NewCAJE16: Full Schedule

The NewCAJE conference is a vibrant gathering that unites Jewish educators and professionals to strengthen the Jewish community through education. Rooted in the legacy of CAJE, NewCAJE fosters innovation, collaboration, and inspiration. The conference offers space for sharing best practices, exploring new ideas, and deepening Jewish and educational learning. Committed to inclusivity and pluralism, it welcomes educators from all backgrounds, creating a supportive network that empowers them to make a lasting impact.

8:30am EDT

Wool Needle Felting and the Energy of Separation

Tuesday June 24, 2025 8:30am - 10:00am EDT

Julia Rogers: JR - 251

Learn how to needle wool felt 2D and 3D objects while text studying about the holiness of separation including shatness, the mitzvot of not combining linen and wool, and a modern scientific study that proves our ancestors knew what they were talking about.

Speakers

Jill Eisen

Tuesday June 24, 2025 8:30am - 10:00am EDT
Julia Rogers: JR - 251

Torah L'shma Visual Arts

10:30am EDT

Ezekiel Comes Out of the Vision: A Prophet’s First Message

Tuesday June 24, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT

Van Meter Hall: VM - 101

Ezekiel opens with a bizarre, stunning vision of the divine which the prophet experiences in Babylonia: supernatural beings, a fiery hovering vehicle, and the “radiance” of God. How does he process it, and what follows? What does this have to do with his calling as a prophet? We’ll take a close look at how the book proceeds.

Speakers

Everett Fox

Tuesday June 24, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Van Meter Hall: VM - 101

Bible/Text Torah L'shma

10:30am EDT

NewCAJE Chorale #1

Tuesday June 24, 2025 10:30am - 1:00pm EDT

Julia Rogers: JR - G50

Come be a part of the NewCAJE chorale and practice for a grand performance at evening programs on Wednesday night! All are welcome, musicians and non-musicians alike. Please plan to attend both sessions and a short rehearsal before Wednesday's evening program. Note that this workshop will run until 1:00 p.m. THis is the first of two session. The second one is on Wednesday, 1:00 - 1:50 p.m.

Speakers

Michelle Cohn Levy

Tuesday June 24, 2025 10:30am - 1:00pm EDT
Julia Rogers: JR - G50

Creating Community Torah L'shma

8:30am EDT

Two strange Torah passages: The Nephalim and the goat for Azazel

Wednesday June 25, 2025 8:30am - 10:00am EDT

Julia Rogers: JR - 121

The story of the Nephalim and the description of the "scapegoat" which was sent to Azazel may seem strange in the context of the Torah, which we generally consider to be a monotheistic document. In this session we will examine these two stories and see how our various commentators have interpreted these passages.

Speakers

Stuart Lewis

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tutor, Congregation Beth Torah

Stu Lewis has been attending CAJE/NEWCAJE regularly for the past 34 years. He is an active member of Congregation Beth Torah in Overland Park, KS. His current involvement in Jewish education is as a Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutor.

Wednesday June 25, 2025 8:30am - 10:00am EDT
Julia Rogers: JR - 121

Adult Education Torah L'shma

1:00pm EDT

NewCAJE Chorale #2

Wednesday June 25, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT

Julia Rogers: JR - G50

Come be a part of the NewCAJE chorale and practice for a grand performance at evening programs on Wednesday night! All are welcome, musicians and non-musicians alike. Please plan to attend both sessions and a short rehearsal before Wednesday's evening program. This is the second of two sessions, the previous one being on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Speakers

Michelle Cohn Levy

Wednesday June 25, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
Julia Rogers: JR - G50

Creating Community Torah L'shma

4:00pm EDT

Six Ways of Chanting Trope During a Full Year

Wednesday June 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT

Julia Rogers: JR - G27

During the cycle of a Jewish Year, we use one set of Trope Symbols to chant six different ways: Torah, Haftarah, High Holy Days Torah, Esther, Eichah, and RaKa"SH (Ruth–Kohelet–Shir HaShirim). Learn how these melodies reflect the moods of each Book!
Takeaways
How a complete set of Trope marks reflects the grammar, punctuation, and accentuation of each Biblical book, and how the specific set of melodies within a given Trope system reflects the ambience and mood of each different type of Biblical book.

Speakers

David Schwartz

Education Director, Temple Har Zion

David Schwartz is the Education Director at Temple Har Zion in Chicago. When he is not doing that he is a B’nai Mitzvah tutor and a Jewish storyteller. David is also on the Executive Board of the Jewish Educators Assembly and an MTEI graduate. However, his most important role is... Read More →

Cantor Neil Schwartz

Director of Education, Temple Har Zion; River Forest, IL

Neil Schwartz graduated JTS in 1980; he has a Master of Arts in Religion and Culture, and 5 Units of Chaplaincy Training. Cantor Neil retired after 42 years in 7 synagogues (3 as "Kol Bo"); he taught the IMUN Lay Leader program, and Trope and Nusach online for Hebrew College. He... Read More →

Wednesday June 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Julia Rogers: JR - G27

Music Torah L'shma

8:30am EDT

Yom Kippur Through the Lens of Purim

Thursday June 26, 2025 8:30am - 10:00am EDT

Julia Rogers: JR - 251

Yom Kippur is also called “Yom Kippurim”, which could be broken up to mean “Yom K’-Purim”, “a day like Purim”. Can Yom Kippur be a happy day? Can Purim be a holy day? The answers are yes and yes — come explore how!

Speakers

David Schwartz

Education Director, Temple Har Zion

Thursday June 26, 2025 8:30am - 10:00am EDT
Julia Rogers: JR - 251

Holiday/Lifecycle Torah L'shma

10:30am EDT

Pickling: The Covenant of Salt and The Meditation of a Cucumber

Thursday June 26, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT

TBA

Learn about the holiness of salt and why preservation is important to Jewish traditions and your body while you are pickling fresh produce. Your pickles should be ready by the time you return home. Disclaimer: The knives and cutting boards have been toiled with an OU Rabbi supervising, they are only used for pickling, however, these items are not OU supervised during programming.

Speakers

Jill Eisen

Thursday June 26, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT
TBA

Adult Education Torah L'shma

10:30am EDT

Body & Soul

Thursday June 26, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT

Julia Rogers: JR - 251

Everyone knows that it’s common sense to be healthy. But what does the Torah say about it? To what extent is it a mitzvah to eat healthy, exercise and everything else we should be doing?

Speakers

Rabbi Alexander Seinfeld

Adult Jewish educator, Jewish Teachers Institute

Rabbi Alexander Seinfeld, PhD started teaching right out of college in rural Mississippi. With over 10 years of classroom experience and 20 years as an adult Jewish educator, he founded the Jewish Teachers Institute in 2016 which trains and mentors day school teachers, creates curricula... Read More →

Thursday June 26, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Julia Rogers: JR - 251

Bible/Text Torah L'shma