Yom Limmud 2026

Bio:
Aviv Ben Tovim serves as a Jewish Agency Shaliach at the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston. His journey began in the Migdalor, a gap-year program for teens from challenging backgrounds, where he guided participants in leadership development and strengthening their connection to Israel. While studying Psychology and Computer Science at Tel Aviv University, Aviv continued working in education, including with Mamriot, a leading cyber-excellence program for high school girls. The program immerses participants in advanced programming and cyber research and opens doors to elite IDF technological units. In Mamriot, Aviv supported and mentored students as they advanced in their technological and personal growth.

Description:
In this talk, Aviv shares his journey as an educator working with two impactful Israeli youth programs, Migdalor and Mamriot. Through personal stories and real examples, the presentation highlights how Israeli society invests deeply in social mobility, empowerment, and equal opportunity for teens from all backgrounds, enabling them to reach their full potential during their military service and long after. Funded by Israel’s Ministry of Defense, these programs reflect a powerful cycle in Israeli society: the people invest in a strong and ethical army, and the army, in turn, invests in building empowered and skilled citizens.

Bio:
Rabbi David Rosen was for many years the Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beth Yeshurun until his retirement in 2018.

Description:
To be a Christian, you have to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. To be a Muslim, you must believe that Muhammed was G-d’s last prophet. But is there anything our Rabbis say Jews have to believe to be a Jew? This is not a new question, but one that has been asked for centuries, and by many of our greatest Sages. With Rabbi Rosen’s help, we will explore this intriguing and important question and penetrate the mystery of whether a Jew really needs to believe anything?

Bio:
Rob Kutner is an Emmy-winning writer for late-night TV shows like The Daily Show and CONAN, animation like TEEN TITANS GO! and ANGRY BIRDS, and a bestselling author of six books including the kids’ graphic novel SNOT GOBLINS & OTHER TASTELESS TALES, the “feel-good guide to Armageddon APOCALYPSE HOW, and Ant-Man and Deadpool books for Marvel. But his proudest accomplishment is that TimeOut New York magazine once officially named him a “SuperJew.” He is still waiting for his “Jewper-powers” to kick in

Description:
In this lively, thought-provoking, and funny presentation, Emmy-winning TV comedy writer, bestselling author, and semi-learned Jew Rob Kutner will talk about his background growing up Jewish at a Christian school in the South, and his adventures in Hollywood — and read selections from his new comedic history of the Jewish people, “The Jews: 5,000 Years and Counting.” Kutner will then take questions from a moderator and the audience. And at some point, he will remember to call his mother.

Bio:
Rabbi Jordan Silvestri is the Head of School at the Robert M. Beren Academy in Houston. After a ten-year career in social services, Jordan transitioned into the world of educational leadership first at Sinai Schools and then in the administration at Ramaz and Yeshivah of Flatbush. Jordan is an avid reader and student in the art of leadership and self-development. His mission of ensuring that all learners have a safe and welcoming space for them to grow is at the heart of his practice.

Description:
Aharon, the Kohen Gadol (High Priest), was the de facto second in command to Moshe and should have been a confidant that Moshe could rely on. However, that does not seem to be the case. Is Aharon a true brother or a dissenter in disguise? What does the paradigmatic brotherhood have to teach us in what real Jewish brotherhood and sisterhood should look like?

Bio:
Chani is an Occupational Therapist with more than a decade of clinical experience supporting individuals across the lifespan in developing greater independence and meaningful participation in daily life. She holds a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from New York University and has completed extensive advanced trainings across pediatric, adolescent, and adult rehabilitation settings. Chani serves as the Rehab Director at Rising Roots Therapy of Houston, where she specializes in working with children, adolescents, and women. She is known for her evidence-based, individualized approach and her commitment to fostering each individual’s growth, confidence, and full developmental potential.

Description:
Discover how to lovingly support your child’s fine motor development through the Jewish lens of an occupational therapist, B’yachad. Nurturing the whole child builds stronger skills, confidence, and connection.

