Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education

Posed picture of Prof. Ziva Hassenfeld and Scroll Lab participants around a table in the lab.

Programs

MCSJE has developed programs that engage and inspire established and emerging researchers and practitioners with the goal of driving impact in the field of Jewish education scholarship.

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Research

MCSJE’s faculty and community of affiliated scholars conduct research that promotes a deeper understanding of learners and learning in Jewish education.

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Conferences and Events

MCSJE offers a robust schedule of events throughout the year. Many events are open to the public, while others are tailored to audiences of scholars or educational leaders.

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The Leading Research Center for Jewish Educational Scholarship

The Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education (MCSJE) is dedicated to advancing the field of Jewish educational scholarship through expansive research on teaching and learning and by convening and catalyzing other scholars and practitioners in the field through important programs, events and conferences.

JOB OPPORTUNITY: Associate Director of the Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education. Learn more about this exciting opportunity.

Upcoming Events

Learning About Learning: A Conversation with Ziva Hassenfeld

December 7, 1 PM - 1:30 PM

Why Jewish Day Schools Should Teach Students to Read Torah | Jewish day schools expend significant time and energy in teaching Torah. But what are they trying to accomplish in this work? In this session, Ziva Hassenfeld will discuss her recently published research on students’ learning to read Torah, in order to argue that Jewish day schools can induct students into a way of reading texts that will serve them in all endeavors, from their academic studies to text messaging with friends.

Learning About Learning: A Conversation with Judah Cohen

November 17

How Debbie Friedman (and CAJE) Gave Jewish Education a New Soundtrack | In this session, Judah Cohen discussed a recent article on the crucial role that Debbie Friedman played in making song leading a core part of the Coalition for Alternatives in Jewish Education (CAJE). He also addressed the changes in Jewish education that resulted from this alliance, and why it still matters.

Video Now Available

Art and Artistry graphic recording image

Spotlight Session on Art and Artistry as Jewish Learning (pre-recorded video now available)

October 12

What is the relationship between art and artistry, on the one hand, and Jewish education, on the other? In what ways might we think about engagement with Jewish art and culture as a kind of Jewish learning? Building on the 2022 Mandel Center spring conference, Art and Artistry as Jewish Learning, this Spotlight Session brought together conference chairs Laura Yares (Michigan State University and director of the MCSJE project on Jewish Learning Through the Cultural Arts) and Galeet Dardashti (NYU), along with Eva Heinstein (Mandel Foundation), Miriam Heller Stern (HUC), and Laura Mandel (Jewish Arts Collaborative), to explore these questions and their significance for the field of Jewish education.

Find out more here

Learning About Learning: A Conversation with Anna Hartman

1 PM - 1:30 PM

Spotlight Session on Mahloket

1 PM - 2:15 PM

Learning About Learning: A Conversation with Ilana Horwitz