Mazel Tov to Dr. Keren Fraiman, CJDS Parent and Dean and Chief Academic Officer at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership, for receiving the 2025 Ilia Salita Excellence in Research Award at the Jewish Funders Network International Conference. The conference, held last weekend in Nashville, is recognized as the premier event in Jewish philanthropy in which hundreds of funders and foundation professionals come together.

Led by Dr. Fraiman, the research project "Barriers to Entry: Exploring Educator Reticence for Engaging with the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict" is recognized for its critical contributions to understanding and addressing challenges in Jewish education. According to the Jewish Funders Network, the research "sheds light on the complexities educators face when teaching about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Through a mixed-methods approach involving workshops and interviews with experienced educators, she identified key barriers—including knowledge gaps, emotional challenges, pedagogical hurdles, and communal pressures. Her findings offer actionable strategies to support educators in navigating these obstacles with confidence, an area of increasing urgency following the events of October 7, 2023."

We are beyond proud of Keren for her important work that led to this well-deserved award.