Training and Resources for the Yamim
YAMIM 2026:
FROM COURAGE TO CONVICTION
Building on two successful years of the Yamim program, this year we’ll explore conviction — where it comes from, how we hold it, and how we share it with courage and care. Many of us are searching for hope in a time when it feels hard to speak from our beliefs.
As Israel grieves its past and grows into a new chapter, Yamim 3.0 invites us to ask: How can we find hope, lean into new visions, and voice our convictions with integrity and compassion?
Through exposure to frameworks and educational resources, group learning and reflection, and shared creative practice, participants will rediscover conviction as a source of strength, clarity, and hope.

IF YOU WANT TO…
- Reflect on the significance of the Yamim and other key moments in the Jewish calendar in light of this past year
- Explore educational frameworks and resources that use Jewish values to bring meaning, connection, and purpose to these days
- Collaborate in a dynamic learning environment designed to spark creativity and deepen shared vision
- Access rich educational materials infused with art, text, and ritual to enhance your teaching and leadership
- Walk away with adaptable programming, concrete tools, and fresh ideas to inspire learners in your schools, synagogues, and communities
AND IF YOU ARE…
- An educator, leader, or professional in the Jewish field passionate about shaping the future of Jewish learning
- A past Yamim participant looking to deepen your learning and gain access to new resources
- Someone who values the intersection of Jewish wisdom, wellness, and personal & professional development
- A leader or educator from one of the five hosting communities eager to bring this work to your local setting
- A community builder or organizer seeking to create meaningful, values-driven experiences that foster resilience, connection, and belonging.
...THEN REGISTER TODAY
Program Highlights
Featured Presenters
FACULTY AND STAFF
Mollie
Andron
VP of Programs, M²
Mollie has over 10 years of experience teaching in a variety of Jewish educational settings – from formal classroom teaching to nature education, from theatre education to collaborative philanthropy education. She enjoys being in the field as well as building programs and trainings to support others. Mollie holds a double Master’s in Midrash and Jewish Experiential Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary, a BA in Religion from Bard College and is a graduate of M²’s Senior Educators Cohort. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and children.
Debbi
Cooper
VP of Partnerships, M²
Debbi Cooper is the VP of Partnerships at M². Previously Debbi served as the Director of Engagement for PJ Library and Associate Vice President, Community Outreach & Engagement of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago. She is the immediate past Chair of the Board for Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School, a pluralistic Jewish Day School in Chicago. She is a graduate of M²’s Senior Educators Cohort and a current 18×18 fellow.
Debbi graduated from Washington University in St. Louis and has a Master’s in Public Administration/Non-profit management from George Mason University. Debbi lives in Chicago with her husband, Aaron, and their three children: Gabe, Judah, and Noah. She schleps her family on hikes and bikes, makes big dinners upon their return and can often be found hiding out with a good book.
My Colleagues Describe Me As: Thoughtful, Strategic, Caring
A Jewish value that will help us meet this moment is: presence/shekhinah
Ask me about: becoming a triathlete at 49!
Clare
Goldwater
Chief Strategy Officer, M²
Clare Goldwater is a Jewish educator and leadership coach with expertise in professional and organizational development and experiential education. Working in close partnership with a wide range of organizations, Clare oversees the development, dissemination of M²’s approach and ideas about experiential Jewish education, through consulting projects to Jewish organizations, publications, curricula materials, and more. Clare has a BA in English Literature from Oxford University, an MA in Jewish Education from Hebrew University, and a Certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University. She also holds passports from those three countries and lives in Jerusalem with her family.
Schedule time to speak with me about:
- Strategizing and managing change
- Developing and refining vision
- Doing things differently, imagining “what ifs”
- Trends and big shifts in the field of Jewish education
NO'A
GORLIN
Chief Operations Officer, M²
With two decades of experience in leadership roles affecting social change through high-end programming locally and globally, No’a serves as Chief Operating Officer at M². Prior to joining M² No’a served as CEO of ROI Community, as Associate Director at Kolot, and as program officer at the Chais Family Foundation and the Rashi Foundation. No’a holds a BA with honors in Psychology and an MBA, both from the Hebrew University. No’a lives in Jerusalem with her family and serves on the board of Beit Prat, an Israeli Midrasha. In her spare time No’a loves to read, cook, hike and travel.
