Jewish Education https://jewisheducation.net/ World Center for Jewish Education Sun, 17 Dec 2023 15:08:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://jewisheducation.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/FavIcon.jpg Jewish Education https://jewisheducation.net/ 32 32 War Diary – Homefront https://jewisheducation.net/war-diary-homefront/ Thu, 07 Dec 2023 15:06:01 +0000 https://jewisheducation.net/war-diary-homefront/ For over a month now, I’ve wanted to share my experiences with you.

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For over a month now, I’ve wanted to share my experiences with you.

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Dr. Beverly Gribetz: Learning to Lead Change https://jewisheducation.net/dr-beverly-gribetz/ Thu, 15 Jul 2021 11:37:12 +0000 https://jewisheducation.net/dr-beverly-gribetz-learning-to-lead-change/ No one had it easy during the Covid-19 pandemic, but school principals are among the unsung heroes of the past year. Constantly changing rules and paradigms, transitioning to online learning and deciding whether and how to return to the classroom – all these headaches were theirs. According to the U.S. Learning Policy Institute and the […]

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No one had it easy during the Covid-19 pandemic, but school principals are among the unsung heroes of the past year. Constantly changing rules and paradigms, transitioning to online learning and deciding whether and how to return to the classroom – all these headaches were theirs.

According to the U.S. Learning Policy Institute and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) 42 percent of the principals surveyed this year indicated they were considering leaving their position. It is not hard to understand why.

Dr. Beverly Gribetz sits in her home in Jerusalem and counts herself lucky. “I retired as a high school principal in September 2019, so I dodged all that stress!” Dr. Beverly Gribetz was principal of the highly-respected Evelina de Rothschild-Tehilla High School in Jerusalem from 1998-2019. Prior to moving to Israel, she spent 10 years as Assistant Dean of the Ramaz Upper School in New York and she served as the first Headmistress of their Middle School. In Israel, she served for two years as executive director of Rav Adin Steinsalz’s Mekor Chaim Yeshiva High School, as a consultant to the Education Department of the Jewish Agency and held several other positions at the Pelech Religious Girls’ High School, at the Melton Centre for Jewish Education at Hebrew University, and at Machon Pardes. During her time at Evelina-Tehilla, 20 aspiring principals interned with Beverly through the Avnei Rosha Principals’ course funded by the Israel Ministry of Education and Yad HaNadiv. Beverly was honored as an Alumni Scholar and Educational Innovator by Ramaz, recognizing her contribution to education in Israel and the U.S., and she received the Bonei Zion Prize for Education from Nefesh B’Nefesh.

“I loved being a principal. I loved the everyday interactions and relationships that I had with the children and the teachers, and being able to create and carry out a vision. I saw my role as providing the scaffolding for the teachers to climb up on; I kept building higher so that they would have to grow! Most of all, I loved observing the changes in my students as they matured.  I maintain contact with them in order to be inspired by what they have become.”

During the pandemic, many parents turned to her to make sure their schools were doing the right thing.  The feelings of insecurity were so powerful that just hearing a calming word from a principal they had trusted helped assuage their fears.  Beverly maintains constant contact with the teachers she has worked with over the years, and she has followed carefully the innovations and suggestions for transforming school systems.

“One of the main challenges for schools at the start of the pandemic was to train all their teachers in digital pedagogy, particularly since there are always some teachers who are legitimately resistant to using technology. Schools had to get their teachers set up to teach, which often meant finding those teachers who had experience using technology to help others adapt their teaching style.”

Beverly believes that teachers should mentor teachers and principals should mentor principals. “It’s the old adage that you have to have walked in their shoes to understand the challenges they face. But with principals it’s more than that. Being a school principal is a lonely job surrounded by people clamoring for attention. Everyone looks to you for leadership, but you always end up dealing with the crises first, which means you can lose sight of your other priorities and the overarching vision. There are so many everyday responsibilities that you can forget what direction you are walking in.”

“Peer mentoring is crucial, because you need to bounce ideas off of someone who has the wisdom of experience from having run a school. In the Jewish community it’s particularly important to work with someone outside of your own school, so you can share the issues without worrying about information being shared with your board or your parent body. Another principal will understand what you are dealing with and can bring a fresh perspective to your problems. A good mentor will help the principal to analyze their problem from a new perspective, identify the pressure points within the school, and consider alternative courses of action. Once they have decided on a course of action, the mentor can support the principal throughout the process of implementing the change.”

Beverly understands Jewish schools as complex multi-age communities that comprise not just the children but also teachers and parents, who may span a whole range of ages and lifestyles. As they expand their boundaries and draw students from more diverse communities, they have to try to include all the families in the core vision of the school, and make them feel at home there.

One of the issues schools face is how much space to give to different Jewish outlooks within the school. For example, where there are students from both Ashkenazi and Sephardi backgrounds, should there be several minyanim for Shacharit, so that everyone prays with their community group in the mornings, or should each student be praying with their own grade? “Many schools have grappled with this and similar issues, and the principal has to manage a process of consultation to work out the best solution that fits the school’s vision for morning prayers.”

