From Montreal to Miami: A Journey Rooted in Jewish Education
Posted on 07/04/2025 @ 06:00 AM
By Audrey Maman Bensoussan, CAJE’s Director of Day School Programs and Services
When people ask what brought me to CAJE, I smile — because the real answer started decades ago and thousands of miles away.
I was born and raised in Montreal, Canada, the daughter of Moroccan immigrants who came to North America as teenagers — my father at 12, my mother at 14. They met on a Federation-led Israel trip and built a home deeply rooted in Jewish values, culture, and community.
My parents were, and still are, “community people” — always opening their hearts and home to others, always making sure Jewish life thrived around them.
My mother, in particular, is a fierce believer in the power of education, especially Jewish education.
Thanks to her, I attended Jewish day school from kindergarten through high school and eventually earned a B.A. in Translation with a specialization in medical translations.
In 2005, I got married, and a year later — eight months pregnant with our first child — my husband and I made the move from Montreal to Miami.
During those early years, I took on freelance translation work to help support our growing family while remaining at home with my young children.
But when my youngest turned 18 months, I felt ready to reenter the workforce more fully. That’s when I saw the opening at CAJE. I didn’t hesitate.
From the moment I was hired, I knew I had found more than a job — I had found my mission.
Jewish education is, and always has been, a non-negotiable in my life.
My husband and I have made countless sacrifices to ensure our children attend Jewish day schools, living paycheck to paycheck if necessary.
To now be part of an organization whose mission so clearly aligns with my core values is nothing short of a blessing.
As Director of Day School Programs and Services, I have the privilege of working every day to strengthen the ecosystem of Jewish day school education in Miami — a mission that not only benefits the broader community but also directly impacts the lives of my own four children and their peers.
While my remarkable colleagues, Valerie Mitrani and Julie Lambert, lead CAJE’s work in professional development for teachers and educational leaders, helping to shape high-quality instruction and build teacher capacity, my focus is on supporting the systems that surround those educators and students — building the collaborative networks, pipelines, and programs that sustain our schools over time.
I convene key initiatives like the Coalition of Miami Admissions Directors (CMAD), where we work together across schools to align admissions timelines and build a shared language of collaboration, not competition.
I’ll never forget during the 2023–2024 school year, when Israeli families began arriving in Miami after October 7th — many displaced, scared, and unsure of their next steps.
Within days, our network had built a shared spreadsheet and system to ensure that every single child found a place in a Jewish day school.
I remember one mother crying on the phone after I helped her get her three children placed, saying it was the first moment she felt safe since leaving Israel.
That’s when it hit me: this work isn’t abstract. It’s urgent. It’s human. It’s holy.
Another part of my work is convening our Mental Health Network, where school counselors and psychologists come together to learn, share, and support one another.
A few years ago, a school counselor told me she had been feeling overwhelmed and alone navigating a particularly complex student crisis.
After attending one of our network gatherings, this counselor was able to reach out to others, access a framework she hadn’t considered, and confidently present a new plan to her leadership.
“I felt like I had a team,” she later told me. And that’s exactly the point: CAJE creates community not only for students, but for the professionals who serve them.
I’m also proud to oversee the CAJE Jewish Day School Robotics Program, generously supported by the Eleanor M. and Herbert D. Katz Foundation.
This initiative brings 21st-century skills into Jewish classrooms — introducing students to coding, engineering, and robotics in a way that aligns with Jewish values, teamwork, and ethical inquiry.
Watching students collaborate, troubleshoot, and cheer each other on in a robotics competition — students who may not have otherwise found their “place” in a traditional classroom setting — is nothing short of magical.
And behind the scenes, I help our schools unlock vital federal Title funding, guiding administrators through often complex processes so that they can access professional development and resources tailored to their specific needs, amplifying impact and easing the financial burdens on schools trying to do their best for their students.
What keeps me at CAJE is not only the work, but the belief this organization has in me as a professional.
CAJE supported me in pursuing higher education, and I proudly graduated from the Spertus Institute with an Executive Master’s in Jewish Professional Studies — an experience that deepened my knowledge, sharpened my skills, and strengthened my dedication to Jewish education and community.
Looking back at the values my parents instilled in me — commitment to community, a love of Judaism, and the importance of education — I see my work at CAJE as a direct extension of their legacy.
It’s the bridge between where I came from and the future I hope to help build. I am grateful every day for the opportunity to help shape the future of Jewish education in Miami.
This work is more than a job to me — it’s a mission.
As you can see, at CAJE, my work is both deeply personal and communal. And I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
