In his June 11 op-ed for eJewishPhilanthropy, Jewish Future Promise Executive Director Josh Schalk asks whether our children would pass if the Torah had a report card — a question that goes to the heart of Jewish education today. As a trustee of the Mayberg Foundation and a proud signer of the Jewish Future Promise along with my husband, Louis, I share both Schalk’s concern and his sense of urgency. And like Schalk, I believe our challenge is not just about passing or failing a test — it’s about reimagining what it means to nurture the next generation of Jews.

For too long, Jewish education has mirrored the industrial era model of schooling: departmentalized, standardized and focused on metrics and short-term achievements. This model, designed for efficiency, may have helped us scale education, but it has failed to cultivate the full potential of our children as Jews and as human beings. When we treat education as “feeding” students information for immediate wins, we risk leaving them spiritually hungry, searching elsewhere for meaning and connection.

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What if, instead, we offered a “dining” experience — a curated, intentional journey that leaves students wanting to come back for more? This is the vision that guides our work at the Mayberg Foundation and the Jewish Education Innovation Challenge (JEIC). At our recent 2025 Innovators Retreat, a gathering in Seattle of more than 90 Jewish day school educators, leaders and funders, we identified three pillars that must define the future of Jewish education: student-centered learning; God-centered learning; and whole-school culture change.

Student-centered learning means seeing each child as a unique soul, not just a vessel for grades or test scores. Jewish tradition teaches that the reward is in the effort, not the accomplishment, yet our current system often sends students on an emotional roller coaster, measuring them by grades and GPAs that no adult would be expected to achieve. This focus on perfection and comparison undermines self-worth and intrinsic motivation, making students feel “less than” if they don’t excel in everything, while even top students are limited by exams that cap their growth. 

Instead, we should design assessments that honor effort and improvement, embracing that everyone has areas to grow. When learning is valued for the experience itself — not just as preparation for a test — we foster resilience, self-esteem and a lifelong love of Jewish wisdom. The memories that endure are not about grades, but about the meaningful, engaging experiences that shape who we become.

God-centered learning recognizes that limudei kodesh, Judaic studies, is not just another academic subject. Jewish wisdom is meant to shape our values, relationships and sense of purpose. Bringing God into the classroom means making space for spiritual development, grappling with big questions and cultivating a living relationship with our tradition. When students experience Jewish learning as relevant and alive, they are more likely to carry it forward into adulthood.

Whole-school culture change is the vehicle that makes these shifts possible. Transforming Jewish education requires the buy-in of educators, parents, students and community leaders. It means creating environments where dignity, moral clarity and soul-nurturing are as important as intellectual achievement. Culture change is not a program or a curriculum; it’s a commitment to aligning every aspect of school life with our highest values. Our partners at JEIC support the school culture transformation process through convenings like the recent Innovators Retreat, as well as smaller workshops, such as the Empowering Teachers to Implement Intrinsic Motivation in School seminar, which can be tailored to the unique needs of individual schools and communities across the US.

As signers of the Jewish Future Promise, we are committed to ensuring that the legacy of Jewish wisdom and values endures for generations to come. But this will only happen if we have the courage to innovate — to move beyond the “factory model” and create schools that truly serve the needs of our children and our people.

The Torah’s “report card” is not about grades; it’s about whether we are preparing our children to live meaningful, connected and purposeful Jewish lives. Let’s set our sights higher than passing the test. Let’s give our children an education that feeds their souls, honors their individuality and inspires them to return for more.

It’s time to move from feeding to dining. The route forward is clear: student-centered, God-centered and rooted in a culture of lasting change. Together, we can chart a new course for Jewish education — one worthy of our past and essential for our future.

An entrepreneurial philanthropist who embraces collective effort, Manette Mayberg is a trustee of the Mayberg Foundation. She founded the Jewish Education Innovation Challenge (JEIC), which aims to radically improve the quality of Jewish education in day schools across North America, and MyZuzah, which brings kosher, fair trade mezuzot to Jewish homes across the globe. She and her husband, Louis, express their commitment to foundational Judaism and the connectedness of all Jews through their foundation’s grantmaking and operating programs, which are all dedicated to proliferating Jewish wisdom and values in the contemporary world.