You will have the opportunity to choose two to attend (in addition to the Keynote) and will receive information and toolkit items from the third as well so your Holistic Inclusion Toolkit will be complete at the end of the day.

Keynote | Elana Rivel
“Vision for an Inclusive Jewish Community”

Kehillah | קהילה
Being a Truly Welcoming Community | Robyn Cohen and Robin Matthews
Everyone wants and needs to feel a sense of community and belonging. Drawing inspiration from Jewish figures, modern psychology, and current thinking about inclusion and equity, this session will focus on how organizations and individuals can create a welcoming environment — thinking both about how to set up the physical space beforehand and what to do within the space so that families will feel welcomed and truly seen as part of a warm community where they belong. Participants will each receive a new tool for their holistic toolkit to continue to use.

Chochma | חכמה
Welcoming In Wisdom | Julia Weekes and Molly Wernick
How might we make our communities more inclusive? Explore with us as we access the collective wisdom needed to unlock these solutions in real time through a fun, collaborative workshop where we apply creative asset mapping methodology to the inclusivity challenges that our communities face today. Together, we’ll move beyond traditional problem-solving by visually mapping the diverse strengths, experiences, and perspectives within our communities, revealing hidden resources and innovative pathways to inclusion that might otherwise remain unseen.

Shleimut | שלימות
Welcoming In the Fullness of Each Individual | Erin Beser and Sarah Kolker
Explore the power of personal identity and impact of sensory regulation on inclusive Jewish family engagement through a hands-on, reflective workshop. Participants will engage in grounding exercises, guided meditation, and sensory play to express and process their identities, gaining tools to create sensory-friendly, inclusive, self-expressive spaces. Through interactive discussions and practical takeaways, this session empowers educators to foster belonging and wholeness (shleimut) in Jewish communities.

Erin Beser | Director, Whole Community Inclusion
Erin is a passionate Jewish educator who has worked in a variety of Jewish educational spaces from synagogues and summer camps to Jewish day schools and currently teaches 6th grade Jewish studies at the Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy in Bryn Mawr. Erin is also the founder of Adoughma, a sensory education initiative working to bring dough and sensory play into Jewish educational and communal spaces.

Robyn Cohen | Director, PJ Library in Philadelphia
Robyn oversees the PJ Library program in Greater Philadelphia, and has worked with jkidphilly families and organizational partners at Jewish Learning Venture since 2014. Along with the jkidphilly Director, Robyn supervises our jkidphilly Parent Ambassador program and works with the coordinator of our Get Together program. Robyn has a B.S. in Psychology from Binghamton University, an M.A. in School Psychology, and a Ph.D. in School and Counseling Psychology from Northeastern University. 

Sarah Kolker | Director, jkid4all
Sarah has extensive experience providing healthy creative learning environments for youth in Philadelphia, Jamaica, SF Bay Area, and New York City. Her use of art and social justice-centered educational practices have been employed by both private and public institutions. Sarah continues to teach and support community art with Mural Arts in Philadelphia, which is the nation’s largest public art program, engaging the community to ignite change through mural-making. She has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and M.A.Ed from Moore College of Art and Design.

Robin Matthews | Director, Graphic Design
Robin has been an educator for nearly thirty years. As Director of jkidpride, she spent several years creating intentional and inclusive community for LGBTQ+ Jews in Greater Philadelphia and has led several workshops on equity and creating inclusive space. She has also been a congregational educator for 7 years. Robin holds a B.A. in Elementary Education from Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education and an M.F.A. from Emerson College.

Elana Rivel | Chief Executive Officer
Elana is an experienced leader of nonprofit Jewish educational organizations. Elana previously worked at JLV for over 12 years, last serving as its Associate Director. Elana has served as a leader in Jewish nonprofit organizations ranging from Camp Ramah in the Poconos, Penn State Hillel, Congregation Shearith Israel in Dallas, TX, and most recently as Director of Ramah Day Camp, Philadelphia.

Julia Weekes | Director, Professional Learning
Julia has over thirty years of experience in education leadership and teaching. Julia loves learning and loves to share how learning can be joyful, playful, innovative, and inclusive of all people. At Jewish Learning Venture, Julia delivers professional development in creating responsive, inclusive, and experiential learning environments. She has also been a religious school teacher for fifteen years.

Molly Wernick | Director, jkidphilly
Molly brings nearly two decades of experience in Jewish community building and experiential education. Prior to JLV, her work included roles at national organizations like Jewish Federations of North America and Repair the World, and local favorites such as Habonim Dror Camp Galil and Tribe 12. Holding an M.A. in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from Hebrew University and a B.A. from Ithaca College, Molly focuses on JLV’s engagement strategy for families raising young children. She is committed to empathetic listening and data-driven decision-making to ensure diverse representation in jkidphilly’s programs and resources.

Questions? erivel@jewishlearningventure.org