“Inclusion is a crucial value, because we want to help all of the students to feel comfortable, but we have to balance this with maintaining the core vision of the school. Schools that serve a diverse population have to accommodate many different types of prayer groups, because Jews interpret the Jewish value of prayer in different ways. At the same time, school discipline has to be maintained through some kind of registration system, so that kids don’t take advantage of the availability of different options to skip prayers and turn up late for school.”

“It’s great to work in a high school, because kids can change so much over six years, but it’s important to remember that their parents tend to stay the same. The teenagers want to have different experiences, and schools want to offer them choices, but you sometimes have to think about the implications for the family as a whole.”

Making decisions under pressure can also cause problems. “It’s important to take time to consider and simulate the possible outcomes with a mentor before announcing a change”, advises Beverly. “A school cannot be run as a democracy, but good leadership means always involving the right people in the decision-making process. Mentoring can help principals to consider the best way of bringing those people along with them, by understanding their positions and planning a strategy that includes their perspectives.”

What lessons have schools learned from Covid-19?

“Principals had to deal with so many new issues and make many complex decisions. Many schools set up committees of doctors or of technological experts to help them. We can all benefit from recognizing when we are out of our depth and how to bring in outside experts.

At the same time, it’s important to strike the right balance when involving parents in the running of the school. Every parent thinks they know how a school should work because they were once a student! The principal has to know how to work with parent representatives so that they do not overstep the boundary between supporting and running the school. For example, parents can’t use a committee meeting as a platform for talking about their own child’s teachers.

During Covid, many Principals opened up new channels of communication with their school community. “No one likes uncertainty, so it was important to update teachers, students and parents as the rules and realities were changing. But opening WhatsApp groups created an enormous pressure to respond, as every individual could express their opinion and share unmoderated responses with the group. After Covid, we may want to put this particular genie back in its bottle!”

“Online learning had many drawbacks, but it put the spotlight on teachers. Suddenly parents could listen in during classes. We all discovered new strengths and weaknesses, and I believe that we need to help teachers to refresh their skills as we head back to the classroom. Principals should be working with teachers to help them identify new opportunities, to expand the parameters of their responsibilities, take on new challenges and develop their skills. Principals also need to consider how to enhance their own leadership skills for the post-Covid era, and how to adapt the lessons learned to the world of Jewish schools. An excellent mentor can enable a principal to realize their post-pandemic dreams.”

Dr. Beverly Gribetz offers mentoring to Jewish schools and principals around the world through the World Center for Jewish Education (www.jewisheducation.net)

This article by Roz Lyons was published in the Jerusalem Report Magazine, July 26, 2021

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The President of World Jewry https://jewisheducation.net/the-president-of-world-jewry-2/ Thu, 15 Jul 2021 05:54:34 +0000 https://jewisheducation.net/the-president-of-world-jewry-2/ During the seven years of his presidency, Ruby Rivlin has been respected and loved for his warmth and accessibility, connecting with the people of Israel on many important issues. Among his very popul

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During the seven years of his presidency, Ruby Rivlin has been respected and loved for his warmth and accessibility, connecting with the people of Israel on many important issues. Among his very popul

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שר התפוצות- בארה”ב כבר מזיזים את גבינה! https://jewisheducation.net/%d7%a9%d7%a8-%d7%94%d7%aa%d7%a4%d7%95%d7%a6%d7%95%d7%aa-%d7%91%d7%90%d7%a8%d7%94%d7%91-%d7%9b%d7%91%d7%a8-%d7%9e%d7%96%d7%99%d7%96%d7%99%d7%9d-%d7%90%d7%aa-%d7%92%d7%91%d7%99%d7%a0%d7%94/ Wed, 16 Jun 2021 17:11:15 +0000 https://jewisheducation.net/%d7%a9%d7%a8-%d7%94%d7%aa%d7%a4%d7%95%d7%a6%d7%95%d7%aa-%d7%91%d7%90%d7%a8%d7%94%d7%91-%d7%9b%d7%91%d7%a8-%d7%9e%d7%96%d7%99%d7%96%d7%99%d7%9d-%d7%90%d7%aa-%d7%92%d7%91%d7%99%d7%a0%d7%94/ ביום חמישי האחרון (3 ביוני) כשבישראל כבר הסתיים שבוע העבודה וכולם הלכו לישון, השתתפתי ב”מסיבת מפסידים” בחסות ארגון JCRIF ועתידה להיזכר כאירוע פורץ דרך בחינוך היהודי. אנחנו מתחילים לצאת מהקורונה ואולי זה זמן למחשבה חדשה. לפני הכול נזכור בכאב את החללים ואת החללים שהותירה המגפה הנוראה הזאת. בשבת הראשונה בסגר הראשון, ברגשות מעורבים שבין כניסת […]

