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Dear Friend,
October brought both hope and heartbreak – remembrance, relief, and moments of true joy. We faced it together, strengthened by community and connection. Explore below our new resources that honor and reflect on this historic moment.
This month also marked a new beginning: the launch of the first of 3 Kehillot '25 seminars, bringing together 75 fellows from Boston, Toronto, and Greater D.C.. Over the course of the gathering, educators and community leaders came together to learn, explore, and deepen their practice. It was a powerful reminder that even across geography and difference, shared values can anchor us and propel us forward.
We’re proud to share some highlights from October and a glimpse of what’s ahead: we’ll be recruiting for the 18X18 Compass pilot program, and simultaneously running final seminars of Senior Educators Cohort and Mabat in November. We’re also hiring for two new positions – don’t miss the announcement below!
Warmly,
The M² Team
We’re recruiting! M² is inviting synagogues, JCCs, day schools, and Jewish camps to join the next pilot of the 18×18 Compass — a new virtual tool that helps organizations clarify and articulate their vision for Jewish life and learning.
Be part of a growing network of organizations using the Compass to reimagine Jewish education and engagement with clarity, intention, and impact.
Join the pilot (mid-November–February) and you’ll receive:
- A 30-minute onboarding session
- A diagnostic survey for your staff, board, and community
- A personalized insight report and 75-minute coaching session
Participation is free, you’ll receive meaningful data and your input will directly help shape this new resource for the entire Jewish educational field.
Learn more at one of our upcoming info sessions:
Please feel free to reach out to M² VP of Partnerships Debbi Cooper with any questions.
It’s not too late to join us TODAY, October 30th at 10:00AM PT/ 1:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM Israel time for our webinar, where we’ll unpack the results of the M² Hope Study, explore the implications for Jewish educators today, and share M²’s educational resources on hope.
📆 Thursday, October 30th
🕙 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM Israel
KEHILLOT KICKS OFF IN BOSTON
70 educators from Boston, Toronto, and Greater D.C. kicked off the first of three Kehillot seminars with four days of learning, exploration, and connection. Through hands-on immersive experiences like Yiddish dancing, group challenges, and exploring Boston’s Jewish landscape, fellows dove into with what it means to lead with integrity, courage, and clarity. Read more >
Kehillot is an 18 month professional development program which invests in the top education and engagement talent from each city to strengthen their own communities and shape the future of Jewish life. Interested in bringing Kehillot to your community? Write to us here.
JEWISH VALUES AT WORK IN MINNEAPOLIS
M² had the pleasure of facilitating one of the sessions at the JCCs of North America Professional Conference in Minneapolis this month. 40 professionals from JCCs around the country took part in this intensive on what Jewish values look like in action and how they can become a central part of the JCC culture. Read more >
WHEN WORDS BREAK: REBUILDING A SHARED JEWISH LEXICON
Words like “hostage,” “genocide” and “betrayal” began to fracture under the pressure of new pairings and contested meanings, while familiar phrases such as “solidarity,” “safety” or “never again” no longer carried shared resonance. Instead, they became contested terrain, provoking confusion, trauma or defensiveness depending on who invoked them and in what context.
In a powerful piece published in The Jewish Journal, Shlomit Naim Naor and Shuki Taylor reflect on how so many words changed their meaning in the aftermath of October 7th.
HOW JEWISH PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS CAN REBUILD TRUST
With the remaining living hostages recently returned and a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, we might be turning a new page in the book of our history. Throughout this period, our faith, unity, and hope were tested in ways we never imagined – and it has come at a cost.
Shuki Taylor offers a timely reflection on how Jewish institutions and professionals can rebuild trust and leadership in the wake of trauma, published this week in The Jerusalem Post.
FOUNDING AS AN ONGOING ACT: ARENDT, AUTHORSHIP AND ZIONIST FUTURE
We do not need a new vision. We need to prove we were brought in from the start by enduring the hard part now – holding to what was promised, widening the circle of authorship and rebuilding the institutions that can carry the founding across generations.
In the latest edition of the Peoplehood Papers, published by the Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education, Shuki Taylor reflects on the legacy of Hannah Arendt and its relevance to Jewish life today. His piece was also featured in eJewishPhilanthropy, extending the reach of this important conversation.
Earlier this month, we shared our new Resource Spotlight newsletter featuring 5 resources: Marking This Moment, as well as an accompanying eJewishPhilanthropy article of the same name, giving important context.
Created in response to this historic turning point – as hostages return home and we reflect on lives lost, these resources help guide communities in ritual and meaning-making, inviting educators, leaders, and learners to mark this moment together.
These timely, relevant, value-based resources are designed for various audiences, and can be used in classrooms, boardrooms, or in any communal setting.
Subscribe to M²'s new Resource Spotlight newsletter to receive timely resources, curated for each season, straight to your inbox.
When we started this project, we dreamt of the day we could shut down the Everyone Counts website, which was designed to offer resources to keep the hostages top of mind.
In light of current events, after all of the living hostages have returned home, and yet 13 slain hostages are still held in captivity as of this writing, we’re offering a new resource from our partners at Kol Ha’Ot, created with this moment in mind.
The resource explores the power of visualization that can give shape to a better reality, focusing on the powerful imagery and video art of Israeli artists like Shoshke Engelmayer, Yoni Bloch, Noa Kelner, and more.
JOIN OUR TEAM
With offices in Jerusalem, New York, and Chicago, the M² team is nimble, cutting edge and incredibly warm, and is guided by our five organizational values: generosity, humility, rigor, innovation, and integrity. We are currently hiring for two new positions: a VP of Marketing based in New York, and a Finance and Administration Associate based in our Jerusalem office.
VP OF MARKETING: NEW YORK
- The VP of Marketing will work to grow M²’s reach and strengthen our voice through new audiences, formats, partnerships, and channels while keeping our current communications thoughtful and consistent, and managing the global marketing team.
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION ASSOCIATE: JERUSALEM
- The Finance and Administration Associate will play a key role in supporting M²’s financial and administrative operations, ensuring the smooth management of day-to-day financial processes, vendor and client transactions, reporting, and other operational functions that sustain the organization’s work.
HOPE AT WORK
Inspired by the findings of M²'s Hope Study, Dasee Berkowitz's recent piece published in Medium encourages Jewish communal workplaces to help employees "stretch their muscles" in the form of peer discussion groups. Dasee is an alum of M²'s Yated and our Jewish Pedagogies Research Fellowship.
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