Saul Kaiserman
In 2005, I had the privilege of meeting Saul Kaiserman, the esteemed Director Emeritus. Since we crossed paths, Saul has been more than just a supervisor; he has been a mentor and a dear friend. Saul’s impact on Jewish education is immeasurable, as he has driven innovation in the field. His unwavering dedication, sense of humor, and genuine love for people and community have inspired me and countless others.
Saul’s wisdom is unmatched, and his kindness sets a shining example for all of us to emulate in our lives. He has laid the groundwork for the future of the Department of Lifelong Learning, and it is a true honor to continue his legacy.
Below, I have outlined some of Saul’s remarkable contributions to Jewish education, showcasing his enduring commitment to the field and his invaluable impact on all those around him.
Michael Witman
Director of Lifelong Learning
Saul is a champion for Jewish education broadly, and for the potential of religious schools as institutions of learning and community building and venues for collaboration between clergy, educators, students, and other family members.
Published Works & Contributions
- “Synagogue schools: creating a sense of belonging to the Jewish people.” With Nancy Parkes. eJewishPhilanthropy, March 23, 2023.
- Educator Response: The Jewish Education Project’s From Census to Solutions Facebook live presentation on JEDLAB with Dr. Nancy Parkes, moderated by Dr. Sara Shapiro-Plevin
- “Va’etchanan: Jewish Education” Interview for the podcast “The Study” with Raviv Ullman and Rabbi Jess Minnen.
- “Surviving or Thriving?” Interview for podcast “Adapting: The Future of Jewish Education” with Dr. David Bryfman.
- “Empowering Adults as Jewish Learners.” Panel: “Ecosystem Reconfiguration in Complimentary Education. Is it Possible? Is it Desirable?” Part of the JESNA Convening “Building a Network for Change.”
- “Do-It-Together Jewish Education.” Sh’ma: A Journal of Jewish Ideas, Vol. 40/no. 666.
- Synagogue Schools and Congregational Agendas.” Sh’ma: A Journal of Jewish Ideas, Vol. 37/no. 637. Reprinted in 2008 in
- Redesigning Jewish Education for the 21st Century: A Lippman Kanfer Institute Working Paper. JESNA
- “A New Kind of Diversity: Jewish Education in a Pluralistic Society.” Jewish Education News. Vol. 28/no. 3.
- “Teaching in a Religious School as a Full-Time Job.” Contact: The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life, Vol. 10/no. 1.
“Consumers and Producers: Rethinking the Jewish Cultural Renaissance.” With Stephen Hazan Arnoff. Sh’ma: A Journal of Jewish Ideas, Vol. 37/no. 635
Tributes & Honors
- “Celebrating Ten Years of Innovation and Community.” Hear Saul speak on the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Department of Lifelong Learning.
Many of the programs created here at Emanu-El under Saul’s leadership have become models for other institutions
A-TEEM & Tribes
Tefilah, or Religious School Worship
Congregation Emanu-El Tefilah: Making Prayer Meaningful
“Empowering Prayer Communities through Religious School Worship.” eJewishPhilanthropy, August 26, 2014
“Making Prayer Meaningful: Empowering Sophisticated Prayer Communities through School Worship.” With Daniel Reiser, Lisa Kingston and Hannah Goldstein . CCAR Journal: The Reform Jewish Quarterly. Spring 2014.
Shabbat Kodesh
Currently, Saul is completing a doctorate in Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary, for which he received the Wechsler Award for Emerging Scholars from the Network for Research in Jewish Education (NRJE) in 2013. He was a Doctoral Fellow at the, Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education from 2021-22.
Excellence in training rabbis as Jewish educators is the qualifying paper for Saul’s dissertation research.
Implications from Learning to Teach “Teaching and Learning”
His master’s degree in Jewish Education is also from JTSA, and his master’s thesis, Teaching Birkat Ha-Mazon, the Grace after Meals, has been a source of inspiration for curricula across Jewish denominations
In 2013, Mr. Kaiserman was inducted by Hazon (now called Adamah) into its “If Not Now Society” as a “Visionary Leader in Jewish Life and Learning”
2013 “If Not Now, When?” Hazon “If Not Now” Society induction ceremony. Saul’s remarks on accepting the award.
In 2019, he was recognized as a “Distinguished Jewish Educator” by the Association of Reform Jewish Educators (ARJE), on whose board he has served since 2022.
Saul is a mentor for the Educational Leadership Program of the Mandel Institute for Nonprofit Leadership. From 2015-2019 he taught the only mandatory course in education for rabbinic, cantorial and education students at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). He serves on the board of the Jewish Education Project.
In July of 2020, he was an “all-star songleader” for the Union for Reform Judaism’s Campfire on Tour summer concert series.
