Jay Goldmintz, Author at The Lookstein Center

The Courage to Ask

by Jay Goldmintz | Oct 18, 2026 | Educating Towards Faith (Fall 2026)

An eleventh grader this year wrote about her faith in the wake of October 7th:

In the weeks following…, I found it challenging to believe in a G-d that could allow such horrors to be done to humans, especially His chosen people…. I found myself wondering, “How could a merciful G-d put us in this world knowing the immense suffering that would ensue?” He is supposed to be looking out for us and protecting us…Eventually, my doubts started spreading into other areas of my life. Brachot lost their meaning, teffilot seemed to have lost their power, and motivation for some mitzvot completely disappeared. My day-to-day life lost its “light” without the meaning or motivation to guide me through my days.

Lev HaShavua: Interpersonal Gateway to Religious Experience

by Jay Goldmintz | May 3, 2023 | Cultivating Jewish Spirituality

I come into class and students have already set up the desks in a circle. I take my place, as much as a participant as the teacher, and, on cue, each of us in turn shares their mispar nokhehut, a number from one to ten that captures our presence at that moment. I take mental note of those whose number is particularly low or unusually high or very different than the previous week. In the course of a minute or two, I have my hand on the pulse of the class and how much they are present with me. I share my number with them so that they can measure my presence as well.

Bringing Learning to the Inner Core

by Jay Goldmintz | Mar 7, 2021 | Meaning-Making in Jewish Education

Some years ago I distributed a page to one of my classes with pictures of various traffic signs and asked students to pick the one that best represented their current religious journey. One student’s response particularly resonated with me. She chose several speed-limit signs that were above the legal limit and then wrote: “On the road, for many, the goal is to reach your destination in the fastest, most efﬁcient way possible. For example, learn the text in the curriculum, learn the three planned commentaries, only ask lack of comprehension questions, and move on. But what about the WHY’s, the slowing down from time to time, the reﬂecting, and enjoying the view?”

On Becoming a Tefillah Educator

by Jay Goldmintz | Oct 15, 2017 | Tefillah - Fall 2017

Jay Goldmintz suggests that the tefillah component of the school day should receive as much attention and preparation as any other class. I myself often feel that tefillah is the most exhausting part of my day… I desperately seek the goal…of creating a space where...

The Art of Tefillah

by Jay Goldmintz | Feb 15, 2007 | Search for Spirituality (Winter 2007)

Jay Goldmintz is Headmaster of Ramaz Upper School in New York City where he initiated and conducts the annual Senior Experience to Poland and Israel. He has written extensively on issues related to formal and informal curriculum and, most recently, on religious...

The Post-High School Yeshiva Experience in Israel: Goals and Benefits

by Jay Goldmintz | Jan 22, 2003 | Resource

This article originally appeared in Ten Da’at. Republished with permission of the author. The following was presented at a meeting of the Educational Liaison Committee of the Ramaz School, New York City. The purpose of this presentation is to articulate,...

The Mitzvah of "Hakhel"

by Jay Goldmintz | Sep 12, 2001 | Resource

Prepared by: Rabbi Jay Goldmintz Edited by: Dr. Moshe Sokolow Sources דברים לא:ט-יג משנה סוטה ז:ה בבלי סוטה לב ע"ב ספרי דברים יז:יח ספר החינוך מצוה תרי"ב רמב"ם, משנה תורה, הלכות חגיגה פרק ג' רמב"ם, ספר המצוות, מצות עשה טז אנציקלופדיה תלמודית כרך י' עמ' תמג-תנב הרב ש"י...