On June 8, 2020, the International online meeting for pedagogues of the educational institutions of Ukraine with teaching the disciplines of Jewish Studies took place on the ZOOM platform.

The organizer of the meeting was the Center for Jewish Education of Ukraine and the World Center for Jewish Education (Israel).

The aim of the meeting was getting acquainted with the working experience of the educational institutions of various types with the Jewish ethnic and cultural component, studying organizational and methodological issues in teaching Hebrew, history, tradition, literature and cultural heritage of the Jewish people, the challenges of advanced training of educators, developing fruitful cooperation.

Among the participants of the international meeting were the heads and representatives of the educational institutions of Ukraine and Israel, directors and teachers of the educational establishments of Ukraine with Jewish ethnic and cultural component. In particular, the participants of the meeting were:

Mickey Katzburg, the executive director at World Center for Jewish Education (Israel,   Jerusalem);

Sheli Ehrlich, the director of Hebrew Education Department, Consultant & Mentor for Teacher Training​ of World Center for Jewish education (Israel, Jerusalem);

Linda Cohen, a representative of Hedi Hirsch Foundation (the USA);

Natalia Bakulina, the head of the Center for Jewish Education of Ukraine (Ukraine,   Kyiv);

Natella Andryuschenko, the principal of Private educational establishment «Teaching and educational complex «Comprehensive school of І-ІІІ stages – kindergarten «Mitzva-613»» (Ukraine, Bila Tserkva);

Leya Althuz, the teacher of Hebrew and Jewish tradition of the Municipal educational establishment «Teaching and educational complex №144 «Specialized school with advanced learning of Hebrew, history Jewish people, Jewish traditions – pre-school educational institution (kindergarten)» Dnipro city council (Ukraine, Dnipro);

Anna Stepanska, the principal of Private educational establishment «Jewish gymnasium «Or-avner» with advanced learning of English and Hebrew» (Ukraine, Zhytomyr);

Svitlana Lisogor, the deputy-principal of Private educational establishment «Jewish gymnasium «Or-avner» with advanced learning of English and Hebrew» (Ukraine, Zhytomyr);

Hani Rubin, the teacher of Jewish tradition of Private educational establishment «Jewish gymnasium «Or-avner» with advanced learning of English and Hebrew» (Ukraine, Zhytomyr);

Irina Fridman, the teacher of history and tradition of Jewish people of the Municipal educational establishment «Teaching and educational complex № 141 «ORT» («Education resources and technological training of Kyiv») (Ukraine, Kyiv);

Mihalle Zelikson, the teacher of Hebrew of the Municipal educational establishment «Kriviy Rih specialized school of І-ІІІ stages with advanced learning of foreign languages – pre-school educational institution» Kryviy Rih city council (Ukraine, Kryviy Rih);

Raisa Scherbatiuk, the teacher of Hebrew of the Municipal educational establishment «Odessa Volodymyr (Zeev) Zhabotynsky specialized school of І-ІІІ stages «Teaching resources and technological training» №94 with advanced learning of Hebrew and IT of Odessa city council (Ukraine, Odessa);

Natalia Berezhna, the teacher of Hebrew of the Municipal educational establishment «Odessa Volodymyr (Zeev) Zhabotynsky specialized school of І-ІІІ stages «Teaching resources та technological training» №94 with advanced learning of Hebrew and IT of Odessa city council (Ukraine, Odessa);

Haya Wolf, the teacher of Hebrew and Jewish tradition of the Private educational establishment «Teaching and education association «Pre-school establishment – a specialized school of І-ІІІ stages UVO “Khabad” with advanced learning of English and Hebrew» (Ukraine,   Kherson);

Olha Scherbak, the teacher of Hebrew of the Municipal educational establishment «Chervnivtsi specialized school ORT of І-ІІІ stages №41 with teaching Jewish ethnic and cultural component» (Ukraine, Chernivtsi);

Alina Shafra, the teacher of Hebrew of the Municipal educational establishment  «Chervnivtsi specialized school ORT of І-ІІІ stages №41 with teaching Jewish ethnic and cultural component» (Ukraine, Chernivtsi);

Odelia Rogovaya, the teacher of Jewish tradition of the Private educational establishment «Teaching and educational complex «Pre-school establishment – a specialized school of І-ІІІ stages «Or Avner» Khabad Lubavitch (Ukraine, Chernihiv).

The educators presented their institutions and told what curricula and manuals they use in their work, shared the experience of implementing long-distance learning, discussed available and necessary education resources, emphasized topical needs and challenges of organization and implementation of pedagogical activity.

As a result of this discussion the following topical needs of nowadays have been identified:

1. advanced training both in Jewish Studies disciplines and long-distance learning with obtaining the corresponding certificate;
2. creating a unified online education platform in the  subjects of the Jewish studies cycle;
3. creating curricula, textbooks and manuals, didactic and methodological sets for teaching Hebrew, history, tradition and literature of Jewish people according to various types of educational institutions (communal, municipal and private, secular and religious) as well as the number of hours allotted for this or that subject;
4. human resource provision of the teachers of Hebrew, history, tradition and literature of Jewish people;
5. financial and curricula-methodological provision of the institutions of pre-school and comprehensive secondary education;
6. organizing the consulting and methodological accompaniment for the teachers.

As a result of the meeting a number of ideas have been suggested for short-term and long-term implementation. Thus, there has been a preliminary agreement about organization of the series of webinars in long-distance learning, the methodology of teaching Hebrew and advanced training of educators aimed at enhancing their expertise as well as networking, establishing partnership and mutual assistance, engaging both Ukrainian and international experts to fruitful cooperation.

The photo-report of the meeting is attached.