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LEAD EDUCATIONAL TRANSFORMATION & CHANGE

Chicago Educators Cohort

A unique 18-month journey that invites Jewish educators from across Chicago to invest in their passion, build community, and intensify their impact.

Stay tuned for future community cohorts
Send me an application
Send me an application

INVEST IN YOUR PASSION

A community-wide initiative, the M2 Chicago Educators Cohort invests in the most promising educators dedicated to bringing meaningful Jewish experiences to Jews of all ages and backgrounds across the city, by equipping them with the most current and innovative educational methods and tools.

BUILD YOUR COMMUNITY

Through immersive seminars, community of practice gatherings, and personalized mentorship, the Chicago Educators Cohort creates an intentional space for enrichment, experimentation, and collaboration, while investing in the personal and professional growth of each fellow.

DIVERSITY WITH A PURPOSE

Selected fellows represent institutions across Chicago including camps, schools, teen and student organizations, synagogues, cultural and grassroots organizations, and more, that vary widely in religious observance and background. Their greatest commonality is their deep commitment to a thriving Chicago Jewish community.

AN 18-MONTH JOURNEY

From February 2022 to July 2023, you will develop a shared language and approach for transformative experiential education, gain new ways of thinking about educational practice, and acquire skills and effective methodologies that are relevant in all settings.
M2-16
Seminar 1

THE POWER AND PURPOSE IN VALUES

Why are values at the core of our educational work, and how do we ensure that learners will value the experiences at hand? In this seminar, we will learn how to put values at the center and to unlock the core tensions within a value that catalyze a value exploration.
February 8-10, 2021 | 
 Chicago
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Seminar 2

ANIMATING EXPERIENCES

How do we create deeply resonant and engaging educational moments that empower learners to carry an experience’s impact long after it ends? In this seminar, we will surface different frameworks and tools, which can be used to craft an intentional arc of experience.
September 13-15, 2022 | 
 Chicago
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Seminar 3

FACILITATING MEANING-MAKING

What is the role of the educator in facilitating the emergence of meaning from educational experiences? In this seminar, we will explore different tools and methodologies that empower learners to make their own meaning from an experience and emerge with a stronger sense of Jewish identity.
January 31-February 2, 2023 | 
 Chicago

IF YOU WANT TO…

Be part of this cutting-edge community-wide initiative

Strengthen the impact of your educational experiences

Create a shared language with a diverse group of professionals in your community

Make a courageous commitment to change

AND IF YOU ARE…

An educator in the Chicago community with demonstrated impact

A mid-level professional with between 4-8+ years of experience in the field

Excited about delving into the world of Jewish ideas and educational frameworks

Have the position and support to make a difference

...then you belong with us!

MEET THE FELLOWS

Mashi
Polstein
Director
Jewish Family Experience (NCSY)
Chicago Educators Cohort
Nicole
Berne
Assistant director
Metro Chicago Hillel
Chicago Educators Cohort
Genna
Kahn
Program Director of Teen Volunteering and Philanthropy
Jewish United Fund
Chicago Educators Cohort
Joelle
Kelenson
Director of Recreation
Keshet
Chicago Educators Cohort
Matt
Rissien
Director of Congregational Learning
Temple Jeremiah
Chicago Educators Cohort
Jaclyn
Rassner
Senior Program Associate, JUF Young Families
JUF
Chicago Educators Cohort
Rachel
Margolis
Associate Director Congregational Innovation and Education
Union for Reform Judaism
Chicago Educators Cohort
Sam
Berkman
National Director of Communal Relations
J Street
Chicago Educators Cohort
Meet all fellows

Faculty

Our experienced and innovative faculty will support, challenge, and guide you on your fellowship journey.

Mollie

Andron

Lead Faculty and Fellowship Director

Mollie has over 10 years experience teaching in a variety of Jewish educational settings – from formal classroom teaching to nature education, 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 Masters 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.

