PoP Update: Summer 2023
We hope that wherever you’re reading this PoP Update, the summer has been restorative and joyful for you!
Summer is a busy season at PoP, filled with deep learning and new connections. In June, we held our annual PoP Introductory Institute. It was wonderful to learn with this new cadre of over 70 educators who will bring PoP to their classrooms in the coming school year. Earlier this month, we held our Experienced PoP Educators Institute, welcoming over 35 PoP alumni for energizing sessions of learning and planning. This year we are delighted to welcome two new coaches to our PoP team, Rabbi Rebecca Ben-Gideon and Chavah Goldman.
Read on to learn about some recent highlights of teacher connection and student learning happening through PoP’s work. We’re particularly excited to share a new PoP video with you; it’s our honor to hear these young people speak about their experiences with havruta. Their voices aren’t to be missed - check it out!
We wish you and yours a shana tova u’metukah, a good and sweet New Year!
Warmly,
Orit and Allison
PoP Student Voices
These students will get you energized for the coming school year!
Cross-Country Havruta
PoP’s inaugural pilot Educational Havruta program matched 26 educators - from 18 institutions and 8 states - with a havruta to refine their teaching practices. We asked two participants, experienced high school Judaic Studies teachers Rabbi Shawn Fields-Meyer of Milken Community School (California) and Rebecca Strobehn of Frankel Jewish Academy (Michigan), about their experience. Rebecca shared how meaningful it was to learn texts together as a “great opportunity to try out a PoP strategy, but even more so, a great opportunity to do some much needed Torah Lishma with an interesting and engaging havruta.” Shawn reflected, “We have connected deeply as educators, supporting each other by active listening, asking questions, and reflecting together on the art of teaching.”
Join us! All alumni who have worked with PoP for over a year are eligible for this program. Apply here.
Spotlight: Northwest Yeshiva High School in Seattle
PoP’s impact is felt throughout the halls at Northwest Yeshiva High School. In Talmud and Tanakh classes, the Jewish Studies staff has harnessed the power of PoP to enrich student text study and discussion. PoP havruta learning is also at the heart of staff professional development sessions. During a recent all staff professional development day, interdepartmental pairs studied a text from Rebbe Nachman of Breslov.
Moving Relationships to the Center
As you prepare to start the new school year, check out Allison and Orit’s recent article in HaYidion: The Prizmah Journal! Their work on PoP’s Core Relational Building Blocks will inspire you to foster relationships between students and teachers, among students and their peers, and importantly, between students and Torah.
PoP Resource Corner
PoP created a Guided Text Study for Sukkot to help you discover the lessons of multiple perspectives. This resource presents two source contains differing interpretations of the sukkah, offering the chance to engage with both perspectives for the wisdom that each has to offer.
PoP Sukkot Study Guide (Color)
PoP Sukkot Study Guide (Printer Friendly)
Download Hadar’s entire 5783 High Holiday reader, "Lifnai ve-Lifnim - The Innermost Sanctum”.
2023-2024 Calendar
PoP Foundational Webinar: Opening School With PoP
August 23 (8:00 PM ET | 7:00 PM CT | 5:00 PM PT)
The first PoP Foundational Webinar of the school year is coming up! Join us on Zoom to learn more about Opening School With PoP! Register here.
PoP Foundational Webinars are offered throughout the school year for educators in their first year of PoP training: PoP 2023-2024 Foundational Webinar Calendar
Experienced PoP Educators
We offer a robust and growing slate of programs for PoP educators with more than one year of PoP training. Take a look here.
SAVE THE DATE! Join us on October 26, 2023 to mark Yom Rabin as the Jewish Day of Healthy Argument. We are proud to partner in honoring Yitzhak Rabin’s legacy with events, resources, and dialogue dedicated to healthy arguments.
