REIMAGINING ISRAEL EDUCATION: 6 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CATALYZING A NEW ERA

By Lisa Eisen

In eJewishPhilanthropy’s exclusive opinion column The 501(C) Suite, leading foundation executives share what they are working on and thinking about with the wider philanthropic field. 

You are a young student, and you walk into your campus Hillel for a briefing on recent Israeli elections. You see your friends from class and people you recognize from the local community. The briefing begins, and you are immediately impressed by the facilitator’s energy. They are welcoming and knowledgeable, curious and considerate. It is clear they have spent extended time in Israel, understand the Middle East region and are able to masterfully explain political trends, as well as the broader societal context. Their session welcomes abundant participation and questions, and you enjoy the rich and lively discussion.  

It was not too long ago when conversations around Israel meant protests and shouting matches, or when a misunderstanding of the word “Zionism” led to it being labeled a pejorative. Fortunately, times have changed. These days, you do not think twice about caring deeply about Israel and still lifting up your questions and concerns. You hold all of this, all at once.

What may sound now like a distant daydream can and must become our road map. This is the time to pursue a new evolution in Israel education — one that sidesteps the extremes and speaks directly to the vast majority of American Jews who believe in an Israeli democracy that respects all its citizens and in a Jewish state living in peace with its neighbors. This push is one distinct from Israel advocacy. Israel education, as ever, deserves its own unique investment and strategy.

Importantly, we need to internalize that what got us here will not get us there. While we alone cannot dispel the division, misinformation and misunderstanding driving much of the Israel discourse, it is within our power to usher in a sweeping mix of educational offerings that are designed to nurture understanding, care, curiosity, nuance and respect for multiple viewpoints; are free from judgement and derision; and honor and help learners to navigate the complexities of Israel’s past and present and to find their place in Israel’s story.

And it can start right now. I asked six experts to share their recommendations for how we can catalyze a new era of Israel education worthy of this consequential moment in Jewish and American life. Here are some of their top priorities:

Prepare American educators to teach about Israel in the American context

“The Jewish educators best equipped to educate about Israel are the ones who have spent extended time living and learning in Israel and who have developed authentic relationships with Israelis and Israeli educators. I want to see more educators have the opportunity to go to Israel, see things for themselves and form connections of their own. Importantly, we need American organizations in Israel set up to prepare American educators to teach about Israel in the American context. Collaborations with Israeli institutions are great, but it’s time for a deliberate, American-centric undertaking.”

— David Bryfman, chief executive officer, The Jewish Education Project

Embrace the hard questions

“To meet this moment in Jewish and American life, Israel education must be deep and substantive. This means not shying away from the hard questions, while helping learners make meaning of why Israel matters in the 21st century to Jewish life throughout the Diaspora. We need Israel educators to have the knowledge and competence to navigate the discourse even while knowing it can be an emotional minefield. Israel educators in the Jewish community must grapple with and create brave spaces for learners to discuss what it means for Jews to hold real power and disavow the romanticization of powerlessness.”

— Rachel Fish, co-founder and president, Boundless Israel

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Lisa Eisen is co-president of Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, which works in the United States and Israel to achieve more just and inclusive societies. Eisen leads Schusterman’s Jewish community grantmaking portfolio and its gender and reproductive equity grantmaking portfolio.