(Courtesy of JEP) The Jewish Education Project, an organization dedicated to inspiring and empowering educators to create transformative Jewish experiences, today announced the five recipients of the 2023 Robert M. Sherman Young Pioneers Award. Named for the former CEO Robert M. Sherman and launched in 2012, this award has recognized over 40 Jewish educators from greater New York that push the boundaries in Jewish education.

“Each of these inspiring educators has made a significant impact on the communities they serve through their inspiration, innovation, and creative influences on Jewish education,” said David Bryfman, CEO of The Jewish Education Project. “We believe it is essential to celebrate these individuals for the enormous contributions and inspiration they provide to our communities, families and students.”

Yali Szulanski, the youth director of The Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, is one of the 2023 Young Pioneers Award recipients. Szulanski is an educational wellness consultant, teacher and writer. She is a rabbinical student at Yeshivat Maharat. She is also the founder of The “I Am’’ Project/ The Neshima Initiative, through which she integrates emotional wellness practices in schools, camps, and Jewish organizations. She works with individuals, families and communities to create a shared language of emotional wellness and spiritual fortitude. Szulanski’s vision is to create healing, inclusive and evolving spaces that foster individual and community growth. She lives, teaches, works and learns joyfully in Riverdale with her family.