A new approach to professional development centers creativity as essential for renewal and resilience.

Jewish educators are tired. Worn down by mounting pressures and shifting expectations, many feel estranged from the very spark that once drew them to this sacred work. A 2022 Gallup poll revealed that 44% of teachers report feeling burned out “always” or “very often,” the highest of any profession. But in Jewish education, burnout is not just a professional or systemic crisis — it’s a spiritual one.

At Jewish Studio Project (JSP), we believe creativity is not a luxury; it’s a lifeline. Over the past decade, we’ve witnessed how creative practice rekindles passion, supports healing, and reimagines what Jewish learning can be.

Why Creativity Matters Now

Burnout isn’t just about exhaustion — it stems from disconnection: from purpose, joy, and meaning. Many educators enter the field with a profound sense of calling, only to be buried under competing demands, rigid structures, and little room for reflection. Traditional professional development often ignores this deeper crisis of spirit.

That’s where creative practice comes in. JSP’s core methodology, the Jewish Studio Process, integrates intuitive art-making, reflective writing, and deep text study — not just as therapeutic tools, but as spiritual and pedagogical practices. Educators engage their full selves — mind, body, heart, and soul — in a process that fosters resilience, imagination, and hope.

As one participant described, the experience is “life-changing, uplifting, and deeply healing.”

 

From Burnout to Renewal

This is why we designed a fellowship specifically for Jewish educators — a yearlong program, generously supported by The Covenant Foundation, that brings together a diverse cohort for an immersive retreat, ongoing virtual learning, and personalized support. JSP’s Educator Studio Fellowship offers a dedicated space for nourishment, reflection, and creative renewal.

Many participants arrive feeling depleted. The emotional toll of teaching, combined with family and communal responsibilities, often leaves little room for creativity. Yet research shows that creative practice builds resilience and helps people reconnect to what matters most.

The CASJE Career Trajectories Study affirms what we see every day: educators often leave the field due to lack of preparation and ongoing support. The report notes that while passion may arise unexpectedly, “once awakened, it can be nourished with appropriate support.” The Educator Studio Fellowship provides just that — a framework to sustain that inner spark.

As one participant reflected, “I found a way to imagine new steps toward wholeness. I can honor the wounds in my soul and begin to mend them.”

 

Bringing Creativity into the Classroom

Transformation happens not just within fellowship walls — it takes root when educators embed creative practice into daily teaching. At JSP, we support educators in integrating creativity into their pedagogy, not as an extracurricular add-on, but as a central engine of learning and leadership.

Educators in the fellowship explore creative rituals: setting weekly intentions, creating visual interpretations of Jewish texts, and leading collaborative art projects. These practices spark curiosity, cultivate classroom presence, and foster student engagement. Fellows report that they return to their roles more grounded, authentic, and inspired.

As one educator shared, “After completing the fellowship, I find I’m organically weaving Jewish text into my routines and feeling a deeper connection to creativity as a Jewish wisdom source.” Another reflected, “Jewish Studio Project has changed the way I lead. I no longer ‘deliver’ Jewish content — I create a space where people bring their own wisdom to the table.”

Cultivating Reflective Leadership

Beyond classroom tools, the Jewish Studio Process fosters a model of leadership grounded in self-awareness, intentionality, and compassion. Fellows engage in trauma-informed practices like intention-setting and non-evaluative witnessing that create space for emotional exploration and spiritual renewal.

This model invites educators to lead from a place of presence — what psychologist Richard Schwartz calls the “Self,” a centered space of creativity, care, and calm. It redefines teaching from content delivery to relational engagement: tending to learners, the environment, and something deeper many would call God. As one fellow put it, “The Jewish Studio Process is the most rigorous spiritual practice being offered in Jewish spaces right now.” Another noted, “The witness allows for our differences to be held together,” creating the conditions for pluralism, trust, and collaborative learning.

A New Vision for Jewish Education 

Jewish education is at an inflection point. Faced with declining engagement and increasing demands, we need educators who are not only knowledgeable, but also imaginative, spiritually grounded, and emotionally resilient. Creativity is essential for adaptive, courageous leadership in this moment.

When creativity becomes central to both pedagogy and leadership, educators show up more fully — for themselves, their students, and their communities. The result is a more emotionally intelligent, relational, and visionary Jewish educational landscape.

Watering the Field with Creativity

At this critical juncture, the Jewish Studio Process offers a bold, proven model for renewal. It shows us what’s possible when educators are grounded in their own creativity: they lead with authenticity, model vulnerability, and cultivate spaces where curiosity, wonder, and connection thrive.

Programs like the Educator Studio Fellowship demonstrate how sustained investment in creativity can transform not only educators, but entire communities. As we look to the future, we invite Jewish educators, funders, and leaders to place creativity at the center — not as an afterthought, but as the beating heart of Jewish life, leadership, and learning.

Rabbi Adam Lavitt is Director of Learning at Jewish Studio Project and the head of the Educator Studio Fellowship.

Recruitment for Ed Studio 3 is happening now through June 26th. Learn more, here.