Transformimg Jewish Lives
Inclusion: Webinar PowerPoint Presentations
On November 29, 2010 Grsinpoon-Steinhardt Awards winners participated on a webinar discussing inclusion. They looked at the philosophy and goals of inclusion with Dr. Aryeh Davidson of the Jewish Theological Seminary. Dori Frumin Kirshner of Matan then presented the what and how of inclusion for students with special needs. Both presentations were detailed, interesting and informative. Their PowerPoint presentations are available below. View the webinar here.
Aryeh Davidson PowerPoint (153.24 kB) Dr. Davidson can be reached for follow-up questions at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Dori Frumin Kirshner PowerPoint (386.58 kB)Dori can be reached for follow-up questions at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Food for Thought
What is your educational belief and does inclusion fit into that belief? How does this translate into your classroom practice? Has anything from these two PowerPoints sparked a thought or alteration to your belief or practice?The Presenters:
Dr. Aryeh Davidson is Assistant Professor of Jewish Education at The Jewish Theological Seminary. Dr. Davidson, a member of the JTS faculty since 1983, is the founder and former dean of the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education, established in 1996. Dr. Davidson has extensive experience in both Jewish and general education, as a classroom teacher and administrator, in both formal and informal educational settings. Dr. Davidson earned his master's degree and doctorate from Columbia University in Special Education and Developmental Psychology. Prior to beginning a career in Jewish education, Dr. Davidson served on the faculty of Teacher's College, Columbia University, where he directed the teacher-training program for children with emotional and behavioral disorders. Working closely with the New York City public schools, he played a key role in designing professional development programs in the areas of multiculturalism and special education in the 1970s. In 1980, he was appointed director of clinical staff development for the New York City Board of Education. The recipient of numerous grants and fellowships, Dr. Davidson was a Jerusalem Fellow in 1987 through 1988. He has been a visiting faculty member at Teachers College, Columbia University; Auburn Theological Seminary; the City University of New York; and Stanford University. Dr. Davidson served as principal of the Rebecca and Israel Ivry Prozdor High School adn is the founder of Tikvah, a program for adolescents with learning disabilities at a camp in Northern Wisconsin. 
Dori Frumin Kirshner is currently the Executive Director of Matan. Prior to joining the Matan team, Dori was at UJA-Federation of New York for seven years, in both planning as well as funding capacities. Dori served as the Director of The Jewish Leadership Forum, a department which seeks to cultivate and engage the "next generation" of philanthropic leaders, raising $3 million annually from fewer than eighty donors. Dori began her professional career at the Solomon Schechter School of Manhattan as a bi-lingual educator (Hebrew and English), upon completion of her MA in Education from The Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Dori received her BA in sociology and Judaic studies from Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Dori is married to Rabbi David-Seth Kirshner and lives in NJ with her husband and two children.