Family-friendly Creativity Workshop
Family Storytelling: Make a Book About it!
Photo by Deborah Cohan
Art workshop with educator and Olamim founder Ariela Ronay-Jinich
2:00 pm | Conference Room
Jewish Arts and Bookfest
Sunday, May 3, 2026
at UC Berkeley’s Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, 2121 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA
Presented in partnership with JCC East Bay and Olamim.
Did you know that family stories form a central part of children’s sense of identity, belonging, and resilience? For Jewish families weaving together various languages and cultures, this couldn’t be more important. Come get creative with Olamim as we learn accessible but very creative forms of bookmaking that bring your unique family stories to life, feature your family wisdom and humor, and bring the many parts of your family together!
Ages 5 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Limited to 10 parent/child pairs.
About Ariela Ronay-Jinich
Ariela Ronay-Jinich, MA.Ed. (she/her/ella) has dedicated two decades of experience as a founding director, lead educator and curriculum writer/content creator for multiple Bay Area educational initiatives (Olamim, Urban Adamah, Wilderness Torah, Edah, Shalom Explorers, Jewish Outside), leading thriving teams deliver innovative, high-quality Jewish learning programs and resources serving preschool-aged to college-aged youth, families, and educators. Her signature community and teacher development programs have centered language learning, culturally-responsive curriculum, nature-connection, and intergenerational learning.
Trained as a qualitative researcher, her recent research focuses on sociocultural approaches to Jewish education, including heritage language learning and intersectional identity among Latin Jewish families. As the Founder and Executive Director of Olamim-Latin Jewish Belonging for Families, Ariela transformed a six-family bilingual playgroup into a non-profit organization offering over 30 annual programs, serving over 7,500 participants and producing unique learning resources. Her published works on Latin Jewish identity can be found in the Journal of Jewish Education, the Peoplehood Papers, and various blogs.
Ariela has a B.A. in Education Studies from Brown University, and an MA.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Mills College (focus on early childhood education) and is a recipient of the Helen Diller Family Award for Excellence in Jewish Education (2015). She is also an alumna of various leadership institutes (Torah Trek, Kevah Teaching Fellowship, Bend the Arc Selah Leadership Program, Jewish Early Childhood Education Leadership Institute, Jewtina y Co. PUENTES Fellowship).
Ariela grew up in Mexico City, where her family is from, and lives in the Bay Area, California. She is proud to end each day with her daughter by saying the “Shema” and teaching her to be “chiquita pero picosa” (small but spicey, in Spanish). She also loves creative writing, praying in nature, and being joyful in community.
About Olamim
Olamim – Latin Jewish Belonging for Families brings Jewish learning, Spanish language and Latino culture to families through music and the arts, stories, and joyful connection. Our intergenerational programs and learning resources catalyze local leadership, drive educational innovation, bridge communities, and better serve the growing diversity of Jewish families.