An Afternoon of Learning on Jewish Text, Constructive Disagreement & Healthy Masculinity
Sunday, February 7th, 2027 | Sutton Place Synagogue, NYC
For over a decade, the loudest voices defining what it means to be a man have come from the Manosphere — an online culture of toxic masculinity, misogyny, and radicalization, often laced with antisemitism. Man Enough is our answer: a day of Jewish text study, real conversation skills, and a community panel that gives boys, girls who care about the boys in their lives, families raising boys, and the adults who care about healthy boys a deeper, sturdier model of manhood than the internet is currently offering.
Open to all - not appropriate for children under 5th grade, given the day's content.
Featured Panelists
Learning Sessions
This is not a lecture about what not to do, but a real dig into what Jewish text and Jewish values actually say about strength, leadership, anger, friendship, and being a man.
Every session is going to ask you to disagree — with the text, with each other, sometimes with yourself.
Community Panel
Featuring panelists who exemplify healthy masculinity and can speak to what it means to be a man in a way that goes deeper than just being a "mensch."
Bringing the text learning to real life. Panelists to be announced soon!
SCHEDULE
2:00 PM Doors Open & Registration, Snacks
2:30-3:00 PM Welcome & Framing
3:00-4:00 PM Class Rotation I — choose one of three sessions
4:00-5:00 PM Class Rotation II — choose one of three sessions
5:00 PM Break/Meal
5:45-7:00 PM Community Panel Discussion — open to all
More information coming soon…
Learning Session I Options:
Breaking Down the Manosphere
Naming the rhetorical patterns of online "alpha" culture — and practicing a Jewish, non-combative alternative.
Moral Foundations & the Masculinity Values Map
Why do good people land on such different ideas of manhood? A hands-on look at the values underneath the disagreement.
Led by Danny Swersky, award-winning educator.
Anger & the Space Between Stimulus and Response
Even Moses lost clarity to anger — three times. A practical, repeatable tool for the pause before you act.
Learning Session II Options:
Moses, The Reluctant Leader
Was Moses's admission that he couldn't carry it all alone a strength, or a failure? A live text debate on what leadership costs.
Brothers, Not Rivals
What does healthy male friendship require? A look at loyalty and sacrifice, paired with a practice in real listening.
He Who Weeps
Four men of Tanakh — a patriarch, a fugitive, a viceroy, a king — all cry, for four different reasons. Is there one "right way" to show emotion, or does strength include knowing which moment calls for which response?
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Michael Valdes is a New York–based actor, singer, writer, theatre-maker, and multidisciplinary storyteller creating work across performance, writing, and digital media. A Cuban-Iranian Jewish American originally from Long Island, his work explores identity, belonging, culture, memory, and the complicated ways people understand one another. Michael is the founder of Hot Jewish Media and creator and host of Hot Jewish Energy, a digital platform exploring “pop culture through a Jewish lens” through cultural commentary, original storytelling, interviews, and podcasting. His work includes ANEMONE, his bilingual English-Hebrew play exploring friendship, Jewish and Israeli identity, grief, and belonging in the aftermath of October 7, as well as writing, speaking, performance, and digital storytelling throughout the Jewish community. Across mediums, Michael approaches complex conversations with curiosity, vulnerability, humor, and a willingness to embrace contradiction.
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Adam Teitelbaum founded Level III Industries to uplift Torah wisdom and Jewish ritual as the foundation for fatherhood after directing programs at Alpha Epsilon Pi, AIPAC, and the Jewish Federations of North America. He is a proud husband and the father of two boys.
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Bio coming soon!
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Bio coming soon!
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Bio coming soon!
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Seth Golob is thrilled to be part of the SPS team and community as the Director of the Jackson Religious School and Family Engagement.
Under Seth’s leadership, the religious school defies national trends and grows in numbers and engagement. His out of the box thinking changes the culture of Jewish education in the community. Blending Jewish values, practicality, experiential learning, and innovation have been the “secret sauce” to Seth’s success.
His writing and educational projects have been featured in Good Morning America, The Wall Street Journal, ABC News, The Jewish Education Project, The Smithsonian, Exploring Judaism, and FJMC’s Gesher Magazine.
Seth was named one of USY Alumni’s 36 Under 36 in 2024 and is a Senior Educators Learning Fellow in Cohort 6 at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. His proudest moments are raising two children with his wife, Sophie.
Thank You to our Sponsors & Partners!
Interested in being a sponsor & partner? Contact us!