Search results for: Chazan Barry

In truth, Israel is not the subject of Israel education — rather it is the one learning about Israel. The content of Israel education is not Israel — but rather the relationship with Israel. The aim of Israel education is not Israel but rather finding a meaningful role for Israel in our lives. The iCenter, the hub of Israel education in North America, constitutes a 21st-century address for such an approach. It invests deeply in professional development opportunities for educators across all kinds of learning environments — on Birthright Israel buses, at Jewish camps, in day and congregational schools, and elsewhere. Its aim is to both initiate and then further develop the relationship between a person and Israel. When done effectively, this relationship will be ongoing and meaningful. It will evolve as the person evolves and matures. One’s relationship with Israel may look entirely different at age 50 than it did at 15. But the relationship is there nonetheless because it originated with the person.

The author explores the meaning of informal Jewish education and examines its significance for contemporary Jewish life. He argues that informal Jewish education is not confined to a place or a methodology but rather is a well-defined philosophy of how people should be educated, what the goals of Jewish education are, and what its contents should be. He urges a recognition of the seminal contribution informal Jewish education can make.