Jewish LearningWorks

06/23/2026

"Jewish communities are painfully aware of the dangers of policies and laws that try to legislate minority groups out of the public square. That clarity gives us a particular mandate to combat such efforts." Says Eliana Kayelle and Jonah Dov Pesner in The Forward. For us, this is how Pride becomes a Promise to educate - a moral and ethical obligation that is deeply rooted in Achrayut/Mutual Responsibility. We WILL love and protect each other. 🏳️‍🌈❤

Clergy from all movements are coming together to insist on stronger policies to support LGBTQ+ Jews

06/16/2026

Let the official play season begin!☀️⛺ 🏖⛰🔯

Caption: Students adding pieces as a team to a puzzle as they work on shalom, anchored in shlemut/wholeness.By Sue Bojdak, independent Jewish educator and consultant.“Surely, this instruction which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach. It is not in the hea...

06/08/2026

Today we commit to shaping, not merely responding to, the next chapter of Bay Area Jewish life. View our 2026 Strategic Plan pursuing meaningful learning, resilient leadership and enduring community in the Bay Area and beyond.

2026 Strategic Plan Download the PDF Version

06/04/2026

This spring, Jewish LearningWorks’ Voices for Good Fellowship Siyum celebrated 35 women leaders in Jewish life. We gathered to honor their leadership pathways, and the power of bringing their full selves to Jewish communal work.

Their voices and work shape Jewish life.
Together they echo mentors across generations while taking on trailblazing roles addressing our most pressing challenges today.

Read more about the vision behind Voices for Good, and the women leading us today.

By Jenni Mangel, Senior Director of Impact and Evaluation, Jewish LearningWorksFrom my first job out of college working at Jewish Vocational Service in San Francisco, two extraordinary mentors changed my life and career path:Judy Bloom z”l, when she first met me, informed me that she would “teac...

06/02/2026

Did you know? Our office is moving to the new campus of the JCC of the East Bay in Rockridge, Oakland! The construction is in its final stages and we got to tour the facilities with other incoming partners. We can't wait to meet you there! 👷🏼‍♀️✨🕎❤

05/28/2026

The struggle is real - so is the solution.

During Mental Health Awareness Month, the Jewish communal world rightly turns attention to the well-being of our leaders: rabbis, cantors and nonprofit professionals. These conversations matter. But there is a group we keep leaving out, and the consequences of that omission are catching up to us. Ea...

05/22/2026

Epic staff week! We planned for the following program year, learned with Keshet, shared Torah, got a surprise visit from Temple Sinai’s preschoolers searching for Mount Sinai, and of course, we closed our week at Fentons with ice cream 🍦❤️🍨. Chag Shavuot Sameach!

05/20/2026

Almost 20 years ago, when I was working for the Union for Reform Judaism, I was lucky enough to meet a new rabbi, charged with engaging teens at one of our local congregations. All these years later, she is still there, doing this critically important work, and today I got to be present as Jewish LearningWorks gave her our Ruby Award for excellence in teen engagement. The student is now the teacher! Thank you Alissa Forrest Miller for being a bright light in the Bay Area Jewish community.

05/20/2026

Yasher Koach to Rabbi Alissa Miller of Temple Isaiah - Your Jewish Neighborhood! Huge thank you to the community of Jewish teen engagement and youth professionals who joined us today to celebrate Rabbi Miller, and Matt Richtel for sharing with us his research on healthy adolescent development. Thank you also to the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco for hosting all of us today. ❤️💎

05/11/2026

Last chance to RSVP! ✨This special celebration of Jewish youth professionals, and the 2026 Ruby Award recipient, Rabbi Alissa Miller from Temple Isaiah - Your Jewish Neighborhood, will be framed by a presentation from Pulitzer Prize winning author, and NYT science reporter Matt Richtel. We will learn about his research on the adolescent mind, and guiding growth through Jewish wisdom and care. Join us!

2026 Ruby Award: Inside the Adolescent Mind In-Person The Ruby Award is Jewish LearningWorks’ biennial celebration of Jewish educators and professionals who work with Jewish teens. In addition to honoring an outstanding teen educator from the community, the Ruby Award aims to elevate Jewish educat...