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ביום חמישי האחרון (3 ביוני) כשבישראל כבר הסתיים שבוע העבודה וכולם הלכו לישון, השתתפתי ב”מסיבת מפסידים” בחסות ארגון JCRIF ועתידה להיזכר כאירוע פורץ דרך בחינוך היהודי.
אנחנו מתחילים לצאת מהקורונה ואולי זה זמן למחשבה חדשה. לפני הכול נזכור בכאב את החללים ואת החללים שהותירה המגפה הנוראה הזאת.
בשבת הראשונה בסגר הראשון, ברגשות מעורבים שבין כניסת השבת לבין הפעם הראשונה שבה אנו נשארים לתפילה ביתית, התחלנו לחפש מי יגיד דרשה – כמו שבכל בית כנסת ראוי ומכובד אומרים דבר תורה, ובעיקר בימי מגפה שבהם חשוב להוסיף מילות חיזוק, לחבר את האירועים לפרשה וכדומה. יראת הציבור נפלה עליי כשהבנתי שעליי לדבר בפני מניין ילדיי ואשתי והתחלתי לחפש בארון הספרים הגדול דבר תורה. כנראה הצבע הצהוב או זיכרון עמום מהספר שקראתי לפני הרבה שנים הביא אותי להוציא את הספר “מי הזיז את הגבינה שלי”. כן, אותו סיפור על נחשון וחששון החכמים והמתוחכמים לעומת שני העכברים שמוצאים את דרכם במבוך גם במצבים משתנים. וכך שבוע אחרי שבוע למדנו את דבריו של ד”ר ספנסר ג’ונסון כמו בסוגיה תלמודית, הערות ומחשבות והרבה הרבה תובנות לחיים. הסברתי לילדים שבסך הכול בני דורי זכו ולא אירעו בחייהם אירועים עולמיים משני מציאות ופתאום עכשיו משהו אחר קורה פה. משהו שמעבר לכאב על אובדן חיי אדם, מאפשר לנו כהורים ומחנכים לקיים שיח מעמיק על הדברים החשובים בחיים. ומהשקט הכפוי ומההלם צמחו תובנות שילוו אותנו כל חיינו.
גם ברמת הארגון צריך היה להתארגן מחדש. התוצאה הייתה מדהימה. מפגשים אישיים עם עשרות רבות של מורים ומנהלים מכל רחבי העולם דייקו עבורנו את הצורך ומהם צמחה הקריאה להקמת ה-Hub שעליו הרחבנו פעמים רבות. לעומת הקריאה מהשטח, המפגש עם המוסדות האמונים על השקעה בחינוך היהודי נענה ב”אל תזיז לנו את גבינה”.
מעניין שבחודש מרץ פורסמו כמה וכמה מכרזים וקולות קוראים מארגונים שונים שהמניע לפרסומם הוא “התקופה שאחרי הקורונה”. כנראה אפשר להשתמש במילים זהות ובכל זאת יכול להיות הבדל גדול מאוד. ידידי היקר מייקל וויגר מאנגליה הפנה את תשומת ליבי למכרז של ארגון JCRIF. כבר בהצעה להגשת המכרז הרגשנו שיש כאן משהו אחר. השקענו, כתבנו, דייקנו, ובכל זאת קיבלנו תשובה שלילית מאכזבת.
לפני שבועיים קיבלתי אימייל ובו הזמנה לאירוע שבהתחלה נשמע מוזר. הרַבָּה שרה לוריא הזמינה את כל המפסידים במכרז לאפטר-פרטי. למרות שלא נתקלתי באירוע מעין זה מעולם, ברור היה לי ולצוות WCJE שלא מפסידים הזדמנויות ונשתתף בכנס. נוספה מעט ציניות כשלצד הקישור לזום הוסיפו משפט/בקשה :
You will, sadly, need to BYO beverages and snacks; we will try to bring the scintillating conversation.
בלי ציפייה גדולה נכנסתי. כבר בפתיחה היה ברור שהגעתי למקום אחר. לאחר קטע שירה קצר ויפה דיברה הרבה שרה על הבדידות והקושי הקיומיים שמרגישים אנשים העוסקים ביזמות בעולם היהודי ועל האכזבה לאחר קבלת תשובה שלילית במכרז. זוכרים? הרי זו מסיבה למפסידים. היא המשיכה, וככל שהאירוע המשיך הבנתי שאני נמצא באירוע מכונן, במסיבה פורצת דרך. ג’ייסון בלוק ושרה קורנהאוזר הסבירו שבאמצעות המכרז קיבל העם היהודי רעיונות מדהימים וייחודיים שכתבו עשרות רבות של ארגונים. את הרעיונות צריך להמשיך לפתח וביחד להמשיך ולהעשיר זה את זה לטובת העם היהודי כולו. ניתוח מילות מפתח מתוך ההצעות מאפשר לארגן מפה גדולה ובה קישורים בין ארגונים, להעצים ובעיקר למנוע את היעלמות הידע הזה.
זה היה ערב של יצירה, יזמות וחדשנות לטובת העם היהודי. וכשמתחילים לזוז מהגבינה אפשר להגיע רחוק. אנחנו, הפעילים לקידום פרויקטים בעם היהודי, צריכים להתחיל להשתמש במינוח “יהודים אקטיביים”. לא עוד בתבניות מפרידות, עלינו להשתמש במינוח חיובי המקשר בין כולנו ולקבע את הפעילות העתידית בהגדרה מתאימה.
כמי שנולד בישראל אבל כל חייו המקצועיים פועל בקרב יהדות העולם אני מבקש לומר תודה למארגני המסיבה. ולחבריי הישראלים אומר – האירוע התקיים בלילה, אבל אתם חייבים להתעורר.