Bio:
Sal Litvak directed Guns & Moses, an action thriller about a small-town rabbi who becomes an unlikely gunfighter after his community is violently attacked, starring Mark Feuerstein, Neal McDonough, Christopher Lloyd and Dermot Mulroney. Sal’s first film was the Passover comedy and cult hit, When Do We Eat? starring Max Greenfield, Ben Feldman, and Jack Klugman. Sal wrote both films with his wife Nina, and together they also share Jewish wisdom, humor and history with 1.3 million followers at Accidental Talmudist. Sal’s book Let My People Laugh: The Greatest Jewish Jokes Of All Time!, is an Amazon bestseller.

Description:
How an immigrant kid from Chile ended up directing movies in Hollywood, sharing Torah with a million people, and doing stand-up at the Laugh Factory.

Bio:
Ido Benvenisti is the Jewish Agency’s Regional Director, Western U.S. In this role, he oversees Shlichim and works with Jewish communities on their Israel programming. Ido served as Partnership2Gether’s Director of Southern Region from 2022-2025, cultivating relationships with Jewish Federations and organizations worldwide, and developing new programs to strengthen the network. Before that, he spent six years as the Director of the Kiryat Gat-Lachish-Shafir-Chicago Partnership. Ido earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a Master’s Degree in Jewish Peoplehood from Haifa University.

Description:
Exploring the history of Israel’s civil society can help us understand Israel’s dynamic third sector and its tremendous response in the aftermath of October 7th. This session is focusing on the evolution of non-profits, volunteerism, and social entrepreneurship as crucial drivers of Israel’s national identity, welfare, and innovation.

Bio:
Keren Horn is a Senior Educator at Unpacked for Educators. She is a passionate Jewish educator with expertise in curriculum development, with a focus on Israel and Holocaust education. She is an experienced classroom teacher who created and facilitated a comprehensive, multi-year Israel education program. Keren has presented widely on Israel and Zionism to educators, teens, and parents across the U.S., and holds a Master’s in Education in Learning, Cognition, and Development from Rutgers University.

Description:
In this class, educators will gain practical tools for teaching about Israel to today’s students. We’ll explore effective strategies for presenting complex topics, navigating questions, and making the material meaningful and age appropriate. Participants will have the chance to workshop lesson ideas, try out different approaches, and consider how to adapt our content for their own classrooms. This class is meant to help teachers create meaningful content that inspire curiosity, connection, and deeper understanding.

Bio:
Gil Hoffman is the Executive Director of HonestReporting, which fights for Israel in the international mainstream and social media; a lecturer on political strategy at Israel’s College of Management; and served for 24 years as Chief Political Correspondent and Analyst for The Jerusalem Post, where he’s now a regular columnist. Raised in Chicago, he graduated Magna Cum Laude from Northwestern and served in the IDF Spokesman’s Unit. He’s lectured in all major English-speaking countries and recently made history in Hawaii by becoming the first Israel speaker to have lectured in all 50 states. He lives with his family in Jerusalem.

Description:
A VIP briefing from behind the scenes of Israel’s corridors of power and the efforts to improve Israel’s international image at a sensitive time. Learn what you can do to help the Jewish State and why you should have hope for success against all odds.

Bio:
Jill Wood is founding director of Adventure Play at The Parish School in Houston, one of only a handful of adventure playgrounds in the United States, and the only one based at a school for children with communication differences. She is founder of Bayou City Play, a group of playworkers, artists, and therapists who partner with organizations to improve play opportunities in the Houston metro area and is regional consultant for UK-based Pop-Up Adventure Play. She is also a school librarian and mom to a 12-year-old who is the real authority on play in her household.

Description:
Play is so woven into children’s development; it is easy to fill moments of exploration with activities that seem more visibly ‘productive.’ However, when we cut play out, we are taking away a vital mechanism for brain development, a key space where we synthesize input from the modern world. 
Join Jill to learn more about the role of play, along with strategies for protecting space and time. Experience a ‘pop-up playground’ where you and your children can try simple ideas that foster creativity, confidence, problem-solving, flexibility and resilience all through highly motivating activities with materials you likely have at home.

