The Heftziba Educational Network in the FSU
Source: The Heftziba Network
The Heftziba Network – a network of formal Jewish education institutions in the FSU, managed jointly by the Israel Ministry of Education and the Education Department of the Jewish Agency for Israel is made up of 45 Jewish day schools and 180 Sunday schools. The Heftziba schools implement a curriculum of Jewish and Israel-oriented education with an emphasis on Hebrew language, Jewish history and Jewish heritage and culture.
The network’s teaching staff includes 60 Israeli educational emissaries who teach Hebrew, Jewish history, and Jewish tradition, supervise and train local Jewish Studies teachers, run informal educational activities within the schools; and maintain contact with parents.
The Heftziba administration is responsible for:
- recruiting, training, placing and supporting Israeli educational emissaries
- planning and implementing seminars and in-service training for Heftziba emissaries and local teachers
- developing, producing and integrating curricula and learning materials in the Heftziba schools.
- providing aid in financing Jewish-Zionist programming in Heftziba schools.
- developing and implementing enrichment and informal learning programs in local FSU schools.
The Heftziba website (in Hebrew) contains information about the Heftziba administration and schools, educational activities, teaching materials and an online forum and information for educational emissaries.