Monday, October 26, 2026, at Temple Emanu-El in New York City
Amid growing concerns about the future of education and the ways artificial intelligence is changing how children learn and engage with the world, Jewish educators are exploring how AI can improve learning outcomes and what its use means for the traditions and sense of identity they help pass on.
These questions were at the heart of Jewish Futures 2026, a conference organized by The Jewish Education Project and held on Monday at Temple Emanu-El in New York City.
How Video Games Can Support Learning
How many times have parents heard their children plead for just one more minute of playing video games, even after spending hours glued to a screen? But what makes these games so difficult to walk away from?
Sam Glassenberg, a video game developer who jokingly described himself as a “dopamine dealer,” offered a scientific explanation for why video games can be so difficult to put down. Using the popular mobile game Angry Birds as an example, he explained how game designers use challenges, rewards, and immediate feedback to keep players engaged. He argued that the same techniques that make video games so compelling could also change the way children learn. For Glassenberg, games offer children a chance to make decisions, experiment with different approaches, and discover how complex systems work, whether they are building bridges or managing a city.
“Games treat these things not as facts to be memorized, but as systems to understand and play with,” he said.
However, unlike traditional classroom exercises, where mistakes are often seen as something to avoid, video games encourage players to keep trying. Immediate feedback after an unsuccessful attempt allows players to adjust their strategies and improve their performance. In this way, the learning process becomes part of the experience itself, rather than simply a means of reaching the correct answer.
Glassenberg believes this playful approach to learning can also be applied to more serious fields, including medicine.
Over the past decade, he has helped develop video games used by medical professionals around the world, showing how interactive experiences can help people navigate unfamiliar situations and understand complex treatment processes through hands-on learning.
One example is a game designed to help children in a pediatric burn unit understand medical procedures. Resembling the popular Roblox game Adopt Me, it features around 40 mini-games that introduce patients to activities such as showering and bandaging, helping them better understand what to expect during their treatment.
New Ways to Explore Jewish History and Identity
Video games, however, are only part of Glassenberg’s vision for the future of learning. He also sees AI as a powerful tool for exploring Jewish heritage and deepening connections to cultural identity.
During his presentation, Glassenberg described how AI agents helped him examine the Cairo Geniza, a collection of centuries-old Jewish manuscripts written in different languages. Research that once required specialized knowledge and considerable time can now be carried out more quickly with the help of AI. For instance, he described how an AI agent discovered a roughly 1,000-year-old diabetes treatment regimen written in Judeo-Arabic, which he then used AI to translate.
For Glassenberg, the example demonstrated how AI could make historical knowledge more accessible and encourage people to explore their heritage in new ways.
“You just have to play with it,” he told the audience.
Despite the uncertainties surrounding the future of AI, Glassenberg encouraged educators to embrace new technologies and challenge young learners to explore complex ideas.
He believes that preparing the next generation is not only about teaching children to navigate a rapidly changing world, but also about giving them new ways to explore their history and connect with their heritage.
“The games they play are already pushing their brains to their limits, and you should too,” he told educators.