מיקי קצבורג מנכ”ל WCJE , יזם חינוכי בתחום התפוצות יותר מ 20 שנה.
אירגון JCRIF – Jewish Community Response and Impact Fund

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In wake of coronavirus, Jews must learn to adapt and change https://jewisheducation.net/jewish-activists-2/ Wed, 16 Jun 2021 07:08:35 +0000 https://jewisheducation.net/in-wake-of-coronavirus-jews-must-learn-to-adapt-and-change/ Just as the mice in ‘Who moved my cheese,’ managed to find their way through the maze even under challenging circumstances, so too we have gained an awareness that can guide us through life.

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Just as the mice in ‘Who moved my cheese,’ managed to find their way through the maze even under challenging circumstances, so too we have gained an awareness that can guide us through life.

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Jewish Activists Move their Cheese https://jewisheducation.net/jewish-activists/ Tue, 08 Jun 2021 07:13:00 +0000 https://jewisheducation.net/jewish-activists-move-their-cheese/ Last Thursday (June 3) just as the Israeli working week was drawing to a close, and everyone was heading off to bed, I took part in a “Losers’ Party” promoted by JCRIF, the Jewish Community Response and Impact Fund. I believe that this  was a groundbreaking event in the field of Jewish education. Now that […]

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Last Thursday (June 3) just as the Israeli working week was drawing to a close, and everyone was heading off to bed, I took part in a “Losers’ Party” promoted by JCRIF, the Jewish Community Response and Impact Fund. I believe that this  was a groundbreaking event in the field of Jewish education.

Now that we are finally starting to make strides in putting COVID-19 behind us, the time has come to engage in novel thinking. Before we can do that, however, we need to take a moment to remember all of the people who lost their lives during this dreadful pandemic, and acknowledge the emptiness they’ve left behind.

On the first Shabbat of the first lockdown in Israel, when all the synagogues were shuttered, my family sang the evening prayers at home together with mixed feelings. As it is customary for someone to say a Dvar Torah – some words of Torah – every time we gather in prayer, we began discussing which family member would be the proper and respectable choice. We felt that these words, which would connect us to the weekly Torah portion, needed to be extra special and encouraging during these difficult days when infection rates were soaring. I began scanning the plethora of books I’ve read throughout my lifetime in search of some timely words of wisdom. My vague memory of reading this book many years ago led me to pick up my copy of “Who Moved My Cheese?”.

Yes, I’m referring to the tale of two tiny smart humans (Hem and Haw), along with two mice (Sniff and Scurry), who manage to find their way through the maze even under challenging circumstances. And this is how my family came to study this book by Spencer Johnson, M.D., as if it were a tractate of Talmud! We dissected and contemplated each and every word in order to gain insight into our lives.

I explained to my children that my generation had never before experienced a life-changing event, and suddenly something extraordinary was unfolding. This new reality went beyond the pain from loss of life, and it presented us as parents and educators with an opportunity to engage in deep dialogue about what is truly important in life. From the shock and the isolation that we experienced, we have gained an awareness that will hopefully help to guide us throughout the rest of our lives.

This new reality forced us as educators to reorganize our lives, and the results have been remarkable. The virtual meetings that my organization has held with dozens of teachers and principals around the world, have helped us clarify the need for these connections, and they were the impetus for the creation of our World Center for Jewish Education Hub Despite enthusiastic calls from teachers and principals working in the field to carry out the wonderful innovations that we recommend, all the official organizations that really need to make these changes, have countered with, “Don’t move my cheese!”

It was interesting that, in March this year, several tenders were published by various educational organizations, describing the process of “getting back to normal in this post-COVID-19 era.” They may have used the same words, but apparently, they didn’t have the same meaning.

My dear friend, Michael Wegier from the UK, brought my attention to the JCRIF tender. As we started preparing our application, we began to realize that this was a unique opportunity. We invested a great deal of time and thought into the program plan we submitted, and as you can imagine, were quite disappointed when we received a negative response.

Two weeks ago, I received an invitation by email to an event that at first glance sounded strange. Rabbi Sara Luria and a group of activists invited all of the “tender losers” to participate in a “Reset After Party”. Despite the fact that I’d never heard of such an event, it was clear to me and the WCJE staff that we should not miss out on such an opportunity, and so we responded that we’d be delighted to attend the online event. Added on at the end of the invitation was the slightly sarcastic comment:  “You will, sadly, need to bring your own beverages and snacks; we will try to bring the scintillating conversation.”

That evening, as I logged on to the meeting, my expectations were pretty low. But right away, it was clear this was something out of the ordinary. After a short and unifying session of communal singing, Rabbi Sara opened the session by talking about the existential loneliness and difficulty that people who work in entrepreneurship in the Jewish world have been experiencing. She spoke about the disappointment we were all probably feeling after failing to win the tender. As the session went on, I began to realize that I was partaking in a revolutionary event. The only word to describe this party was groundbreaking!

