Big Tent Judaism

Getting Ready for Passover in the Matzah Aisle

Earlier this week, we hosted the first part of a FREE, two-part webinar series on Passover in the Matzah Aisle, our Public Space Judaism program that brings a taste of Passover to grocery stores and supermarkets across the United States. Passover in the Matzah Aisle is a strategy for identifying individuals – intermarried and/or unaffiliated – and making a connection for them with the Jewish community. It is an entry point for engaging them with more Jewish activities and programs, and encouraging their increased participation in Jewish life. The webinar series offers the tools to help make that happen.

For those who weren’t able to join us for part one, that doesn’t mean you have missed your opportunity to implement the program! There is still time to join the growing number of communities that are learning how to turn an introduction to Passover that people “stumble over” into a lifetime of engagement. To receive access to a recorded version of the last webinar free of charge, please contact JOI Director of Training Eva Stern at EStern@JOI.org. She will also provide details on how to register for part two, which will take place on March 4.

And be in touch with us to learn how to register for a new webinar series in which we will offer a comprehensive online training seminar for outreach.

Passover in the Matzah Aisle Webinar

Passover is only a few short months away, which means it’s time to start preparing for Passover in the Matzah Aisle. If you volunteer or work at a Jewish communal organization and are interested in bringing this Public Space Judaism program to your area, we invite you to join us for a FREE, two-part webinar series where we will share with you the best ways to use the holiday to reach unaffiliated Jews and intermarried families in your community. You will learn helpful tools for developing Passover programming and hear from folks who have successfully transformed a taste of matzah into a lifetime of engagement.

Registration is free and it only takes a couple of minutes. The first session will take place on Tuesday, January 26 at 2 pm Eastern Standard Time. This is a great opportunity to learn not only what it means to take Judaism to where the people are, but how Passover can help you build relationships and engage more of the unaffiliated in your community. If you have any questions, please contact JOI Director of Training Eva Stern at EStern@JOI.org or 212-760-1440. We look forward to hearing from you!

The Best in Jewish Education

The end of a year (or in this case, a decade) is a time of reflection. It’s an opportunity to look back at what was accomplished, as that can give a good idea of where we need to go in the future. JESNA, the Jewish Education Service of North America, recently compiled a list of what they consider the best in Jewish education over the last decade. Everything on the list has been a successful endeavor, showing us what models will work in Jewish education as we embark on a new decade. We at JOI were thrilled to see that our signature method of Jewish education and engagement – Public Space Judaism – was considered one of the “best.”

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