Gleanings: Portraits of Jewish Educational Leadership from The William Davidson School
Gleanings is the ejournal of The William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education of The Jewish
Theological Seminary. Please join us in the conversation by sending your comments to gleanings@jtsa.edu.
Gleanings: Spring 2026
From the Associate Director
I welcome you to the spring 2026 issue of Gleanings, a publication of the William Davidson School. The issue, focusing on Hebrew and how it is being taught to our educators and learners, comes out in a meaningful time, Israel’s 78th year of independence.
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Teaching Hebrew as a Profession and Calling
Adi Raz directs the modern Hebrew language program at the University of Michigan and co-leads Middlebury’s School of Hebrew in Vermont. With a doctorate from the William Davidson School, she draws on the science of language acquisition and decades of classroom experience to reshape how Hebrew is taught. She champions rigorous teacher training, immersive learning, and classrooms that double as vibrant, supportive communities.
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Turning a Barrier into a Bridge
“Hebrew opens up literacy, Jewish life, connection to Israel, Jewish peoplehood and an internationally shared common lens,” said Rabbi Dr. Andrew Ergas. As CEO of Hebrew at the Center, Ergas is driving a bold shift in Hebrew education—professionalizing teachers, expanding access for all learners, and redefining what success looks like.
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Accent on Learning: Teaching Text in Hebrew
An American-born lover of Hebrew, middle school teacher Elana Goldberg sets a strong example to her students. By modeling both the struggle and the joy of learning Hebrew, she empowers her students to see language not as a barrier, but as a gateway to deeper connections to Jewish texts and life.
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Curriculum, Community, and Connection
For nearly three decades, Merav Tal-Timen has turned Hebrew class into a joyful, deeply meaningful experience—one her students joke about but carry with them for life. By blending culture, text, and a curriculum she built herself, she shows that teaching Hebrew isn’t just about language—it’s about identity, connection, and truly knowing your students.
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Loving Hebrew and Jewish Day Schools
From a national perspective on Jewish day schools, Elliott Rabin observes progress in the ways Hebrew is taught. Blending literary insight with educational leadership, he highlights a shift toward more nuanced, inclusive approaches and educator tools that can make Hebrew feel more “native” than “foreign.”
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