Jason “Jackson” Block and Sarah Kornhauser from UpStart explained that through this tender the Jewish people has received many amazing and unique ideas devised by dozens of organizations. “Together we now have to continue developing these ideas, which will lead to the enrichment of the entire Jewish world. By analyzing the recurring keywords from the proposals, we have created an extensive map that links all these proposals and organizations with one other and empowers everyone. It is imperative that we not let this knowledge disappear.”

The party I participated in that evening was full of creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation for the benefit of the Jewish people. When someone is willing to move their cheese, they can make great headway. Those of use who are working to promote innovative programs in the Jewish world need to begin using the term “Jewish Activist.” We must abandon old models that promote divisiveness, and instead use positive terms that connect us all and set the tone for future activity.

As a someone who was born and raised in Israel, but who has spent his entire adult life working with the North American Jewish community, I would like to officially commend the organizers of the Losers’ Party. And to all my Israeli friends: The event might have taken place in the middle of the night, but it’s time for us all to wake up!

Mickey Katzburg is founder and CEO of the World Center for Jewish Education, a global resource hub for Jewish schools and organizations across the religious spectrum.

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The President of World Jewry https://jewisheducation.net/the-president-of-world-jewry/ Mon, 07 Jun 2021 09:13:54 +0000 https://jewisheducation.net/the-president-of-world-jewry/ During the seven years of his presidency, Ruby Rivlin has been respected and loved for his warmth and accessibility, connecting with the people of Israel on many important issues. Among his very popular campaigns was his touching video about bullying for National Safer Internet Week. It shows his photo on the wall of an elementary […]

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During the seven years of his presidency, Ruby Rivlin has been respected and loved for his warmth and accessibility, connecting with the people of Israel on many important issues. Among his very popular campaigns was his touching video about bullying for National Safer Internet Week. It shows his photo on the wall of an elementary school classroom coming to life and speaking with a student about a girl in his class who was suffering from online bullying. The President asked the boy to befriend her and stand up for her. I believe that President Rivlin has followed in the footsteps of his illustrious ancestor Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel by showing concern for the weaker members of society. Rabbi Shimon was the Nasi – the President of Israel – during the tumultuous final years of the Second Temple, and he was known for his wisdom and sensitivity. In one of the stories related in the Mishnah, he suspended the requirement for women to bring pairs of doves to the Temple because their families were going without food, and swore that he would not sleep until the dove sellers stopped overcharging for their birds.

In March 2020, when the world was beginning to worry about the Coronavirus, I was invited to a meeting at the President’s House to discuss issues of concern in Jewish schools around the world. We discussed the President’s visit to Australia, that they were determined to go ahead with despite the encroaching danger from the virus. He was planning to speak about Zionism and antisemitism at Mount Scopus College in Melbourne, but I suggested that he focus on the topic of bullying. We arranged for his new video to be translated into English and sent to the school in advance of his visit. (Click here to watch the translated video)
Because of our understanding of Jewish schools, we recognize that today’s students are looking for relevant connections with Israel that coincide with their understanding of the world and touch their own lives and concerns. We suggested that the President’s inspiring anti-bullying message should be shared with school students in Melbourne, with the additional dimension that Israel and Jews around the world also need to show solidarity and stand up for one another. As always, the President was a big hit in Australia, and touched the hearts of all who met him. The Australian Jewish community appreciated his dedication to going ahead with the visit and flying across the world to meet with them. At Mount Scopus, President Rivlin told the children about his anti-bullying campaign: “Bullying is violence, a horrible experience. No child should experience social exclusion or aggressive behavior. Unfortunately, social media provides more opportunities for such behavior. When we saw in Israel how much bullying was happening in schools, I knew that as president I could not stay silent. Our message is simple – do not stay silent if others are experiencing problems. Do not look the other way.” He also spoke with the older students about the connections between Israel and Diaspora Jewry, and about their fears of antisemitism. He shared his vision of uniting Israel’s four tribes – religious, secular, ultra-Orthodox and Arab Israelis – and identified Jews living outside of Israel as the fifth tribe, who play a crucial part in the future of the nation. “We are one nation, one family. We don’t just have shared interests – we share a common dream.” President Rivlin has been an excellent ambassador for Israel, connecting with people of all ages and backgrounds. At the World Center for Jewish Education, we were proud to advise the President’s team before his trip to Australia, and to offer advice and resources to Jewish educators around the world. There is no doubt that President Ruby will be a hard act to follow. He expanded his role as President of Israel to President of the Jewish world, and we hope that Israel’s next President will do likewise. (Mickey Katzburg is founder and CEO of the World Center for Jewish Studies, a global resource hub for Jewish schools and organizations across the religious spectrum)

