Eliana Light Honored in New York City at 2023 Pomegranate Prize Event
excerpts from the Covenant Foundation press release
New York, NY – November 9, 2023 – Five emerging Jewish educators received the 2023 Pomegranate Prize today at a ceremony held at the Museum of Jewish Heritage- A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, in New York. The recipients join a cohort of 60 exceptional future leaders in the field of Jewish education.
The 2023 recipients are: Meg Adler, Associate Director of Bay Area Programs at Camp Tawonga, San Francisco, CA; Andrew Davies, Co-founder and Chief Improvising Officer of The Bible Players, Philadelphia, PA; Eliana Light, Founder and Head T’fillahsopher of The Light Lab, Durham, NC; Jory Hanselman Mayschak, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BaMidbar, Albuquerque, NM; and Yehudah Webster, Program Director and Faculty Member of The Inside Out Wisdom and Action (IOWA) Project at The Kirva Institute, Los Angeles, CA.
Make it stand out
The Pomegranate Prize is designed to honor emerging leaders who have been in the field of Jewish education for up to 10 years. Over a three-year period, each cohort has multiple opportunities to connect with thought leaders and extraordinary educators from across the spectrum of Jewish life. The Covenant Foundation aims to nurture Pomegranate Prize recipients in an intentional way, and empower them to take risks and make a difference in the field of Jewish education.
The Prize stands next to the Covenant Award, which, since 1991, has honored three outstanding Jewish educators each year for their impact on the field of Jewish education.
In addition to the Prize ceremony, this year’s event also included music by Batya Levine, accompanied by Mel Hsu, Arielle Korman, and Sam Weisenberg, and a conversation about family, work and creativity, featuring New York Times best-selling author Peggy Orenstein, in conversation with Sandee Brawarsky, a celebrated journalist and former Culture Editor at The New York Jewish Week.
“Celebrating these five rising stars in Jewish education with Pomegranate Prizes offers us a much needed moment of hope in a very dark time,” said Deborah Meyer, Board Chair of The Covenant Foundation.
“Learning about each of their creative tools of engagement, dedication to learners on the margins and in the center, fierce passion for equality and social justice, and equally deep passion for the spiritual aspects of Judaism, offers us a welcome reminder that there is light to be found amidst the darkness. We are so grateful to each of them for spreading their light, and for filling our cups with optimism.”
“The Pomegranate Prize recipients represent the next generation of leaders in Jewish education,” said Joni Blinderman, Executive Director of The Covenant Foundation. “They join a strong network of educators, all of whom are open to new ideas and perspectives and excited to learn with and from one another. Each year we are newly inspired as we see the ripple effects that this learning has on their practice in the field. We are so thrilled to have Meg, Andrew, Eliana, Jory and Yehudah join this remarkable cohort and take this journey with their peers.”
Eliana Light is working towards a world of One-ness, guided and inspired by Jewish heritage. She is the founder and Head T’fillahsopher of The Light Lab and the Co-Host of The Light Lab podcast. She is also a sought-after songwriter and performer of catchy, content-rich tunes for all ages and has put out four albums of original music, with one new one on the way. Eliana offers artist-in-residence weekends, learning, and professional development centered on making Jewish liturgy and prayer practice accessible and meaningful to all seekers. She received an M.A. in Experiential Jewish Education from The Jewish Theological Seminary as well as a B.A. in Sociology from Brandeis University. She earned a Certificate in Spiritual Entrepreneurship from the Glean Network’s START Fellowship and has appeared on The New York Jewish Week’s list of 36 Under 36. Eliana is based in Durham, NC, where she also serves as Artist-in-Residence at Beth El Synagogue.