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Twenty first century learning, propelled by dramatic advances in technology and revolutionary changes in the workplace, has gained a foothold to some degree in nearly every Jewish day school. That reimagining of education brought new attention to school architecture and how it could be brought into the conversation of dreaming of a new educational future. Jewish day schools took notice, and as opposed to what happened with the 1960’s open classroom, a significant number of schools decided to take action. This issue of the journal is inspired by that new thinking.

What two congregations merge, what can be done to stabilize the experience for religious school faculty, families and students? How can the impact of tremendous congregational change be minimized for the religious school and those it serves? What are the opportunities created in such a situation? As two historic Reform congregations merged recently in Maryland, we asked these questions.

The analysis examines the genesis of the Lippman-Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah’s Prize in Applied Jewish Wisdom (AJW) that was first awarded in 2016. The foundation invented both the phrase AJW and the prize to highlight the qualities of Jewish content being employed by promising educators and activists in the “Jewish innovation ecosystem.”

NETA/Bishvil Ha-Ivrit was initiated in 1999 at the urging of AVI CHAI Foundation Trustee Dr. Ruth Wisse, with early implementation by Senior Program Officer Rachel Mohl Abrahams. It created a comprehensive Hebrew language curriculum and offered ongoing professional development for Jewish day school teachers in grades 7-12. Founding Director Hilla Kobliner came with a stellar reputation as a consummate Hebrew language expert and master pedagogue. An expert and dedicated staff was stationed at NETA/Bishvil Ha-Ivrit’s North American home at Hebrew College in Boston. The staff has planted and nurtured the seeds that have made the program flourish and bloom in the years since.