Thousands attend Academy events highlighting Israel education, teacher training, leadership, and community

The Academy of Jewish Thought & Learning hosted a series of events across Johannesburg and Cape Town in late August and September attracting more than 3 000 participants from across the community, from adults to schoolchildren, teachers to university students, even reaching into the space of non-Jewish allies on Israel.

Highlights included the presence of Saudi-born Loay Alshareef, whose remarkable journey from extremism to a pro-Israel, Zionist perspective inspired audiences. His story sparked meaningful conversations and demonstrated the power of courage, dialogue, and personal transformation.

The Academy also welcomed leading educators and thought leaders from Israel and Canada – Rabbi Scott Berman (UnitEd); Ketty Granite; and Sarah Golubtchik (Herzog College) – who shared their expertise with teachers and community leaders at the Academy’s Educators’ symposia. Topics covered ranged from dyslexia in Hebrew teaching; music in Judaism; financial survival for educators; and second-language teaching techniques, among many other subjects, giving participants a rich variety of tools and insights to enhance Jewish education. An incredible development is that more and more presenters are now home-grown graduates of the MA programmes – Hebrew, Jewish Education, and others – spearheaded by the Academy.

“These events highlighted the incredible vibrancy, curiosity, and passion of the community,” said Rabbi Ramon Widmonte, dean of the Academy. “From inspirational personal stories to cutting-edge educational insights, the events demonstrated the power of bringing people together to learn, grow, and connect.”

Through programmes like these, the Academy continues to empower educators, inspire pupils, and unite the South African Jewish community around shared knowledge, values, and a vision for the future.