Bio:
Shir Benjamin is an Israeli Shlicha based at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston. She works across the Jewish community to create meaningful and creative programs. She leads educational and cultural programs for all ages, bringing Israeli stories, values, and traditions to life through hands-on activities, community events, and personal connections. Shir is passionate about building bridges and celebrating the diversity of the Israeli experience. She loves to travel and explore new places and cultures, and of course, to talk about her home, Israel.

Description:
Join Shir Benjamin for a cooking session that explores the idea that our strength is in our unity. We will talk about how the Jewish people, and Israel, shine when we come together. We will talk about a few fun Israeli “firsts,” including our early moments on the world stage and the way Israeli food is part of kitchens worldwide. There is also a focus on Italian cuisine with a tasty Israeli touch. Making Israeli couscous risotto and a fresh cherry-tomato Caprese salad, while enjoying a conversation about food, people, and togetherness.

Bio:
Amy Fish is the author of One in Six Million: The Baby by the Roadside and the Man Who Retraced a Holocaust Survivor’s Lost Identity, and I Wanted Fries With That: How to Ask for What You Want and Get What You Need. Her work has appeared in Reader’s Digest, Canadian Geographic and Costco Connection. Amy is a graduate of Brandeis University, the University of Toronto, and most recently, King’s College (MFA). She teaches writing throughout Canada and the U.S. Her day job is as the Ombudsperson for Concordia University in Montreal where she lives with her family.

Description:
Have you thought about writing a book, but you don’t know where to start? Are you interested in the behind-the-scenes of writing a book? This is the workshop for you! In this session, Amy will share her experience researching and writing her latest non-fiction book One in Six Million and will give you practical tips for telling your own story. Attendees will come away with ideas on how to write about their lives in an interesting and engaging way.

Bio:
Rabbi Dvora Weisberg, Ph.D. is the Rabbi Aaron Panken Professor of Rabbinics on the Los Angeles campus of Hebrew Union College. She received her B.A. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Talmud and Rabbinic Literature from the Jewish Theological Seminary. She was ordained at Hebrew Union College. Dr. Weisberg has also taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary, the College of William and Mary, and the University of Pittsburgh.  Dr. Weisberg is the author of Levirate Marriage and the Family in Ancient Judaism (2008) and Tractate Menahot: A Feminist Commentary (2020).

Description:
In the Talmud, several rabbis engage in a debate as to whether “Israel is subject to the stars,” that is, are our lives influenced by the constellation and planets at the time of our birth.  This discussion as to whether we have free will or are controlled by astral phenomena touches on an important aspect of rabbinic theology.  The stories we will study deal with how our expectations and actions (and those of our parents) shape our lives.

Bio:
Yitzchak Sprung serves as the Rabbi of United Orthodox Synagogues (UOS) and as President of the Houston Rabbinical Association. He received rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University, where he is a Rabbi Sacks Scholar and a Ph.D. student in Jewish philosophy at the Bernard Revel Graduate School, where he also completed his MA. He is also a Leverage, Expand, and Popularize/National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership (LEAP/CLAL) Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Katz Center and holds a Bachelor of Laws from Bar-Ilan University. Yitzchak, his wife Tiferet, and their three children feel deeply grateful to be part of the warm and welcoming UOS community.

Description:
For all our external challenges, the Jewish people face profound internal ones as well, chief among them the fractures and schisms that have marked Jewish life in the modern era. In this class, Rabbi Sacks’s Inclusivist Vision for a Fractured People, we will explore Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’s diagnosis of these divisions and consider the pathways he offers for building our community together.

Bio:
Aviv Kurnas is the first North American Regional Director of ISRAEL-is. Prior to this role, he served as a Jewish Agency emissary in Brooklyn, New York, and led dozens of delegations to the U.S., while managing international partnerships at ISRAEL-is. A skilled educator and public speaker, Aviv has been featured in community and media forums addressing Israel’s narrative and the power of people-to-people engagement. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and Communications from Tel Aviv University and serves as a reservist commander in the Israeli Air Force, where he has flown more than 75 intelligence missions in the war.

