Jonathan Shmidt Chapman is passionate about reimagining Jewish education for children through the performing arts, creative play, and multi-sensory engagement. He has launched a number of projects that aim to transform Jewish engagement in early childhood, including K’ilu Kits, audio adventures that bring Jewish holiday stories to life at home, and Play-Along Parsha, a weekly play guide for 3 to 6 year olds and their families to explore the Torah portion. He is also the founding project director of Aggadah Adventures at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, a Covenant Foundation-supported program that brings Jewish stories to life through live, multi-sensory theater for 2 to 6 year olds. He is the recipient of The Jewish Education Project's 2020 Young Pioneers Award, which recognizes innovation in Jewish Education.

Outside of his work in the Jewish community, Jonathan is a nationally-recognized leader in the field of Theatre for Young Audiences. He serves as the Executive Director of TYA/USA, the national organization representing the field of children’s theatre. He has created and directed new theatrical work for Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, The Kennedy Center, and Seattle Children’s Theatre. He lives in New York with his husband and their 4 year old.