Rabba Yaffa Epstein is the senior scholar and educator in residence at The Jewish Education Project, where she has worked since 2022. In this capacity, she provides Jewish textual guidance and support both to colleagues at the agency and to Jewish educators in the field by developing innovative educational programs and trainings to deepen Jewish textual knowledge and experience. She also works with Jewish educators in the K-12 part-time Jewish educational space to help them create new programs and enhance their own knowledge.

At The Jewish Education Project, Epstein also created the Deep Rich Jewish Content Practitioner Think Tank, which gathers practitioners in part-time Jewish educational spaces who excel in bringing deep Jewish content to their students. Together, these practitioners consider how the field might utilize their methodologies to expand Jewish content and elevate Jewish education. Rabba Epstein earned rabbinic ordination in 2015 from Yeshivat Maharat.

“Yaffa is a true teacher’s teacher, and her students—professional educators, lay leaders, and community members at large—are transformed by her teaching and presence,” said Dr. David Bryfman, CEO of The Jewish Education Project, who nominated Rabba Epstein for the Award.
“With her characteristic wisdom and warmth, she makes Torah and Jewish learning accessible and relevant. Her generosity of spirit, inclusive nature, and deep commitment to truth and justice are just a few of the traits that distinguish her.”

“Being recognized with a Covenant Award is a testament to our shared belief that deep, rich, Jewish learning can transform our students, our communities, and our world,” Epstein said, upon learning that she had been selected for a 2024 Award.

“I am honored and deeply humbled to receive this Award, and incredibly grateful to be a part of the holy work of Jewish education. We are in a time of immense loss, pain, and divisiveness for the Jewish people, and there is nothing more powerful than Torah to inspire us, help us to build bridges, and allow us to heal.”