The Jewish Identity Lab
A method for staying present and grounded as a Jewish person today.
Get in touchSee offerings– Brooke Schwartz, LCSW
Clinical Facilitator - Live Session, Jewish Identity Lab
The Cost Of Being Visibly Jewish Has Become Higher.
— Ruach, Jewish Identity Lab Participant
Our Core MissionWe give people the tools to remain calm under pressure, so they feel grounded enough to choose the safest, and most impactful response.
Using professional actors in bespoke encounters, The Boom Room simulates live and realistic high-pressure scenarios that Jewish people face today.
A Method Grounded In Science
The Body Learns
Because you're feeling what it's like to stay grounded when someone pushes back, that becomes memory your body can access later.
Greater Awareness
You’ll notice patterns: where you shut down, over-explain, become defensive, people-please, avoid conflict, or lose composure.
Safe Container
This is a safe place to explore your voice, make mistakes, and try something new. This builds the self-trust to handle whatever happens.
What a Jewish Identity Lab Looks Like
Each 3-hour session is conducted in three distinct parts, allowing maximum space for the integration of new skills and techniques.
The Warm Up
30 Minutes
Prime the body and mind for the simulation.
The Simulation
20-50 Minutes
An immersive encounter with a trained actor.
The Landing
45-60 Minutes
A deep conversation and integration of the experience.
Our Methodology Across Communities
Regardless of culture, profession, or context — participants report the same core shifts: pausing before reacting, recognizing their default patterns, and feeling more grounded under pressure.
Average self-rated communication confidence, before and after
Of participants are still using what they learned — months later
Rated overall experience 8 or higher out of 10
Lasting Effects Of The Jewish Identity Lab
Before the lab“I'd love to understand how best to navigate antisemitism in a grounded, calm and regulated way.”
After the lab“I felt really happy with how regulated I was able to be—to work through, logically, calmly, that interaction.”
Before the lab“I know I present like I have a strong voice, but in some ways I still have such thin skin about it.”
After the lab“I got reminded by the simulation that it is in me to hold true to myself in the face of other people like that.”
Before the lab“When I'm faced with these intense feelings of anxiety around this topic, I don't have the words all the time in the moment to respond the way I want to.”
After the lab“When I was asked directly [by the actor], I was like okay I don't have time to think... just trust myself. And I got to give a different viewpoint.”
The Benefit of Being Witnessed: Clinical Facilitator
Brooke Schwartz, LCSW
Columbia School of Social Work DBT Trained · Jewish Identity Lab Clinical Facilitator
A licensed professional guides participants through personal intention setting, then observes them during the simulation, reflecting back and validating what they just went through.
-Talia, Jewish Identity Lab Participant
Talia’s Story
“I was at a meeting with an important politician, who considers himself a Jewish ally but had some definite microaggressions that felt similar to our simulation.
The grounding exercises helped me really recenter myself.
Thinking about our conversations and the idea of allyship and coming forward as a group really helped me.
I definitely found The Jewish Identity Lab very impactful, more than I thought. I probably came in a little cynical and then the incident today really changed my mind.”
Who The Jewish Identity Lab Is For
Our Audience
- Campus Organizations
- Students
- Jewish Day School Staff
- Federations
- And More
This is for your organization if:
- Your community members ever replayed a conversation in their head and wished they’d said or done something differently.
- They’ve felt choiceless in their response to antisemitism or unable to stay present and recover when a conversation gets uncomfortable.
- They need a safe place to practice high-stakes interaction before needing it for real.
- They actively face hostility and want to strengthen their stance and remain more grounded.
What Our Simulations Can Do For Your Organization
Help leaders stand strong in their identity
“I said things differently. I made better arguments.”
— Tamara
Participant, The Hot Seat
Craft bespoke scenarios based on exact need and urgency
“This is the first time I've had this kind of discussion. It triggered me in all the right ways.”
— Iara
Participant, The Hot Seat
Build ritual and community
“The huge take home was the power of not being alone”
— Naomi
Participant, The Village
Three Distinct & Cohesive Offerings
The Village
Build resilience and reassurance of Jewish identity in a small group setting.
- 4 Participants, 1 Actor
- Clinically Facilitated
- Group Debrief & Individual Report
- 3-Hour Session
- 3-4 Intensity Level
The Hot Seat
Pressure-test beliefs with full 1:1 attention entirely focused on you.
- 1 Participant, 1 Actor
- Clinically Facilitated
- Individual Debrief & Report
- 30-Minute Simulation
- 8-9 Intensity Level
The Complete Experience
Combine the collective strength discovered in The Village with the individual courage tested in The Hot Seat.
- Two Encounters
- Full Integration
What You Get In A Jewish Identity Lab
Scenario Co-creation
Tailored encounters built from your specific needs.
Detailed Intake
Comprehensive questionnaires for case alignment.
Session Prep
Detailed participant guide before the session.
Dedicated Facilitator
Expert clinical oversight throughout the session.
Trained Actor
Actors specifically trained on your unique case.
Warm Up & Debrief
Protocols for emotional transition and safety.
Aftercare Support
Dedicated follow-up to integrate the experience.
Safety
The Jewish Identity lab is a high-intensity setting using behavioural exposure frameworks. Participant safety is paramount.
Participants carefully screened through detailed intake questionnaire.
Informed consent given and participants prepared appropriately.
Safe words allow participants to exit the simulation at any point.
We utilize Jewish actors and allies to ensure a container of internal community safety
Clinical Facilitator-observed sessions. Debriefs follow de-rolling protocols.
Recordings remain private unless explicit consent is given.
Why Us
- When Joe left his Jewish community for university, he entered a world where nobody had met a Jew before. For the first time, he wasn't sure whether to say who he was — or how. It was not the last.
- Julia has over a decade of experience in simulation-based health education for immersive, high-pressure scenarios. She’s committed to fostering strength and resilience in her two Jewish children.
- We created the practice space that didn't exist.
Joe Lawther & Julia Pileggi
Let’s Build Something Together.
Get in touch with us to discover the types of scenarios we can craft for your organization.
joe@theboomroomexperience.com julia@theboomroomexperience.com
With gratitude. The Boom Room Jewish Identity Lab was created in large part due to the generous folks who took the time to advise, consult, spread the word, and support this initiative.
Rabbi Seth Goren · Iara Barylko · Naomi Adams · Aidan Sank · Ruach Strub · Talia Dales · Brooke Schwartz · Tamara W. · Vancouver Talmud Torah School · Sam Goodman · Rena Cohen · Samahra Zatzman · Kristina Ruddick · Shaun Bernstein · Mia Hirchberg · Jessica Fleming · Levi Meir Clancy