Michelle Shapiro Abraham, MAJE, RJE

Michelle Shapiro Abraham, MAJE, RJE (she/her), is the Union for Reform Judaism’s  executive director of strategic innovation and program for camps, youth & immersives.  A longtime Jewish educator, author, and speaker, she holds a master’s degree in Jewish education from the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.  Michelle is a recipient of the 2015 Covenant Award for Excellence in Jewish Education and an active member of Temple Sholom in Scotch Plains, NJ, where her husband, Joel Abraham, serves as the rabbi.

Can Challah Braiding Help a Teen Become a Future Rabbi?

Michelle Shapiro Abraham, MAJE, RJE

Youth engagement is not merely youth being at programs or feeling a part of the community. Nor, conversely, is it merely attending a class or having knowledge and skills. True engagement requires finding the dynamic tension between these two processes.

Learning Their Truths: Talking to Kids About Camp

Michelle Shapiro Abraham, MAJE, RJE

I had the honor to learn with teen leaders from two of our NFTY regions. I asked them to share with me their truths – the things they have learned about themselves and the world, that are central to the way they live. Truths can be found in questions like: What do you stand for? What do you value? What are your boundaries? Who are you aspiring to become?