The Jewish Grandparents Network, a national nonprofit organization that educates, connects, and supports grandparents as vital partners in enriching Jewish life, is holding its annual virtual learning fest on January 20, 2027. The event will cover topics like family relationship challenges, passing down Jewish joy, long-distance grandparenting, and the role of grandfathers, while offering tools for active grandparents.
“There’s an urgency for grandparents—who already carry so much—at this moment,” said Debra (“Debs”) Weinberg, executive director at the JGN. “They want to model Jewish values and Jewish joy and maintain strong relationships with adult children and teen grandchildren. Sometimes these goals become pain points, especially when difficult family dynamics and long-distance relationships are part of the equation. It’s not easy, and there’s a deep desire for grandparents to come together, ask honest questions, learn from experts, and grow into the kind of grandparents they want to be.”
“They want to model Jewish values and Jewish joy and maintain strong relationships with adult children and teen grandchildren.” – Debra Weinberg
Rabbi Samuel Klein, director of Jewish Engagement at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, Dr. Wendy Mogel, clinical psychologist and New York Times best-selling author, and moderator Julie Platt, Immediate Past Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) are leading the keynote panel, “How Grandparents Can Inspire, Nurture, and Model Jewish Belonging: The Delicate Dance Between the Generations.”
Other panels include, “Bridging the Gap: Navigating Differences in Values, Identity, and Worldview with Your Teen Grandkids with Drew Fidler, executive director of the BBYO Center for Adolescent Wellness, and Ian Kandel, BBYO’s senior vice president for Movement Building; “Hey, Grandpa, Do You Have a Minute?” Grandfathers’ Legacy of Time with Dr. Bruce Powell, author and Jewish day school leader and consultant, and Rabbi Dr. Ron Wolfson, Fingerhut Distinguished Professor of Education at American Jewish University and President of the Kripke Institute and the To Save One Life Foundation; and Making It Matter, Making It Yours: Simple Jewish Rituals for You and Your Grandchildren with Eileen Levinson, founder and executive director of Recustom.
Along with Learning Fest, the JGN produces the Regeneration Podcast, which dives into the rituals, stories, traditions, and connections that bring Jewish families together across generations, runs a 20,000-member strong Facebook group of grandparents, and provides webinars and holiday guides throughout the year.
Federations, synagogues, and JCCs in North America partner with the JGN as well. Partners for Learning Fest 2027 include JCC Association of North America, BBYO, Foundation for Jewish Camp, Jewish Federations of North America, PJ Library, and Women of Reform Judaism. Every partner receives session recordings and discussion prompts so that grandparents can get together online or locally and learn with each other.
“We know that grandfathers navigate different challenges than grandmothers, and that grandparents of mixed-heritage families deal with their own dynamics,” said Weinberg. “We’re not just opening the door to discuss these important issues. Grandparents will leave Learning Fest with concrete tools.”
Learning Fest is from 4:00 – 6:30ET on Wednesday, January 20, 2027. More information is at jewishgrandparentsnetwork.org/learningfest-2027.