Photo Credit: Kobi Gidon

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הקשר בין חינוך בתפוצות לשיקום שכונות https://jewisheducation.net/%d7%94%d7%a7%d7%a9%d7%a8-%d7%91%d7%99%d7%9f-%d7%97%d7%99%d7%a0%d7%95%d7%9a-%d7%91%d7%aa%d7%a4%d7%95%d7%a6%d7%95%d7%aa-%d7%9c%d7%a9%d7%99%d7%a7%d7%95%d7%9d-%d7%a9%d7%9b%d7%95%d7%a0%d7%95%d7%aa/ Sun, 25 Apr 2021 07:09:33 +0000 https://jewisheducation.net/%d7%94%d7%a7%d7%a9%d7%a8-%d7%91%d7%99%d7%9f-%d7%97%d7%99%d7%a0%d7%95%d7%9a-%d7%91%d7%aa%d7%a4%d7%95%d7%a6%d7%95%d7%aa-%d7%9c%d7%a9%d7%99%d7%a7%d7%95%d7%9d-%d7%a9%d7%9b%d7%95%d7%a0%d7%95%d7%aa/ זכיתי לגור בשכונת קריית מנחם, שכונה בדרום מערב ירושלים, שאפילו לא מעט ירושלמים לא מכירים. בעבר היא אפילו זכתה לכינוי המפוקפק “החצר האחורית של ירושלים”. במסגרת הפרויקט “שיקום שכונות” בשנות השבעים השקיעה הממשלה בשכונה הרבה מאוד כוונות טובות שהובילו להזרמת מאות מיליוני שקלים. אבל בפועל, הרבה מהתקציב הוקדש לנראות החיצונית והותיר את השכונה באותו מצב […]

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זכיתי לגור בשכונת קריית מנחם, שכונה בדרום מערב ירושלים, שאפילו לא מעט ירושלמים לא מכירים. בעבר היא אפילו זכתה לכינוי המפוקפק “החצר האחורית של ירושלים”. במסגרת הפרויקט “שיקום שכונות” בשנות השבעים השקיעה הממשלה בשכונה הרבה מאוד כוונות טובות שהובילו להזרמת מאות מיליוני שקלים. אבל בפועל, הרבה מהתקציב הוקדש לנראות החיצונית והותיר את השכונה באותו מצב בעייתי בו הייתה שרויה.

את השינוי האמיתי בשכונה עשתה קבוצה קטנה ואיכותית, עם הרבה נשמה ותקציבים מועטים, הקיבוץ העירוני הראשון, קיבוץ “ראשית”. בעבודה שקטה, במעורבות, בקשר אישי ובהבנה מדויקת של הצרכים, כמו הקמת מסגרות חינוך, הפכו חברי הקיבוץ את השכונה למקום שמשפחות מכל רחבי הארץ עוברות לגור בו. מערכת החינוך של ראשית זוכה להערכה רבה ולביקורים לימודיים של מנהלים, מנכ”לים, ראשי עיריות ואף הנשיא פרס ז”ל וייבדל לחיים הנשיא ראובן ריבלין.

במקביל, לפני ימים ספורים התבשרנו על מכרז של ממשלת ישראל לתפעול מערך תומך לבתי ספר בתפוצות. אחרי יותר משני עשורים שבהם החינוך הבלתי-פורמלי בעולם היהודי מקבל תקציבי ענק ממדינת ישראל בדמות פרויקטים כמו “תגלית”, “מסע” ואחרים, זה לא מובן מאליו שעכשיו משקיעים בבתי הספר היהודיים בעולם בתחום של החינוך הפורמלי.

החינוך הפורמלי היום-יומי עוסק בבניית תשתית הזהות של דור העתיד של העם היהודי. דור המנהיגות היהודית יצמח משם לטובת עם ישראל וכן, גם לטובת מדינת ישראל. מצופה מה”סטארט-אפ ניישן” לא לחזור על טעויות העבר ורק לזרוק כסף אלא לדייק ולהשתמש במשאבים המתאימים לפיתוח נכון.

לפני שלוש שנים פנתה קרן הירש לחינוך יהודי למרכז העולמי לחינוך יהודי לבצע סקר כדי להבין מדוע לאחר שנים רבות כל כך בעבודה עם בתי הספר בתפוצות עדיין לא רואים שינוי משמעותי. שיחות ומפגשים עם מאות מורים ומנהלים מרחבי העולם התוו דרך שאת מסקנותיה התחלנו ליישם בשיתוף ותיקי החינוך היהודי והשטח דורש להמשיך בדרך זו.

דבר נוסף למדנו מקיבוץ ראשית: הם באו לגור בשכונה. את השינוי עושים מבפנים, במעורבות ושותפות גורל. נולדתי ואני גר בישראל אבל יום יום אני בצפון אמריקה. במאות ביקורים בבתי ספר, בדיאלוג ובשיח מתמיד עם מורים ומנהלים בכל מקום שיש בו בית ספר יהודי. לארגונים היהודיים אני אומר לא לפסול, אנו זקוקים להשקעות. אבל לממשלת ישראל אני אומר לא להכתיב אלא להקשיב ולתת במקומות שהקהילות המקומיות יודעות שצריך.