Abby
Mintz
Senior Program Director, M²
Abby Mintz is a Senior Program Director at M², where she brings creative and ambitious visions to life with thoughtful attention to programmatic operations and facilitation. Since joining M² in 2021, she has drawn on her experience as a Jewish camp director, university instructor, and clinical therapist to help people grow and find meaning in their work and lives.
Abby earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Special Education and Human and Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University, where she also completed her M.Ed. in Human Development Counseling. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a former yoga instructor, and most proudly a mom of 3 kiddos and 1 fur baby. She lives in Evanston, IL, and outside of work can be found reimagining home design or planning her next safari adventure.
MIKE
MITCHELL
Senior Director, Finance and Administration, M²
With over 20 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector, Mike oversees all aspects of finance, governance, and administration at M². Previously in his private practice, Mike worked with over 30 different organisations on building and implementing financial infrastructure, budgeting, financial strategy and more. Mike also served as Head of Finance and Operations at MAOZ and prior to that served as the Director of Young Judaea’s post-college programs in Israel. A graduate of the MBA program specializing in sociaI leadership and nonprofit management from Ben-Gurion University, Mike made Aliyah from Glasgow in January 2000 and lives in Jerusalem with his family. You can find him playing soccer every Wednesday night come rain or shine!
SHLOMIT
NAIM NAOR
Program Director, M²
Shlomit Naim Naor is the Israel Program Director at M² and a published poet with over 20 years of international experience in Jewish education. Previously, she was a training and content specialist at Makom, the educational content unit of the Jewish Agency for Israel, and advised the Jerusalem Education Bureau. Shlomit has served as a Jewish Agency community emissary in London and as chair of the Israeli Batei Midrash Network. She is the author of two award-winning books of poetry, No End in Sight (2016) and The Things We Are Not Talking About (2020). Shlomit strongly believes in creative writing as an impactful tool in experiential education. Shlomit is a graduate of the Mandel School of Educational Leadership, holds a bachelor’s degree in Hebrew literature and philosophy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a master’s degree in creative writing from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Kiva
Rabinsky
Deputy CEO and Chief Program Officer, M²
Kiva Rabinsky is the Chief Program Officer at M²: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education, and lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Deb, and children, Nava and Yonah. Prior to working at M², he directed a range of Jewish Service-Learning initiatives and developed and taught in a series of Experiential Jewish Education training programs through his role at Yeshiva University. Kiva holds an MPA in Nonprofit Management and an undergraduate degree in Education and Archeology.
Sara
Sukol
Graphic Design Manager, M²
Sara Sukol is the Graphic Design Manager at M², where she brings a passion for using design to elevate communication and support Jewish educational experiences.
Sara can be reached at sara@ieje.org.
Joanna
Tasch
Program Coordinator, M²
Joanna is excited to join M² in the Program Coordinator role. Joanna holds a BS in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University. Prior to joining M², she worked at Evanston Township High School, where she facilitated a course that empowered students to use the design thinking framework to develop innovative solutions for community improvement. Joanna loves using her creativity to design engaging and meaningful program experiences and then produce organized action to bring these ideas to life. Outside of work, you’ll find Joanna picking up a new book from her local public library, exploring farmer’s markets and new neighborhoods around Chicago, experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, and spending time outdoors with friends.
Shuki
Taylor
CEO, M²
As the CEO of M², Shuki helps provide educators and organizations in Israel, North America, and Europe with knowledge, tools, and skills to advance the theory and practice of experiential Jewish education. Previously, Shuki served as director of Service Learning and Experiential Education at Yeshiva University, where he founded the Certificate Program in Experiential Jewish Education and a range of programs mobilizing college students to serve underprivileged communities worldwide. A Schusterman Fellow, Shuki studied Jewish philosophy, education, and scriptwriting.
Yamim Padlet
Yamim Journal
PROGRAM PARTNERS
For more information, contact Abby Mintz at abby@ieje.org