Mollie
Andron
Lead Faculty and Fellowship Director

Stephen

Markowitz

Adjunct Faculty

Stephen has dedicated the last 25 years to working with nonprofit organizations and educators worldwide.  He has held senior positions in leading Jewish organizations including The Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the Melton Centre for Jewish Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Torah Mitzion, The Jewish Agency and M²: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education. Stephen has created his own consultancy initiative based on a psychodynamic approach to personal and organizational wellbeing, under the guidance of The Institute for Leadership and Transformation (SA), affiliated with the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations (UK). A graduate of the Hebrew University (MA Education) and WITS University (South Africa), Stephen was born and raised in South Africa, lives with his wife and four children in Jerusalem and is devoted to empowering people to get the most out of their professional and personal lives.

Stephen
Markowitz
Adjunct Faculty

Tamara

Rebick

Founder & Chief Experience Officer, Coriphery Holistic Consulting Solutions

Tamara is the Founder & Chief Experience Officer of Coriphery Holistic Consulting Solutions. A strategic thought-partner and facilitator to Jewish organizations, she advises senior leadership on project optimization, reimagining priorities and designing transformative experiences. Tamara is most passionate about developing strategic learning spaces, bringing them to life and assessing their impact for scale. Engaging thousands in exploring Jewish identity, Tamara trains leaders to be peer-educators and consults on strategy and engagement. Serving in formal, experiential and informal settings for over 20 years, Tamara has worked closely with Jewish day and supplemental schools, youth movements, synagogues, summer camps, Hillels, federations and foundations.

Tamara
Rebick
Founder & Chief Experience Officer, Coriphery Holistic Consulting Solutions
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Eligibility

To request more information for the upcoming program, please submit your email address below. We’ll be in touch shortly.

Tuition: $

800

Costs include all program costs, room & board.
An educator in the Chicago community with demonstrated impact
A mid-level professional with between 4-8+ years of experience in the field
Excited about delving into the world of Jewish ideas and educational frameworks
Have the position and support to make a difference

FAQ

Applications are being accepted through December 12, 2022

We take our learning seriously and therefore expect that fellows are fully present at all seminars, at all times. In order to create the most optimal learning cohort experience, we also ask that participants stay onsite. This includes staying at the provided accommodations even if we are located near your home.

The program includes regular mentorship and monthly gatherings as a Community of Practice. Full participation is required.

M² trains diverse Jewish professionals who come from all over the world and have varying approaches to Jewish life and practice. Our curriculum also reflects a plurality of Jewish voices and perspectives. If you have further questions about the program environment, please contact us.

In addition to participation in the program itself, tuition covers double occupancy hotel room and meals during seminars and any additional seminar-related expenses.

We believe that experiential Jewish education is not limited to a single Jewish educational setting or personality. Program participants include professionals working in day schools, camps, community centers, youth and teen programs, synagogues, federations, college campuses, and other Jewish organizations.

All you need is an openness to learning in an inclusive and pluralistic environment.

We highly value workplace integration and place a heavy emphasis on this throughout the program including providing access to M² staff for workplace integration and application conversations. In addition, we require that your current work supervisor acknowledge your participation in the Chicago Educators Cohort. We offer to work with you and your supervisor/organization on an individual basis to help you create a strategy for integrating the program’s teachings within your workplace.

The Chicago Educators Cohort is facilitated by cross-disciplinary experts, M² core faculty, and mentors through educator support. See here for faculty from other M² programs (subject to change).

Thanks to the generosity of the Crown Family Philanthropies, M² is able to offer a highly subsidized tuition rate which represents only a portion of the actual cost of the program. Limited scholarship funding is available. If you have further questions, please contact Emily Faber at emily@ieje.org

Thanks to the generosity of Crown Family Philanthropies, tuition for the Chicago Educators Cohort is $800 per person.

To be eligible for the Chicago Educators Cohort you must be a full-time Jewish educator with between 4-8+ years of relevant field experience.

The Chicago Educators Cohort is generously supported by the Crown Family Philanthropies.

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CONTACT US

1-866-462-4353 • contact@ieje.org

© M² 2022

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Chicago Educators Cohort