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Dear Friend,
This week brought us to a long-awaited threshold: with the return of Ran Gvili, Israel no longer has hostages held in Gaza for the first time since 2014.
As we mark this historic moment, we look forward to what’s next at M²: a new program catalog for Israeli educators, and several meaningful opportunities to gather with educators and professionals who are shaping the future of Jewish life.
This month, the M² Alumni Survey is in full swing! Help us stay connected and learn from your journey – join hundreds of M² alumni in completing the survey. Check your inbox (or spam) for your personalized link, or click below to get started:
Thank you for being part of this community and for the insights you bring to it.
Warmly,
The M² Team
LAST CALL FOR ALEH EARLY-BIRD DISCOUNT
Applications are open for M²’s Aleh Summit, April 28–30, 2026 in New Orleans. Participants from across North America will gather for 3 days of curated, practical professional development focused on values and network building.
Aleh is geared toward early-career Jewish community professionals across all portfolios with 2–5 years of experience. Learn more about Aleh and nominate a colleague >
💫 Early-bird tuition (25% off) ends this week on January 30th! General applications close March 13th.
YAMIM 2026 IS COMING TO A CITY NEAR YOU
M²’s Yamim 2026: Visions and Values is a day-long professional development lab that equips Jewish professionals with practical tools and methodologies for navigating the complex crossroads of Israel and Israel education today. Join us in a city near you, or register for our virtual event on March 5th!
- LOS ANGELES | FEBRUARY 18, 2026 | 10-3PM | Register now
- COLUMBUS | FEBRUARY 24, 2026 | 9-2PM | Register now
- CLEVELAND | FEBRUARY 25, 2026 | 9:30-2:30PM | Register now
- WESTCHESTER | MARCH 19, 2026 | 10-2PM | Register now
- LONG ISLAND | MARCH 20, 2026 | 10-2PM | Register now
Live elsewhere? Join us virtually on March 5 | Register now
ההרשמה לתכניות המכון לחינוך חווייתי בישראל לשנת 2026 נפתחה!
ההזדמנות שלך לחשוב מחדש על הערכים שמניעים אותך בעשייה החינוכית בעת הזו, להכיר מקרוב ולהעמיק בגישת חינוך מבוסס-ערכים כמחוללת שינוי בעשייה.
מעלות 23-25.3.26 | יד השמונה 21-23.6.26
הזמנה לחוויית פיתוח מקצועי ייחודית לנשות ואנשי חינוך, המאפשרת להתנסות ולחקור כיצד נחנך לעתיד טוב יותר בזמן הזה, ולהצטייד בשפה ובכלים מעשיים לעבודה.
מעלות 23-24.3.26 | שדה בוקר 18-19.5.26 | יד השמונה 21-22.6.26
ההרשמה עד ה15 בפברואר 2026
SAVE THE DATE: RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS SYMPOSIUM
Our virtual symposium, "Teaching towards Connection: A Jewish Pedagogies Symposium on Peoplehood and T’fillah" is happening on March 18, 2026. Through engaging discussions and workshops, M² Research Fellows will share how values can inform our teaching and learning. Express interest here >
HOLDING TWO TRUTHS AT ONCE
In an op-ed for The Jewish Journal, M² Deputy CEO and Chief Program Officer Kiva Rabinsky invites us to pause and reflect at moments of tension – what he refers to as “crossroads moments” – where our values are put to the test.
MINDING THE SOUL
M²'s Wellness Research Fellows were recently featured by the Covenant Foundation, in an article titled, "Minding the Soul: How M² Guided Jewish Educators to Reimagine Wellness." The article takes a closer look at four of the fellows' projects.
THE TRAIN HAS LEFT THE STATION
Mabat alum Roni Hazon Weiss, principal at Shaharit High School, recently published an Op-ed on Ynet, titled "The train has left the station: Religious young women are voting with their feet, and they’re stronger than ever."
PURCHASE CROSSROADS CARDS
Crossroads Cards, the newest resources from M², are now available for purchase!
Want a set of your own? Click here >
M² is thrilled to announce two new Board Members and three new Team Members:
Martine Fleishman, born in South Africa, immigrated to New York in 1986. Her lifelong love of Israel and commitment to Jewish education, social justice, and community engagement have defined her leadership in Jewish life. Martine is a past President of The Jewish Education Project and former Chair of UJA-Federation of New York’s Westchester Division.
Jim Heeger brings a long career as a CEO and software executive in Silicon Valley to his current full-time work with nonprofit organizations focused on Jewish continuity. He has served as the Board Chair of the Foundation for Jewish Camp, Moishe House (now Mem Global) and the San Francisco Jewish Federation, and has been a Past Board Member of the Jewish Agency for Israel and Jewish Federations of North America.
Michael Kress joined M² as our Vice President of Marketing, based out of our New York office. Michael has spent more than 20 years growing and engaging audiences, in journalism, nonprofit marketing, communications, and content strategy.
Shirli Ben Tolila joined M²'s Jerusalem office as our Israel Program Manager. Shirli brings more than a decade of experience in operational and organizational leadership, with a background that spans the nonprofit, public, and start-up sectors.
Natan Bauer joined M² as our new Finance and Administration Associate, based in our Jerusalem office. Natan brings experience in operations, administration, and community-focused programming, with a strong grounding in organizational work.
Have you started a new position? Published a thought leadership piece? Received an award? Please let us know so we can congratulate you and update our community and our records.
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