Description:
Survived to Tell – Be the Witness is an immersive virtual reality-powered presentation that amplifies firsthand voices from the October 7th massacre. Participants experience five personal survivor stories through virtual reality, stepping directly into the key locations where the events unfolded. After a brief introduction and mental preparation, each participant chooses a story to witness, followed by guided group reflection to process insights and deepen understanding. Adaptable to any setting, this session delivers a powerful, emotionally resonant learning journey. Powered by ISRAEL-is, the program elevates authentic Israeli narratives and fosters meaningful global awareness through innovative experiential storytelling.

Bios:
Avi Posen is the VP of ConnectED, where he oversees content and supports educators worldwide in teaching about Israel and Judaism with nuance and confidence. For six years, he has helped shape Unpacked for Educators’ platform, curriculum, and global community. Avi brings extensive experience as a Jewish day school teacher, Hillel director, and Jewish camp director, and has trained educators and spoken to audiences across Israel, North America, Europe, South Africa, and Australia. He holds a Master’s Degree in Jewish Education from Yeshiva University and has been published in educational journals, as well as Ynet and The Times of Israel.

Description:
In today’s polarized climate, conversations about Israel too often spark tension, debate, and division, especially across generations. Different generations approach these discussions with distinct memories, experiences, and expectations, often talking past rather than to one another. This session explores how to bridge those perspectives with empathy, nuance, and curiosity. Together, we will examine why each generation thinks the way it does, how to recognize the stories shaping their views, and practical strategies for creating conversations that connect rather than divide. Participants will leave with tools to foster respectful dialogue that helps all generations feel part of a shared Jewish story.

Bio:
Rabbi Brian Stoller, a native Houstonian, is the Senior Rabbi of Temple Beth-El of Great Neck, a Reform congregation on Long Island, New York.

Description:
The last-minute decision in May 1948 to name the new Jewish state “Israel” was one of the most consequential acts in Jewish history, forever linking the modern state to the ancient ideals of the biblical land and people. Examining texts about the unique nature of Eretz Yisrael and Am Yisrael, we will consider the tension between the political demands of secular statehood and the moral aspirations of a holy people in a holy land.

Bio:
Cherry Steinwender serves as the Founding Director of the Center for the Healing of Racism.  Rabbi Shaul Osadchey has served the Houston Jewish community as the founding director of Houston Hillel and the rabbi of Brith Shalom and Or Hadash.

Description:
Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) rose to become one of the wealthiest men in America and a beloved humanitarian. He helped build Sears, Roebuck and Co. and served as its President and Chairman. His friendship with Booker T. Washington spurred Rosenwald to seed the money for the creation of 5,500 schools for poor, rural African American children in southern states at a time when few received any public education. From 1915 to 1932, 660,000 rural southern African American students benefited from these schools. The documentary reveals the history of the Rosenwald schools and their impact upon generations of African American youth.

Bio:
Bryan Friedland, a Jerusalem-based artist, actor, and singer with high-functioning autism. He was born in the U.S. in 1983 and moved to Israel 30 years ago, where he was diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Art became his bridge to the world, expressing his perceptions, emotions, and hopes. During COVID-19 and the Israeli-Hamas War, he found solace in painting themes of isolation, loss, and optimism for peace. Active in Hebrew University’s Beit Hillel Theater, he channels his feelings through performance. Living independently with SHEKEL’s, a leading Israeli nonprofit dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities to live full, independent lives, support, his book Dreaming reveals his inner world through art and text.

Description:
Artist Bryan Friedland shares how living with high-functioning autism shapes his creative vision and artistic expression. Through a personal talk and presentation of his paintings, Bryan explores how art becomes a language for emotion, perception, and connection. Participants will gain insight into how neurodiversity influences creativity and how seeing the world differently can inspire hope, empathy, and beauty in art and everyday life.

Bios:
Rabbi Edwin Goldberg serves as the rabbi of Congregation Beth Shalom of The Woodlands. He received rabbinic ordination and a doctorate in Hebrew Literature from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He was the Coordinating Editor of the Reform Jewish High Holy Day Prayerbook, Mishkan HaNefesh. Recently he was the co-editor of Because My Soul Longs for You. Rabbi Goldberg serves as the editor of the CCAR Journal.

