Last summer, the Taube Center hosted three meetings of the Jerusza program at our office in Warsaw. The participants, following the health and safety guidelines, had a chance to meet in person for the first time since the lockdown started. One of the main themes of this year’s program is the twelve tribes of Israel, which was a prominent topic of discussion during chavruta sessions. In the first meeting, participants were introduced to the concept of andragogy by Marta Eichelberger-Jankowska, a Taube Center educator and the Jerusza program director. The second meeting focused on design thinking in education, as presented by Iza Meyza, a coordinator at Forum for Dialogue. The third session included a text study with Gabe Miner and conversation about the histories and experiences of Black Americans and prewar European Jews, followed by a reflection on the recent acts of violence against Black Americans and Black Lives Matter protests.
The Jerusza program connects individuals working in Jewish institutions around Poland. The program creates a platform for young leaders in the Jewish world to exchange their experiences, improve their professional skills, and introduce new approaches to their work as educators. Jerusza draws upon Jewish tradition to cultivate education, community, and leadership within the Polish Jewish community.