Today is March 28, 2024 /

Ayeka in the News

Our Butterfly Sky

Published in Ayeka by Shawn Fields-Meyer
Posted on April 11, 2019

In Southern California, over the course of a few days in March, anyone walking — or standing, or driving, or looking out the window — at almost any time of day was treated to a remarkable sight. Flying through the air were thousands upon thousands of butterflies. The creatures — orange and black Painted Lady Continue Reading »

Beyond The Maxwell House Haggadah

Published in Jewish Values Online by Rivkah Lambert Adler
Posted on March 28, 2019

I didn’t grow up in a religiously observant home. As a result, I don’t have too many Passover memories from childhood. My strongest memory is of my mother telling me that if I wanted to eat bread during Passover, I had to go outside. There is a single family photograph, taken in my grandparents’ narrow Continue Reading »

Job Opportunity at Ayeka!

Published in Ayeka by Ayeka
Posted on January 16, 2019

Ayeka: Center for Soulful Jewish Education is seeking part-time Senior Educators to join our North America and Israel staffs. The position entails working with multiple schools, including their faculties as well as the families of their student bodies, via retreats, online, and in-person check-ins. Professional development, including via webinars and semi-annual retreats, are an integral Continue Reading »

What’s stirring your soul? Books that move you

Published in Ayeka by Dasee Berkowitz
Posted on December 24, 2018

I direct Ayeka’s Becoming a Soulful Parent program. I have three kids. And I spend a lot of time with them. But I actually don’t really read many parenting books. What is drawing me in right now is reading about aging. I can’t get enough of it. I am halfway through Atul Gawande’s, Being Mortal: Continue Reading »

Hillel Adopts Ayeka’s Soulful Strategies for Educating Today’s Students

Published in Detroit Jewish News by Gabriella Burman
Posted on November 13, 2018

A new “soulful” approach to Jewish text study is helping Hillel Day School students develop strategies for mindfulness at just the right time, as the world continues to move at a fast pace and mental health challenges are on the rise among youth nationwide. “We know that social-emotional health informs general health and that it relates to Continue Reading »

Getting Stuck in Jewish Spirituality

Published in Institute for Jewish Spirituality by Aryeh Ben David
Posted on August 30, 2018

Jewish educational leaders and their communities have become very good at the first stage of Jewish spirituality – connection. The time has now come to move to the second stage – calling. The First Stage When I ask people for their first association with ‘spirituality’, the most common response is ‘connection’. They speak of connecting Continue Reading »

Creating a Classroom of Soulful Hospitality

Published in Times of Israel by Aryeh Ben David
Posted on August 26, 2018

What will we say to our alumni if they return and tell us: “You helped me think and relate. You cared about me. I’m extremely grateful. But I finished my youth as a stranger to my own soul. Why didn’t you help me with that?” Teachers work very hard to welcome their students. They decorate Continue Reading »

Supporting Teachers to Become Soulful Educators

Published in Jim Joseph Foundation Guest Blog by Jeff Amshalem
Posted on August 22, 2018

What will you be trying to do teshuvah for this year? Raise your hand if it is the same as last year. Raise the other hand if it was the same as the year before that. Raise the other hand if… I don’t know about you, but I’ve got all my hands up. But was Continue Reading »

Creating Soulful Communities

Published in eJewish Philanthropy by David Kahn, Chairman of the Board of Ayeka
Posted on July 24, 2018

When we at Ayeka began speaking about Soulful Education over a decade ago – and even dared to use the “G-word,” eyes rolled and conversations ended. Today, we see schools competing to bring their educators to our Soulful Education trainings where Ayeka helps teachers to focus on their inner lives, as a vital first step Continue Reading »

Ayeka announces first Director of North America

Published in Jeducation World by Ayeka
Posted on April 25, 2018

Ayeka: The Center for Soulful Education today announced that Michal Fox Smart has been hired as its first Director of North America, effective August 2018. Michal Fox Smart is currently Associate Principal of Judaic Studies at Bi-Cultural Day School in Stamford, CT. A recognized leader in innovation and curriculum design, Michal is the recipient of the Continue Reading »