My first impulse in writing this review is to add an exclamation mark to the title of this book. Yes Israel education matters! , and Lisa Grant and Ezra Kopelowitz have made a forceful case for this idea. In the recent Pew research paper findings, Israel remains a component of the identity of the least active members of the Jewish community. As I read this study, I reflected on this book about teaching Israel. I found myself asking, what does the average American Jew know about the ‘real” Israel? My immediate answer is, not much! My experience after forty years in Israel has taught me that a strong minority are up to date and well informed about our somewhat raucous political life, and leadership. Many, but not as many as one would think, have visited Israel, and some have spent time as students on over seas college programs. Some have wrestled with the crowds, ridden the buses, and eaten their fair share of falafel and other mid eastern delicacies. A few have worked in the Israeli business community, and others have tried their hand at agricultural life on a kibbutz. All in all Diaspora students and adults have learned their way around the energetic work a day Israeli world. Despite the variety of activities and opportunities, not enough has been done to prepare any of them for their experience. Yes, there are ulpanim, short orientation sessions, and some nice educational work, but an in depth look at culture, language and religion in Israel seems lacking.
Lisa Grant and Ezra M. Kopelowitz join the ranks of Jewish educators who are concerned about this issue. They have written a book that they think could/should be used by” academics and intellectuals, but also by community leaders, educators, and practitioners who are concerned with the practical work a day challenges of fortifying collective Jewish life in our times”. Early on in the book they set out the three core principles that will guide their work :”integrate, complicate and connect”.
correctly see that Israel is an integral part of world Jewish life, and that it is a complicated idea and entity, and can be, or should be a foundation for the connection.
They elaborate on these ideas through out the book. These ideas alone would not make this an unusual book, but they have expanded and elaborated on their themes in a direct, and honest way. They are not hard sell advocates of a “beautiful Israel, a place that exists in imagination, but not in reality. They present the reality of conflict between Israel and the Jewish people. They do not yield to the temptation to be cheerleaders, but present political and religious differences openly for students and teachers to deal with. In this particular example and in the other issues that appear throughout the book, the authors have maintained a steady hand, and forthright balance demonstrating that the reality of difference and dispute is part of the vitality and appeal of Israeli society. They are also aware of, and responsive to, the needs of their students.
In vignette 4, Alex Pomson presents a wonderful glimpse into the opinions of students when he lets them talk for themselves. Here, too, we see one of the fascinating aspects of the book. The description of the interviews, and the recording of responses can serve as an example of qualitative research tools that are widely used today. The responses, and the way they are presented, add to an understanding of students and the way they think, and not how we feel they ought to think. This combination of a researsh
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