Jewish Education Amidst Rising Antisemitism  volume 22:2 Winter 2024

Israel Education For Today’s Generation

by | Sep 19, 2024 | How to Teach Israel | 0 comments

Outlining the problem

For many educators, teaching about Israel has never been so challenging. The emotionally charged nature of the discussion, attitudes on Israel dovetailing with political affiliations, and educators’ fears of facing backlash from parents and the community, are all reasons for why teachers are reluctant to address Israel in the classroom.

This is further complicated when considering the generational gap surrounding Israel in our communities. While previous generations saw Israel as the country of miracles and the underdog in the Arab-Israeli conflict, many in the younger generation see Israel as the aggressor in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and feel conflicted over support for Israel.

It is also increasingly difficult to engage our students in constructive discussions around Israel when their model for dialogue is often the polarized world of social media.

How should educators approach teaching Israel and Zionism in a way that can appeal to today’s generation of students? Here, we explore five suggestions for how to lean into these challenges, bringing nuance and intentionality to your teaching, and connection and identity building to your students.

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1. Proactive Israel education

Our students need a deep understanding of Jewish and Israeli history in order to be able to tell Israel’s story. We’ve found often that when implementing pre-assessments in different Jewish day schools, students will rank extremely high on their connection with Israel, but then be unable to answer specific content questions, such as, “What is Zionism?” Our role is to bridge this gap between connection and content surrounding Israel. How many of our students have heard of the Titanic but not the Altalena? Can our students identify Gaza, the West Bank, and flashpoints in the north and south on a map of Israel?

In order for our young people to have serious conversations about Israel, they need to know its history. They need to know about the Jewish connection to the land of Israel, the different types of Zionism, and the different challenges Mizrahi Jews and other immigrant groups faced when immigrating to Israel and integrating into Israeli society. We need to highlight the debates of early Zionist leaders over the purpose of a Jewish state and demonstrate to our students how these discussions are still relevant today.

This requires a proactive approach to Israel education, setting aside time in our curriculum for serious Israel education, so that we are not reacting in moments of crisis to fill in gaps in our students’ knowledge but rather, putting in the work to cultivate a deep connection with Israel from the start. What are the most important Zionist moments that our students need to know? Who are the most important Zionist personalities and thinkers that they should be familiar with? Let’s take the time to intentionally think about what we want our students to know, feel, and be able to do regarding Israel.

2. Sharing multiple narratives

Many Jewish day school alumni have felt deeply frustrated with their Israel education, finding it overly simplistic and failing to portray an accurate representation of the complex reality in Israel today. While Israel education must include celebrating Israel’s achievements, this should not come at the expense of debate and critical thinking around nuanced issues in Israel’s history and society today.

While our students should learn about and celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut as one of the most inspiring moments in Jewish history, it’s also important for them to understand that Palestinians view Israel’s establishment as the Nakba (Catastrophe). When discussing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, students should be aware of how both Israelis and Palestinians view each other as peace partners and the complexities that exist within each population. Israel educators must not only teach students that Jews are indigenous to the Land of Israel, but that both Israelis and Palestinians claim the same geographic area as their homeland.

By incorporating more balanced and honest discussions about Israel’s challenges and realities, Israel educators can foster a more robust understanding and appreciation of Israel. Such an approach not only prevents feelings of betrayal when they encounter opposing views or contradicting evidence on social media or on university campuses but also deepens their connection and love for Israel, recognizing its strengths and acknowledging its struggles.

Modeling skills with our students, such as learning to ask, “is this telling the whole story,” distinguishing between narrative and fact, acknowledging our bias and recognizing it with others, and cultivating empathy are crucial to preparing them for the discourse they will encounter in the future.

3. Taking a Mikraot Gedolot approach

Our colleague, Dr. Noam Weissman, makes the argument for a Mikraot Gedolot” approach to Israel education. Just as a volume of Mikraot Gedolot contains a wide range of different biblical commentators with diverse opinions, a similar model should be applied to Israel education.

The Mikraot Gedolot approach includes a diversity of perspectives, presenting that there are rarely only “two sides of a coin” for any complex issue. This approach recognizes that we cannot leave out the perspectives that challenge us.

Giving our students the opportunity to develop and share an opinion on the debates taking place throughout Israeli society on issues related to Zionism, the conflict, religion and state, and Israel’s future is a great tool.

