this interactive workshop, we will engage with new findings from Reimagining Israel Education, a groundbreaking initiative led by The Jewish Education Project with the support of The Jim Joseph Foundation and Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. We will explore what Israel education can look like when it is designed for today’s realities in congregational life, including diverse relationships to Israel, big questions, and a deep desire for belonging and meaning.

Participants will:

• Explore fresh approaches to Israel education that can work in your setting.
• Share challenges and bright spots with colleagues and leave with ideas you can adapt right away.
• Engage with new resources to enhance your approach to Israel education.
• Come for honest conversation; leave with practical next steps for your community.

This is a very challenging time for teens to speak openly about their Jewish identity. Educators, too, are balancing their own connections to Judaism while supporting the complex identities of the students they lead. This interactive session equips educators with the emotional tools and practical frameworks to help students navigate today’s social pressures and build a resilient, positive Jewish identity.