"Americans, Jewish and otherwise, have long gone to Israel to learn about Judaism. But now many are going to learn about learning.
In recent years, American educators have had growing opportunities to gain a window into the Israeli education system. The programs have somewhat different aims, but all foster a dialogue between educators from Israel and the United States - two countries that have similar struggles with issues of poverty, diversity and exclusion. A concurrent aim is to provide a more nuanced view of Israel to Americans, one that is neither hypercritical nor overly forgiving.
One such program is Kesher Hadash, or 'New Connections,' a semester in Israel offered by the Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Kesher Hadash, which started this past spring, arranges a remarkably wide range of encounters for future Jewish educators, from meetings with settlers to visits with Palestinians. Students also visit local schools, study Israeli curricula and take 'Diversity in Israeli Society,' a workshop attended by Jewish and Arab Israelis."
Continue reading "Bringing Israeli Education Home" in The Jewish Daily Forward.