Educators should teach their students the perspectives of diverse thinkers, historians, and academics across Israeli society. Teach about the diversity of Zionist thought, including Theodor Herzl’s Political Zionism, Ze’ev Jabotinsky’s Revisionist Zionism, Rav Kook’s Religious Zionism, and Ahad Ha’am’s Cultural Zionism.

Teachers can also share the vast range of opinions that exist within Israeli society surrounding current events in Israel. Should Israel prioritize the destruction of Hamas or the return of the hostages? Should the IDF forcibly enlist Haredi Israelis or work together with the Haredi community to find a compromise? Are targeted assassinations an effective tool to combat terror or do they only enlarge the conflict?

Through focusing on Israeli internal issues, students will appreciate the range of perspectives that exist within Israeli society, and that all of these are included under the umbrella of Zionism. By exposing our students to how modern Israeli thinkers and intellectuals such as Micah Goodman, Yossi Klein HaLevi, Einat Wilf, and Ruth Calderon disagree about the identity and future of the Jewish state, we empower our students to develop their own opinions on these crucial issues.

Finally, what a Mikraot Gedolot approach looks like will be different for every school. Each school will have its own comfort level surrounding the discourse around Israel and which perspectives fall within the bounds of the Zionist debate or cross the school’s red lines.

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4. Modeling Difficult Conversations

Conversations aren’t the same as they used to be. In our current hyper-polarized and hyper-siloed political atmosphere, we need to actually teach our students how to listen and speak with each other.

In order to ensure that our students feel that they have a voice and are respected for their different viewpoints, we need to set appropriate group norms that encourage good-faith conversations and empathy. We need to model how to have difficult conversations while demonstrating how to disagree strongly but respectfully.

Instead of reasoning looking like defensive combat, it should look more like mapmaking. That means that when someone makes a point that indicates that we may be wrong, we should not interpret that as suffering a defeat, but rather, that we need to revise our map. Instead of seeking out evidence to fortify and defend our preconceived notions and beliefs, let’s seek out evidence to ensure that our map is more accurate, to seek for truth, and to lead with curiosity. Giving students the tools to be able to have these courageous conversations which showcase the complexity taking place in Israel ultimately gives them more of a voice at the table. Ultimately, this empowers our students to further strengthen their connection with their homeland, irrespective of their political leanings.

5. Teacher training and support

Finally, in order to achieve these goals, schools need to take steps to support educators teaching about Israel. Educators are often hesitant about implementing a more nuanced approach, out of fear that opening up complex discussions about Israel could lead students to turn away from Israel and Zionism.

Educators may feel vulnerable not knowing what to do when a student shares an opinion questioning Israel’s actions or legitimacy. Teachers may also be nervous about possible repercussions from parents and administrators.

To address these concerns, educators can learn from alumni about how these types of conversations help prepare them for encountering the “real” Israel, embracing both Israel’s strengths and flaws, which ultimately strengthens their relationship with the Jewish state.

Additionally, schools must recognize that not every teacher is comfortable leading nuanced class discussions. Many teachers would benefit from training, good mentorship, high-quality resources, and access to a larger community of Israel educators grappling with the same issues. Having a peer group to turn to for brainstorming challenges, designing lessons, and hearing different approaches to teaching Israel is essential to educator success.

Finally, more effort should be made to convene Israel educators together in larger gatherings and conferences around teaching Israel. By bringing educators together to hear from experts in the field and collaborate with each other, they will leave reinspired about why they teach about Israel and equipped with the tools they need to succeed. This will do wonders to infuse energy and excitement back into our schools around Israel education.

It’s important that we all remember that we are not alone during these unprecedented times, and it’s more imperative than ever to proudly lean on each other to share our story of faith, hope, and resilience.

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Sarah Gordon is the Senior Director of Israel Education – AMER for Unpacked for Educators, a division of OpenDor Media. Previously, Sarah served as the Director of Israel Guidance and Experiential Education at Ma’ayanot High School (NJ). Sarah holds dual masters degrees in Jewish Education and Modern Jewish History from Yeshiva University, where she is currently pursuing her Ed.D as a Wexner Fellow and Davidson Scholar.
Avi Posen is the Senior Director of Israel Education – EMEA at Unpacked for Educators, a division of OpenDor Media. His focus is on curriculum building and training Jewish educators around the world on Israel education. Avi has worked as a Judaic Studies teacher, Hillel Director, and Jewish camp director. He holds a Masters in Jewish Education from Yeshiva University.
FROM THE EDITOR: Fall 2024