השקיעו בחינוך, זה עתיד העם היהודי אבל עשו זאת בתבונה. היזמות, החדשנות והמעורבות שלמדנו מקיבוץ ראשית הן התשובה.

הכותב הוא מנכ”ל המרכז העולמי לחינוך יהודי.

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Jewish Education and the Urban Kibbutz Model https://jewisheducation.net/urban-kibbutz-model/ Wed, 07 Apr 2021 11:51:33 +0000 https://jewisheducation.net/?p=8019 Mickey Katzberg learns from the revitalization of a run-down Jerusalem neighborhood how to support Jewish schools around the world. Kiryat Menachem in south-eastern Jerusalem is a neighborhood that many veteran Jerusalemites have never heard of – it used to be known as ‘Jerusalem’s skid row’. In the 1970s, the Israeli government invested great efforts and […]

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Mickey Katzberg learns from the revitalization of a run-down Jerusalem neighborhood how to support Jewish schools around the world.

Kiryat Menachem in south-eastern Jerusalem is a neighborhood that many veteran Jerusalemites have never heard of – it used to be known as ‘Jerusalem’s skid row’. In the 1970s, the Israeli government invested great efforts and millions of dollars in a grandiose program called Shikum Shchunot (Neighborhood Renewal). In reality, a large percentage of these funds were spent on enhancing the buildings and physical surroundings in these neighborhoods, while the problems inherent in their communities remained unsolved.

Urban Renewal

Real change finally began to take place in the neighborhood when a small but effective group of activists arrived. They set up Kibbutz Reishit as the first urban kibbutz. The kibbutz members quietly became integrated in the neighborhood and, by forging personal relationships with residents, developed an accurate understanding of the community’s needs. They created new and collaborative educational frameworks, transforming the neighborhood so that families from all over Israel now want to live there.

The local educational network established by Reishit has won many accolades, and the neighborhood has been lauded by principals, CEOs, mayors and Presidents. The late President Shimon Peres was so impressed by the successful social integration of children of Ethiopian descent at the Reishit School that he wrote a song about it, and asked Israeli composer Idan Reichal to set it to music. 

So, what can we learn from the Reishit urban kibbutz? Their activists came to live together with us in the neighborhood. They made changes from within, while living as members of the community. They showed us that the most effective social change comes through collaboration and partnership. They maximized small budgets with smart thinking and creativity, and they invested for the long-term. Community projects are not glamorous or easy. It is often difficult for donors to visualize the impact of their investment in a community in the same way that they visualize their name on a new building.

Investing in Formal Education

Jewish day school education deals with building the identity infrastructure of the future generation of the Jewish people. The generations of Jewish leaders who we grow there will benefit the Jewish people. Over the past two decades, informal Jewish education has received huge budgets, through glamorous projects such as Birthright and MASA, which effect a visible transformation on young adults who are ready to make transformative life decisions. Now, at last, funders are starting to invest in formal education, which is a marathon rather than a sprint, and requires a longer-term commitment to supporting children and families.

Three years ago, the Hirsch Foundation for Jewish Education tasked the World Center for Jewish Education with conducting a survey to understand the problems being faced by Jewish day schools. We have met with hundreds of teachers and school principals around the world, and we work in collaboration with veteran leaders in the field of Jewish education to implement their recommendations. From the feedback we’ve already received, it seems that there is great demand to continue on this path.

Lessons in Collaboration

I was born in Israel, and I still live here, but all of my working life has been spent in Jewish education in North America and around the world. Together with my team of veteran educators, we are constantly engaging the teachers and principals of Jewish schools in constructive dialogue.

One of the lessons that I have learned as an ‘outsider’ is to listen. Instead of ‘parachuting in’ with ideas, we need to pay close attention to what each Jewish community needs. Effective transformation requires a thorough understanding of the needs of an organization, and a commitment to supporting its staff.  It is crucial that we invest wisely in Jewish education, because we are in this for the long haul. I believe that we should follow the collaborative model pioneered by Kibbutz Reishit, in order to engage in entrepreneurship, innovation, and community involvement.

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Changing the Focus: Embracing a New Approach to Hebrew Language Education https://jewisheducation.net/hebrew-language-education/ Sun, 14 Mar 2021 11:33:16 +0000 https://jewisheducation.net/2021/03/14/changing-the-focus-embracing-a-new-approach-to-hebrew-language-education/ One of the many lessons that we have all learned from our global ‘experiment’ with online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic is that technological tools are not the key to real success in education. Students cannot learn effectively if they are just bombarded with information. Investing in digital educational programs is no substitute for investing […]

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One of the many lessons that we have all learned from our global ‘experiment’ with online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic is that technological tools are not the key to real success in education. Students cannot learn effectively if they are just bombarded with information. Investing in digital educational programs is no substitute for investing in teaching techniques.

Language learning is particularly challenging. It is important to understand how language is acquired and – with reference to Hebrew language education – how learners learn a second language. Whatever digital and paper resources are chosen for each class, the success of their Hebrew language acquisition will always depend on the teacher. If we want students to become literate in the Hebrew language, Jewish schools must invest first and foremost in properly equipping the most essential resource in the classroom: the teacher.

