Inside Israel: An International Study Seminar provided unmatched professional development for 10 teachers from Community Day School, the Yeshiva Schools, Rodef Shalom and Adat Shalom, subsidized by Classrooms Without Borders.
“It is amazing to me that what I have studied about in school and teach about now in school comes alive,” says Rabbi Eliezer Shusterman, Associate Rabbi at Shaare Torah Congregation. “I have already used my slideshow of pictures in two classes that I have given at Shaare Torah Synagogue. The participants were greatly inspired and were truly amazed at life in Israel today. Our wonderful and scholarly tour guide, Avi Ben-Hur, brought to life every stone, every site with tremendous knowledge and was able to connect with a group that came from quite diverse backgrounds and levels of knowledge. This type of trip reinvigorates the soul! It connects one with their roots. It brings inspiration to those attending and by extension to the next generation as well.”
The group of teachers spent two of its 10 days in Israel attending the MOFET Institute, a teacher-education center in Tel Aviv. MOFET’s Dr. Tova Perlmutter also worked with the group during the entire seminar. The MOFET experience will be instrumental in helping the teachers integrate multidisciplinary lessons and units into their classroom instruction, applying the lessons to international current events.
As Rivkah Herman, a teacher at the Yeshiva School, wrote in the Inside Israel blog during the seminar: “I felt enormously encouraged by the incredible dedication this institute has for teachers and teacher training. I look forward to doing online learning through their program when I return home.”
Amy Matthews, a first-grade teacher at Community Day School, added: “I now have a deeper appreciation and newfound love of the land and people of Israel. I hope to instill in my students a deeper appreciation and respect for their homeland. It was for me a life-changing experience. Celebrating Shabbat on the rooftop in the Old City, lighting candles, and visiting the Wall was an opportunity of a lifetime.”
Other seminar highlights included a walking trip through Tel Dan National Park in the Upper Galilee; Metulla (Israel’s northernmost town) and Mt. Bental overlooking the Israeli‐Syrian border; Mt. Herzl, Israel’s national military cemetery; Yad Vashem; Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter, including the Zion Gate and Jerusalem National Archeological Park; and Masada.
The teachers have spent the rest of the summer integrating fresh, first-hand lessons about Israel into their curricula.
“It will be amazing to be able to show the children pictures of places that they study about during the school year,” says Elizabeth Halfhill of Community Day School “It will allow them to go deeper into their studies. This trip is important for educators and I would recommend it for any teacher, in any school.”
“Going to Israel and being immersed in its rich and ancient history was a feast for the soul,” says Brenda Lynn Homer from Yeshiva. “Coming to understand first hand its modern day dilemmas was eye opening. I gained understanding and a true appreciation for my students’ outlook. I intend to create a joint environmental field study between the Yeshiva School of Pittsburgh and a Yeshiva in lower Galilee.”
“I have been teaching for a long time,” concludes Rivkah Herman. “To have a chance to be ‘on the other side of the desk,’ as a student, was very rewarding. Our tour guide and trip leaders were extremely knowledgeable; their wide breadth of information created a personal connection between us and the sites we visited. It’s hard to believe that we were able to see, experience and learn about as much as we did in the time that we had! It is a credit to Dr. Tsipy Gur and her dedication to Jewish education. I came home invested with new energy and excitement which will certainly accompany me to the classroom this fall. Certainly, the holiness and richness that is part and parcel of the Land of Israel gave me a fresh perspective on many of the topics that I teach. During our trip we were privileged to hear first-hand from many unique and inspirational people: Scholars. Actors. Teachers. Soldiers. A rich tapestry of humanity that I look forward to sharing with my students.”