Description:
“Every dispute that is for the sake of Heaven will endure…” (Pirkei Avot 5:17). Jewish tradition values respectful disagreement, but it must be rooted in shared values and humility. B’yachad doesn’t mean avoiding conflict, but engaging it with dignity.

Bio:
Dena Marks is Senior Associate Director of the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Southwest Regional Office. Her responsibilities include writing and media relations, law enforcement liaison, facilitator of numerous ADL presentations including classes for law enforcement, and working on incident reports. She volunteers as a docent at Holocaust Museum Houston, reads for Sight Into Sound. Before joining ADL in April of 1999, she spent 21 years in television news. She also has worked as a group exercise instructor, personal trainer, freelance writer, waitress, janitor, and for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. She is a native Houstonian.

Description:
A two-year study by ADL’s Center for Antisemitism Research revealed some of the ways we talk about antisemitism are all wrong.  This class will provide the results of ADL’s rigorous research, reveal the most effective ways to talk about the impact of antisemitism, and warn you about the words and phrases you don’t want to say if you’re trying to communicate effectively.

Bio:
Amy Schraier currently serves as Jewish Education Inclusion Coordinator at the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, where she works to increase access and belonging in Jewish education for students with diverse learning profiles and their families. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders from the University of Texas and has a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology and has a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Patholog

Description:
In May 2024, I had the privilege of facilitating Kolot’s “Restart” initiative for 15 civic leaders from the Otef (Gaza Envelope) region. One of the key moments involved exploring the Hebrew word “mashber,” which means both “crisis” and “birthstool”. We will begin the session by viewing a video profiling three of the participants, and we will then study the three texts that were sources of resilience for each of them. This will allow us to discuss three topics: the way in which crisis can spawn growth; the three participants themselves; and the challenges facing Israel today, especially in the South and the North, as we seek to renew and rebuild from the present crisis.

Bio:
Sharon Ann Musher is Professor of History at Stockton University. She is the author of Democratic Art: The New Deal’s Influence on American Culture (University of Chicago Press, 2015) and Promised Lands: Hadassah Kaplan and the Legacy of American Jewish Women in Early Twentieth Century Palestine (New York University Press, 2025), which was selected for the Jewish Women’s Archive’s Summer Book List and twice for Hadassah Magazine’s Shabbat Bookshelf. Sharon is also a granddaughter of Hadassah Kaplan Musher and a great granddaughter of Mordecai Kaplan.

Description:
In 1922, Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism, first initiated the Bat Mitzvah as a rite-of-passage for Jewish girls. Characterized as a lifelong supporter of women’s rights, Kaplan’s wife and four daughters shaped his ideas about women, culture, and Zionism. This was especially true of his second daughter, Hadassah Kaplan, who joined a small but influential cohort of American Jewish women who studied, worked, and volunteered in British Mandate Palestine. In this talk, historian Sharon Musher will discuss her recently published book, Promised Lands, about the impact Hadassah and her traveling peers had on American Jewry.

Bio:
Debbie Zimelman is an award-winning photographer who moved to Israel more than 30 years ago. Her work, published and exhibited globally, has earned numerous international prizes. Passionate about capturing people and telling compelling stories, Debbie is renowned for documenting the lives of Israeli women. Her groundbreaking series, Women in Prison, is an in-depth photographic study of inmates at Neve Tirzah, Israel’s only women’s prison. Her first book, Women on the Front Lines, visually documents the experiences of Israeli female combat soldiers. It offers an intimate look at the increasing number of women volunteering for IDF combat roles, especially following October 7th.

Description:
Since October 7th, women are engaging in active combat in Israel like never before. Debbie shares powerful images and firsthand stories of the female combat soldiers directly involved in the war against Hamas. Through her slideshow, Debbie takes the audience behind the scenes in her journey with soldiers across 20 IDF combat units. Her book, Women on the Front Lines, is the only photography collection dedicated to these soldiers’ experiences, offering an intimate look at their fears, challenges and triumphs. Debbie will share the story of the book, gaining access, and the process of capturing these photographs and personal stories.