The Hebrew Literacy Challenge

Hebrew is the key to our Jewish heritage, a crucial element in promoting heightened Jewish identity in all Jewish day schools. It is also a valuable gift through which we can strengthen our relationships with Jews around the world and with Israel. However, we see that many students are not motivated to learn the language, and we hear complaints that, after many years in “Hebrew schools”, they still have very poor Hebrew!

If we take a look back over the past twenty to thirty years of Hebrew instruction, we see that there was a remarkable investment in a wide variety of programs designed to teach Hebrew. Various publishing houses and educational organizations produced highly creative and dynamic materials for use in schools around the world to teach Jewish children to read and understand the language. There is no doubt that these tools are valuable and professional, so why are they not working?

Three years ago, the Hirsch Foundation turned to the World Center for Jewish Education (WCJE) to investigate why Hebrew literacy is so poor in Jewish day schools. We surveyed hundreds of teachers and principals. They reported that the existing Hebrew language programs were helpful for unqualified and inexperienced Hebrew teachers, but experienced teachers felt invalidated and many were leaving the profession. Smart students were learning to ‘game’ the programs and guess the answers without ever learning the language.

It seems that the desire for high-tech programs has led publishers to invest more of their budgets in attractive technology and less in their pedagogical impact. At the same time, whatever money is invested in these Hebrew language programs, they cannot compete with the more advanced educational programs offered by the high-tech giants like Google and Microsoft. The schools complained that the huge sums that they are paying for these programs leaves them with no money in their Hebrew budget for the crucial requirements of differential teaching, in accordance with the “Every Student Succeeds” model that is used in other subjects.

We also found that most schools do not measure their students’ success in learning Hebrew in the same ways as they assess other subjects. Perhaps learning Hebrew is not treated as a priority because it is not required for university entrance!

Realigning Teachers with Technology

Based on the results of this survey, we clarified a new plan for improving Hebrew teaching in Jewish day schools. The first priority for schools should be to invest in the skills of their Hebrew teachers.

While it is clearly crucial that they know how to use technology in the classroom, we believe that they need to be empowered educators and not merely operators of computer programs, workbooks and textbooks. No program or book can effectively convey the beauty and nuance of the Hebrew language in the absence of a committed, professional and knowledgeable teacher. Nothing is more important than employing people who are inspired and equipped to ensure that every student succeeds in learning the language.

In order to teach Hebrew effectively, every teacher must understand how language is learned. Teaching Hebrew needs to be viewed through a professional lens, just like teaching math and the sciences.  Few educators would think you can just hand a math book to an untrained teacher and hope they will be able to effectively explain mathematical principles to a class of students.  Hebrew is no different. Like the sciences, there is also no “one size fits all” approach to instruction. Hebrew teachers need to know how to relate to individual students based on their specific strengths and weaknesses.

The race to update Hebrew learning programs has been wasting an unfair proportion of the Hebrew department’s budget. We recognize that schools are already using the most advanced tools developed by the world’s leading technological companies, like Google Classroom and Microsoft Meet. So, rather than trying to invent new EdTech tools for Hebrew teaching, we should be focusing on training the teachers and finding the right curriculum materials to suit the needs of each school. After all, even Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, acknowledges that technology should be used to serve the needs of people and not the other way around!

Cost Effective Tools for Schools

When we founded the World Center for Jewish Education, we did so with an understanding that the Jewish educational community needs to change its focus. Acting on the basis of the consistent feedback from our survey, we looked around to find the most effective tools to assist our Hebrew teachers, and the most successful experts to advise them. We offer several different ranges of programs, textbooks and workbooks that are engaging and fun, and we can help teachers choose the best option for every age and learning stage. We know that

The Hebrew language department of the WCJE offers Jewish schools around the world guidance in building their own customized Hebrew curriculum that conforms to their school’s vision, culture and needs. For example, one of the programs that we have found to be effective in empowering Hebrew teachers (and cost-effective for schools) is the Language Proficiency Approach according to the guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Our online training course was developed by Idit Ben David, the Director of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at the Epstein School in Atlanta, who has taught in Hebrew in schools throughout the US for the past 20 years.

The course shows educators how language is acquired and how to convey the very technical aspects of Hebrew language in the classroom, while ensuring that language acquisition is combined with that passion for tradition, history and culture which helps make the Hebrew language relevant to the students’ lives. Idit also works with teachers to develop tools for evaluating the individual students, so teachers can see how best to work with each student in order to improve their skills.

Investing in our Teachers

At the WCJE, we are constantly talking and listening to the principals, administrators and teachers from Jewish schools around the world. We are training intelligent and passionate teachers and equipping them with effective tools and guidelines for success. Recognizing the centrality of our ancient language to our modern identity, we welcome the chance to help update methods of Hebrew teaching in line with our radical new approach to Jewish education. We need to be sure it’s being done with the right vision, the right tools, and by skilled Hebrew teaching experts, who understand both the challenges and opportunities involved in language acquisition.

Mickey Katzburg is the Founder and Director of the World Center for Jewish Education. (www.jewisheducation.net)

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