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Educator Training in NYC – Arguing for the Sake of Hope: Helping Teens Build Civic Strength Through Jewish Dialogue (Kulam)
August 11 at 9:30 am – 3:30 pm EDT
Join us for a Keynote by Rabbi Charlie Savenor and Audi Hecht, followed by a training session for Kulam for Classrooms & Teaching Assistants
How can we bridge civic learning and Jewish wisdom in a way that addresses contemporary challenges and speaks to today’s teens? This session will provide educators with frameworks and tools to help students explore a core civic challenge of our time: Where do we find points of connection with others that are inclusive and inviting? Where do we encounter differences? And how can we draw on those connections to navigate varied viewpoints with generosity and empathy? We will explore how Jewish values can help teens cultivate a civic identity that honors both their own perspectives and those of others.
Participants will learn:
- How to use our curriculum (and make it your own!)
- The Moving Traditions unique pedagogy and approach to working with teens
- How to help teens ask big questions about where, why, and how they belong
- Best practices for facilitating authentic and dynamic conversations with teens
Schedule:
9:30 a.m. – Check-in and light breakfast
10 a.m. – Keynote Speakers: Rabbi Charlie Savenor and Audi Hecht
12 p.m. – Lunch and Schmooze
1 p.m. – 3 p.m. – Kulam Training for Partners with Moving Traditions Staff
Location:
New York City
Exact address will be sent to participants after registration.
There are two options for in-person Kulam training: August 11 in New York City and August 27 in Washington, D.C.
Featured Speakers
Rabbi Charles Savenor, Executive Director of Civic Spirit, is passionate about civic education and its role in fostering belonging, knowledge, and responsibility. He recently completed eight years as Director of Congregational Education at Park Avenue Synagogue, overseeing lifelong learning, inclusion, Israel engagement, and travel. Ordained at JTS in 1996, he also holds a B.A. from Brandeis and an M.Ed. from Columbia. A LEAP Fellow and widely published writer on education, parenting, and Jewish life, he is currently writing What My Father Couldn’t Tell Me. He blogs for The Times of Israel and serves on the boards of Leket Israel, Gesher, JNF’s Adult Education Committee, and Brandeis University’s Alumni Admissions Council. In 2021, he received the inaugural Maimonides Award for Excellence in Jewish Education from the Community Scholars Program.
Audi Hecht, Director of Education and Innovation at Civic Spirit, is a dedicated educator in Civics, American History, and Political Science. She has directed the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics program at the Frisch School for the Tikvah Fund, served as Dean of Academics at Torah Academy of Bergen County, chaired the History Department at Yeshiva University High School for Girls, and taught as an adjunct at the College of New Rochelle. Passionate about curriculum design and experiential education, she focuses on academic innovation and civics initiatives. Audi holds a BA and MA in Political Science from Brooklyn College and is a doctoral candidate at the Azrieli School of Education, where she researches how school leadership impacts institutional health and culture.
