As educators, we hope to reach all of our students in the best way possible and yet we all have blind spots. In this interactive session, we will unpack the ways in which bias both helps and hinders us as individuals and educators. We will consider what gets in our way when we encounter bias. We will look at ways we can address bias as it comes up in the classroom and learn skills that help us make our classrooms more inclusive.

Speaker Bio: Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder is the Director of Education at Be'chol Lashon, a national organization dedicated to celebrating the racial and ethnic diversity of the Jewish people. She holds a PhD. in Religious Studies from Yale University and is a frequent contributor to the Forward, JTA, The Atlanta Jewish Times and many other publications. She is passionate about Jewish food and cookbooks.

Since ancient times, the Jewish people have been racially and ethnically diverse, yet most American Jewish education highlights only white and Ashkenazi expressions of Judaism. In this practical session, we will look at the role representation can play in creating a more inclusive environment, will discuss resources for expanding the narrative of Jewish expression, and reflect on our own challenges and successes.

Speaker Bio: Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder is the Director of Education at Be'chol Lashon, a national organization dedicated to celebrating the racial and ethnic diversity of the Jewish people. She holds a PhD. in Religious Studies from Yale University and is a frequent contributor to the Forward, JTA, The Atlanta Jewish Times and many other publications. She is passionate about Jewish food and cookbooks.

Join ADL staff for an interactive session on how to prevent hate from manifesting in the lives of your students both inside and out of your classroom. Participants will address common incidents of bias, learn how to discuss allyship with students and gain access to a wealth of resources crafted by ADL for educators. (Resources available for all ages, but perhaps best suited for grades 3+.)

Speaker Bio: David Hoffman is the Associate Regional Director for ADL Southeast, with a portfolio that includes young adult leadership development, regional incident response, campus affairs, Jewish community engagement, and social media. He earned Master’s Degrees in Education and Jewish Studies, and Hebrew and Judaic Studies from NYU after beginning his career as a teacher. David has worked with Jewish teens as an educator in multiple synagogues and as BBYO Director in Atlanta prior to joining the ADL team and continues to teach these communities today.

Data show that LGBTQ+ youth who report having at least one accepting adult were 40% less likely to report a suicide attempt in the past year. What does it mean to be a supportive adult in the classroom? How do you create an inclusive and welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ children? What do you do when someone comes out to you? Where do Jewish values live within these questions? We will explore these questions and more!

Speaker Bio: McKenzie Wren is the Program Manager for Sojourn - the Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity. McKenzie is a health educator and facilitator who works across the South providing education on gender and sexual diversity to help synagogues, schools and nonprofits be more welcoming.