Innovation and Connection in the Negev
Posted on 11/07/2025 @ 05:00 AM
By Julie Lambert CAJE's Senior Educational Consultant and Valerie Mitrani
CAJE's Director of Day School Professional Development
Last month, the CAJE–MindCET Teacherpreneur Initiative culminated with an extraordinary visit to Israel filled with learning, creativity, and connection.
The Initiative, part of the Miami–Yerucham Partnership, empowers educators to become innovators who design technological and pedagogic solutions to real classroom challenges.
Educators representing Lehrman Community Day School, Pardes Jewish Day School, and CAJE-Miami participated in Israel EdTech Week, an annual gathering of teachers, entrepreneurs, and innovators exploring the future of learning.
A Mifgash in Yerucham
During the visit to Yerucham, Miami’s partner city in the Negev, we visited an elementary school, toured the community farm, and met with local educators for a powerful mifgash (exchange).
Innovation Beyond Flags and Falafel
As part of Israel EdTech Week, Miami’s educators participated in a two-day global hackathon—a collaborative design challenge hosted by MindCET.
Our task: to create an innovative way to help diaspora youth connect with Israel in meaningful, relevant ways that go beyond the symbols of flags and falafel.
The idea “SababaFlix” was born from that experience.
SababaFlix is a concept for a digital platform designed for 6th–9th grade students.
Using current Israeli media and AI-powered real-time English translation, it would allow teens to engage with authentic Israeli stories, music, and shows while participating in a safe, moderated online community.
As one Miami educator reflected, “We realized that when students experience Israel through authentic cultural content, they connect not just to a place — but to people, language, and life.”
Teachers as Innovators and Mentors
The hackathon reflected the core philosophy behind CAJE’s professional learning efforts: that teachers are the greatest lever of change in Jewish education.
Through the CAJE – MindCET partnership, educators are using design thinking to identify learner-driven needs and craft solutions that integrate technology with Jewish values and identity-building.
As artificial intelligence becomes a greater collaborator in education — automating routine tasks and analyzing data in real time — teachers gain the time and space to do what they do best: mentor, guide, and make meaning.
Education becomes more personalized, more interactive, and more human-centered than ever before.
Looking Ahead
The partnership between CAJE - Miami and MindCET continues to deepen as educators in both Miami and Yerucham experiment with new approaches that blend innovation, values, and authentic connection.
Each new project reminds us that while technology evolves, the essence of teaching remains constant — relationships, curiosity, and community.
