Tell us about your professional experience and your new role at Mosaic United. 

I have worked in Jewish informal education in Israel and around the world for approximately 25 years. My experience includes leadership roles in major organizations, including the Jewish Agency for Israel, Gesher, and the Jewish Federations of North America. I have remained in direct contact with a wide range of audiences as a lecturer, content developer, and consultant. My particular interest lies in connecting big ideas with educational practice - combining macro and micro thinking, and linking a strategic perspective with what actually happens on the ground. 

I recently joined Mosaic United as Vice President of Informal Education and became part of the organization's strategy team. The role is intended to combine a broad perspective on Mosaic United's educational values and content with the development of the Jewish informal education field worldwide, working alongside our key partners. I look forward to expanding on that work as it develops. 

When you look at the landscape of informal Jewish education today, where do you see the greatest opportunities - and where do you see the biggest gaps? 

Jewish informal education worldwide is constantly developing and changing, in response to broader shifts in education and in Jewish life. By its nature, informal education provides a flexible, creative, and open space that can reach many different audiences. It is not bound by the structures required in formal education, yet its capacity to influence individuals and communities is both serious and significant. 

There is a real need - and a genuine appetite - for educational activity that is rich and substantive, while also open, accessible, and capable of offering diverse forms of participation. At the same time, major gaps remain. Communities differ greatly in their access to resources, while their size, structure, and local circumstances can affect their ability to adapt and experiment. Some educational frameworks that succeeded in the past are now struggling to respond to the social and identity-related changes taking place around them. 

Mosaic United increasingly talks about strengthening the “field,” not only supporting individual programs. What does field building mean to you in practice in regard to your role? 

Field building is a long-term process that connects professionals, organizations, knowledge, resources, and partners in order to develop a shared professional domain, strengthen its capacities, and expand its impact. 

In Jewish informal education, this includes mapping and connecting the actors working across the field; developing shared knowledge and professional language; training educators; creating networks and partnerships; encouraging innovation; and strengthening the standing of informal education as a significant profession within the Jewish world. 

What role do you think Mosaic United uniquely plays in strengthening the field of informal Jewish education? 

Mosaic United is a significant actor in the Jewish world, with extensive working partnerships across a wide range of organizations. Its role in strengthening the field is a natural extension of those relationships. Mosaic United combines close and continuous engagement with the field with a broader view of its activity, allowing us to identify processes, developments, and changes, and to better understand the needs and challenges emerging across different contexts. 

We often say that the quality of an educational experience depends heavily on the people leading it. What do educators and professionals in this field need in order to thrive and grow? 

In education generally, and especially in informal education, the educator is one of the most important educational tools. Their personality, values, relationship and impact, and talents shape the experience. We must continually invest in these professionals: enriching their knowledge of evolving approaches to Jewish education and engagement with Israel, while also renewing and expanding their methodological and pedagogical toolkits. 

Equally important is creating a community of educators. Simply bringing professionals together has both human and professional value: they can learn from one another, build lasting relationships, and develop pride in their profession. The fact that this education is described as “informal” should never obscure how serious, important, influential, and necessary it is. 

Where do you see opportunities to create stronger professional pathways for people working in informal Jewish education - from someone entering the field through to senior educational leadership? 

Informal education must always be understood in context. The size and character of Jewish communal life vary from one community, country, and region to another. Still, some principles are relevant everywhere. Educators need to take their role seriously, understand its significance, and remain in a continuous process of learning. That begins with the foundations: the content they teach, the methodologies they use, the values that guide them, and the ability to adapt their work to the age and needs of each audience. 

Learning must be broad as well as deep. Professionals should become familiar with different sources and organizations, and build personal and professional relationships with their peers. Even as they advance into leadership roles, they should remain connected to the field. They need to become like a sophisticated camera lens - able to zoom in and zoom out without losing focus at either level. 

Beyond funding, what do you hope Mosaic United can offer partners working in informal Jewish education? 

We work with organizations and partners that bring tremendous talent and a strong record of action. Mosaic United can help cultivate, advise, support, and strengthen their work. We can contribute to the development of professional standards and create both a practical and values-based space in which the field - and the important questions it faces every day - can continue to develop. 

We intend to do this through professional networks and additional frameworks within Mosaic United that respond to the field's varied needs, grounded in coordinated work, transparency, and mutual trust. 

What are you personally most excited to build or explore at Mosaic United over the coming year? 

I am especially excited to play a central role in connecting educational directors, influential leaders, and educators at every level who are actively engaged with the field around the world. I bring many years of experience, but it is equally important to me to keep learning: to deepen my understanding of different communities, encounter renewed and inspiring educational work, and explore how Mosaic United - and I personally - can contribute, enrich, support, and enable. We bring our own values and ideas to this work, but we must also approach it with great humility. 

I am excited to translate my experience into strategic thinking and action focused on the things I care about most: education, people, and Jewish life. 

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