Join us for a conversation with Dr. Keren Fraiman, Dean and Chief Academic Officer at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership, recipient of the 2025 Ilia Salita Excellence in Research Award (ERA),about this innovative research, recognized for its critical contributions to understanding and addressing challenges in Jewish education.

Moderated by Rabbi B. Elka Abrahamson, President, The Wexner Foundation.

Barriers to Entry: Exploring Educator Reticence for Engaging with the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict sheds light on the complexities educators face when teaching about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Through a mixed-methods approach involving workshops and interviews with experienced educators, she identified key barriers—including knowledge gaps, emotional challenges, pedagogical hurdles, and communal pressures. Her findings offer actionable strategies to support educators in navigating these obstacles with confidence, an area of increasing urgency following the events of October 7, 2023.

Read more about the Barriers to Entry, Dr. Fraiman, and the Ilia Salita Excellence in Research Award.