FROM THE EDITOR: Fall 2024

It feels pretentious and premature to be talking about retooling education about Israel. The war is not over, the wounds are still fresh, barely a year has passed since that awful day, there are thousands of children-parents-loved ones still in active combat and separated from their families for months at a time, many of the hostages are still in captivity, the campuses are reeling, the internal divisions in Israel are deepening rather than abating, and the landscape of the Jewish world is muddled at best as the aftershocks of the earthquake still rattle us. And yet, we dare to think that we have something meaningful to contribute as to how to teach about Israel. It is fair to say that everything written in this journal is written with the awareness that when the dust settles, we may need to re-examine everything all over again.

The Story of the Ever-Living People

The Story of the Ever-Living People

As a preface, I believe that we are all experiencing a revolutionary moment in the evolution of the Jewish people. By that, I mean that while the evolution of the Jewish people remains a constant, we are nonetheless at the forefront of a moment of awareness—of what in Judaism is known as she’at ratzon—a moment of willingness among Jews that is unprecedented in modern Jewish history. That, in and of itself, should raise for us a great call for action as educators and as people who work on behalf of the Jewish community in charting a path for our envisioned trajectory.

Knowledge and Identity: An Interview with Natan Kapustin

Knowledge and Identity: An Interview with Natan Kapustin

I would identify two very different kinds of Israel education that we do. The one that I will not speak about much is what I might call the reactive component. When things happen in or related to Israel, we need to address them. And we do that in a variety of ways. We have speakers come in, debriefing sessions with our students, Town Halls dedicated to open discussions about Israel, special tefillot, etc. This past year, post-October 7th, we were particularly intense in the reactive programming, and it is hard to know what this next year will bring. But none of this has affected what we have been doing in our core Israel education programming.

The Times They Are A’changin…

The Times They Are A’changin…

When I began my work in Jewish education at the Park Avenue Synagogue High School in September of 1967 it was, as some will remember, a tumultuous time. In the Jewish world, the Six-Day War gave a sense of elation (albeit very temporary as we have seen for many decades) and America was filled with social and political crises. Our afterschool and weekend program quickly became a magnet for Jewish and even non-Jewish teenagers from across the Upper East and West sides of Manhattan. Feeling the absence of the “international” (Jewish and beyond) in my own education and seeking to emphasize and expand it in that of my students, we quickly added international travel during summer and mid-year vacations as a key part of our curriculum, and within a decade we were traveling into the Arab world. We began with Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt, and in the summer of 1978, our students had a historic private audience with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat even before Camp David.

Developing Students’ Capacity to Engage in Productive Dialog about Israel

Developing Students’ Capacity to Engage in Productive Dialog about Israel

In April 2023, David Bryfman and Barry Chazan wrote: “Today the issues of identity and Jewish identity not only have lots to do with Israel, but also the connection between Israel and Jewish identity may be one of the most significant developments for Jewish identity, life, and education that we have known.” In other words, Jewish identity is intertwined with Israel in ways that have never before been true. This sentiment and understanding have shaped and guided our school’s recent thinking about Israel education.

Israel Front and Center: Developing a Curriculum on Am and Medinat Yisrael

Israel Front and Center: Developing a Curriculum on Am and Medinat Yisrael

Sitting in my 12th grade Modern Israel class, one of my students raised her hand and asked “why haven’t we learned anything about Israel in History classes since 10th grade?” While I began to explain the sequence of the History curriculum, where students learn Zionism and the history of Israel in 10th and 12th grade, I realized that students learn about Israel in multiple subjects and in co-curricular activities throughout their four years of high school. I pointed out that the 11th grade Hebrew curriculum offers a range of readings and discussions on early Zionist thinkers and Israeli literary figures, many of whom students engaged with, albeit from a historical perspective, in their 10th grade History classes.

Learning from Children’s Ideas about October 7th and the Israel-Hamas War

Learning from Children’s Ideas about October 7th and the Israel-Hamas War

Day school teacher Mr. Berkman is a proud long-time Jewish educator, but only recently has he also come to see himself as an Israel educator. “In October,” he explains, “I joined every other Jewish educator in the world in realizing, wait, I have to teach Israel now. But how?” Ms. Baghai, a general studies teacher at a different Jewish day school, has also had to rethink her teaching in the wake of October 7th. “How much do we talk about it and learn about it? How deep do we go? How much do I share?” she wonders.

