Digital Library
Jewish Educators Returning from Israel Reconceiving Israel Education in the Midst of Seismic Events
Topic:
Israel Literacy
Principal Investigators:
Not listed
Study Date:
2024
Source:
Jim Joseph Foundation,Rosov Consulting
Key Findings:
This report analyses several trips that educators were brought on with the goal of helping educators and educational leaders connect with Israelis, see for themselves the ways in which Israel has changed since October 7, 2023, and engage in joint reflection on what these changes mean for their work and for their responsibilities as Jewish educators.
A majority (57%) have already integrated new learnings into their educational practice; 30% are in a planning phase; 13% are still considering how to apply insights. Progress has accelerated compared to immediately after the trips, when only about 25% had implemented changes and nearly 50% were still planning. Camp educators in particular adapted most quickly, needing to revise summer programming based on their Israel experiences, while educators in other sectors are now beginning to implement changes at the start of the academic year.
Since October 7, educators have navigated heightened emotional climates—fear, anxiety, confusion—among themselves and their students. Existing pedagogical approaches fall into three overlapping styles: solidarity (affirming love and unity with Israel), criticism (allowing space for critique), and complexity (balancing emotional connection with nuanced perspectives). Most educators default to singular approaches (usually solidarity) leaving them unprepared for complicated conversation, moral nuance, or ideological tension.
Recommendations:
The report advocates for an integrative model that intentionally combines emotional bonding with critical thinking and complexity. This model reinforces a sense of Jewish belonging while enabling students to engage constructively in nuanced and morally complex discourse around Israel. Such integration can prevent polarization and strengthen communal resilience in times of crisis. Jewish education must evolve to strengthen emotional connection and equip learners to engage thoughtfully and critically with Israel today.
Methodology:
Between February and June 2024, 324 educators were brought on short trips to Israel as part of 13 different groups. The educators who participated in these experiences work in a wide array of communal and educational settings. The largest subpopulations work in Jewish supplementary schools (31%), synagogues (31%), summer 2 camps (22%), and day schools (22%) while noteworthy minorities work in youth-serving organizations (11%), Jewish engagement and social justice organizations (10%), or Israel education or advocacy organizations (8%).
In July 2024, the Rosov Consulting team completed an interim report (Jewish Educators Coming to Israel) about the participants goals for taking part, what they experienced in Israel, what they gained from these programs, and how ready they felt to draw on their learning in their roles as educators and educational leaders. Between August and October 2024, the research team returned to the participants in order to explore longer-term outcomes created by these experiences and to probe more deeply into the extent to which the Israel education practices of the participants and their organizations have changed during the past year.
In August, 324 participants received a short survey to which 224 individuals responded (a response rate of 69%). As was the case at the time of the interim study, the Rosov Consulting team also interviewed a subsample of three participants per program provider (18 in total across six providers) to probe more deeply into the themes explored by the survey and to be sure we captured the voices of individual participants. These interviews took place between four and six months after participants returned from Israel.