Bio:
A native of McAllen, Texas, Rabbi Dovid Goldstein (aka Rabbi Red) received his rabbinical ordination at Central Lubavitch Yeshiva in Kfar Chabad, Israel. He directs Chabad of West Houston/Katy, CEO of The Friendship Circle of Houston, Associate Director of Chabad Outreach of Houston and Camp Gan Israel of Houston. He has served as lead Rabbi of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice since 2005. He serves as chaplain at Richmond State School, Menninger Clinic, Federal Correctional Complex Beaumont, and the Harris County Jail.

Description:
Living in a fractured world, this class will explore the concept of oneness among all Jews, emphasizing that despite our differences, we are fundamentally one people. Rabbi Goldstein will share life experiences from his prison visitations and his work with the special-needs community, weaving in concepts from Jewish philosophy and Chassidic teachings to help foster connection, shared destiny, and collective responsibility.

Bio:
Rabbi Dan Gordon has been a fixture in Houston’s Jewish community for 35 years, the last 28 as rabbi of Temple Beth Torah in Humble, Texas. A leader in interfaith relations, Rabbi Gordon is also a prison and hospital chaplain. Best known as a storyteller, he blends traditional folklore and midrash with personal narrative to educate and inspire people of all ages. He is currently president of OHALAH, the professional association for rabbis, cantors and chaplains for Jewish Renewal. Published in three anthologies of Jewish stories, he is working on his own book, working title: The Next Last Story.

Presenter:
There is a midrash that a bush burned in the wilderness for generations, the entire time the Jewish people were enslaved in Egypt. It burned and burned, without being consumed, waiting for someone to notice. Finally, a shepherd named Moses stopped, waited patiently, and heard G-d’s voice declaring instructions to free the Israelites. When we stop to notice, we can find unexpected, exciting surprises. Come enjoy Rabbi Gordon sharing his personal sacred connections with some unlikely inspirational souls.

Bio:
Rachel R. Schneider is an advocate and attorney committed to advancing American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) mission through advocacy, education, and intergroup relations. She previously served as an Assistant District Attorney, trying numerous jury cases and gaining extensive experience across criminal practice. Rachel has also worked in private practice and held leadership roles in several community organizations supporting education and enrichment. She holds a J.D. from South Texas College of Law Houston and a B.A. from Michigan State University in Criminal Justice with a minor in Peace and Justice Studies. Originally from the Detroit area, Rachel has proudly called Houston home for more than a decade.

Description:
This session will feature a conversation between American Jewish Committee’s Rachel Schneider and German Consul General Kai Hennig, Dean of the Houston Consular Corps, on the shared democratic values and historical responsibility that guide Germany and the Jewish community today. As democracies worldwide confront rising extremism, antisemitism, polarization, and threats to pluralism, “Never Again” must remain a call to action. The discussion will explore Germany’s current efforts to defend democratic ideals, the importance of cross-community and international partnership, and how the Consular Corps and the Jewish community collaborate to build understanding, uphold dignity, and strengthen civil society.

Bio:
Paula Shoyer, known as “the kosher baker,” is the author of The Healthy Jewish Kitchen, The Holiday Kosher Baker, The Kosher Baker, The New Passover Menu, and The Instant Pot Kosher Cookbook.
Paula has a degree in French pastry from Paris and does classes and talks around the world. She is a freelance writer, cookbook editor, recipe developer, kosher baking consultant, and influencer working with kosher food companies. Paula competed on Food Network’s Sweet Genius and has appeared on TV over 60 times. She recently launched the Simmer & Schmooze Podcast and leads kosher food tours to Israel and beyond.

Description:
Class will show how to prepare the perfect babka dough and shape the babka in different ways.  During the demo she will share all her best baking tips and hacks for babka as well as for general baking success. Paula is a master storyteller, and every program includes inspirational stories, connections to Torah teachings and some comedy.  Samples will be served.