Finding the Balance: The Synergy of Nuance, Critical Thinking, and Ahavat Yisrael

Finding the Balance: The Synergy of Nuance, Critical Thinking, and Ahavat Yisrael

We get off the bus for a quick stop on our first day of Derech l’Lev, our 8th-grade Israel experience. There is an electric energy as our two busloads of students and chaperones embark on this much-anticipated, two-week journey to Israel. I turn to one of my students: “So Sarah, what do you think? What are your first impressions of Israel?” Her face lights up. “I can’t explain it,” she says. “It’s all so familiar even though it’s my first time here. I just feel like I belong, like I’m home. I love this country!”

Teaching about Israel’s Many Complexities with Confidence, Competence, and Courage

Teaching about Israel’s Many Complexities with Confidence, Competence, and Courage

Jewish educators have long been successful at instilling a love of Israel in their learners by providing opportunities to engage with the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and vibrancy of the country and its people in an ongoing way. Many settings culminate their Israel educational programs by visiting Israel, an experience designed to further deepen learners’ relationships with the people, land, and State of Israel. These varied modalities and content areas all are critical tools for achieving our collective goal of fostering a deep connection and commitment to Israel and the Jewish people.

“History of Israel” as History

“History of Israel” as History

As the years continue, Israel education now necessarily includes the history of Medinat Yisrael as a larger component than it has in the past. Young students have no memories of the major events in the history of the state, and as time passes, more information, stories, and significant events must be learned in order for students to be able to understand deeply what Israel represents and how its past informs its present. Language, culture, and geography are no longer sufficient for a well-crafted Israel education program.

Israel Education in a Post October 7th World

Israel Education in a Post October 7th World

Is being pro-Israel the same as being Zionist? Is the call of the hour advocacy training or education? As Israel educators with decades of experience between us, October 7th forced us to take a hard look at what we teach, and how we teach it. We’ve taught American high school students, Masa gap year and Yeshiva/Seminary students, and visiting college students. We certainly weren’t prepared for this traumatic war, but we will argue that an authentic, classic Zionist approach to Israel education makes more sense now than ever.

Cultivating Respect in Teaching the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Cultivating Respect in Teaching the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Being a Jewish History teacher in a pluralistic Jewish day school, I often find myself up against the question of how we apply the principles of pluralism to the teaching of Israel, and especially the teaching of the “Conflict.” Given that Jewish identity and religious expression are tied to Israel, it is important to help guide students through the fraught path of figuring out the relationship between their emotional connections and the political and social responses to the academic study of Israel. But, just as we set out guideposts for the limits of pluralism, it is important to craft boundaries of what is acceptable within our classroom environment. Key to this challenge is helping students understand their identities and how this sense of self shapes the way that student views the historical realities behind these conflicts.

Middle School Israel Advocacy

Middle School Israel Advocacy

Yavneh Academy, in Paramus, New Jersey, is a Modern Orthodox, staunchly Zionist, preK-8 Jewish day school. Its mission statement includes: “Establishing the centrality of the State of Israel in the life of our school and in the lives of our children and imbuing each child with a connection to the State of Israel as an essential part of his/her identity.” Yavneh has always held true to its mission statement. It has seamlessly woven the study of Israel into much of its curriculum. Students learn Hebrew in every grade, including pre-K. They are exposed to Judaic texts and maps to connect history to the present-day land.

A Shared Student and Teacher Approach at Learning About Israel

A Shared Student and Teacher Approach at Learning About Israel

The first aspect of helping my students this year was to create a safe, open, and accepting environment in the classroom to allow students to share their fears, questions, and thoughts. I have learned over many years of teaching that students desire to be heard and validated. They are seeking to be heard, much more than they are seeking actual answers to their thoughts and (philosophical) questions. I have learned over the years to listen and understand them.

Preparing Students For Their Encounter With Broader Society

Preparing Students For Their Encounter With Broader Society

Long before October 7th, as a teacher with a Social Studies background, I have been working with my administration team and the Center for Israel Education to revamp our Israel curriculum. My instinct was to bring Israel education from a place of chronological progression of events to finding touch points with other historical events outside of our people and land, helping to anchor historical periods in students’ minds. This approach mixed with modern culture and current events, should give students a broad and basic foundation of understanding that culminates in our annual 8th grade trip to Israel.

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Caring For Our Students & Ourselves In The Face Of Antisemitism

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