How Teachers in a Jewish Early Childhood Program Bring Israel to Their School

Giving HaTikvah to our Children: How Teachers in a Jewish Early Childhood Program Bring Israel to Their School

By Sasha Kopp

Capstone project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of a joint masters degree in Jewish Nonprofit Management and Jewish Education

Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion

Spring 2017

HEBREW UNION COLLEGE - JEWISH INSTITUTE OF RELIGION LOS ANGELES SCHOOL

ZELIKOW SCHOOL OF JEWISH NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT

Giving HaTikvah to our Children: How Teachers in a Jewish Early Childhood Program Bring Israel to Their School

By Sasha Kopp

Approved By:

______Bruce Phillips, Advisor

______Erik Ludwig, Director, ZSJNM

Table of Contents Abstract ...... 4 Introduction ...... 5 Overview of the Fields of Study ...... 7 Introduction to Early Childhood Education ...... 8 Introduction to Israel Education ...... 12 Definitions ...... 19 Research Methods ...... 20 Research Questions ...... 22 Teacher Profiles ...... 24 Findings ...... 26 Part One: Pre-School Teachers’ Exposure and Connection to Israel ...... 26 Introduction to Teachers’ Exposure to Israel ...... 26 Jewish Teachers’ Connection with Israel: The Impact of an Israel Experience ...... 28 Non-Jewish Teachers’ Exposure to Israel ...... 29 Non-Jewish Teachers’ Connection with Israel: The Impact of a Classroom Experience ..... 31 Conclusion on Teachers’ Israel Exposure and Connection ...... 32 Part Two: Israel in the Early Childhood Classroom ...... 33 Institutional Goals for Teaching Israel ...... 33 Jewish Teachers’ Goals for Teaching Israel ...... 34 Non-Jewish Teachers’ Goals ...... 36 Conclusion on Goals ...... 37 Introduction to Classroom Curriculum ...... 38 Teaching Israel as a Symbol of Jewish Culture and Holidays ...... 40 Teaching Israel through Yom Ha’atzmaut Education ...... 42 Bringing the Languages of Israel into the Classrooms ...... 45 Hebrew ...... 46 Arabic ...... 48 Part Three: How does Exposure and Connection Affect Teachers’ Comfort Discussing Israel? ...... 50 Introduction ...... 50 Discussing Israeli Culture ...... 51 Discussing Israeli Politics ...... 54 Part Four: Recommendations ...... 58 Recommendations for Teachers ...... 58 Recommendations for Curriculum ...... 59 Conclusion ...... 62 Bibliography ...... 64

Abstract

“Israel is a country where everyone is Jewish!” This statement, which I have heard in

Jewish early childhood centers across the country, made me acutely aware of the lack of Israel education that is provided to pre-school teachers who teach about Israel in Jewish early- childhood settings. As a Joint Masters student in Jewish Nonprofit Management and Jewish

Education, I sought to understand teachers in a Jewish early-childhood program. I studied how their exposure and connection to Israel affects how they teach Israel in their classroom, as well as their ability to discuss Israel in their personal lives.

This case study is based on interviews with 21 employees at a typical synagogue-based early-childhood program in Los Angeles. The educators represent a variety of religious and ethnic backgrounds, including over a third non-Jews. Interviewees were asked about their initial exposure to Israel, how they teach Israel in their classroom, their uses of Hebrew and Arabic, and their comfort level discussing Israeli culture and politics.

I found that teachers who have been to Israel tended to teach Israel as a home and as a place of belonging, while non-Jewish teachers who had not traveled to Israel frequently discussed Israel as a holy and religious place. Additionally, in this early-childhood center, Israel was primarily taught leading up to Yom Ha’atzmaut. Their curriculum focuses on Israel as if it were a holiday, rather than a country with a diverse and multi-faceted society.

The interviews highlight the importance of meaningful Israel educational experiences for teachers, such as an Israel trip or formal education. Implementing more robust Israel education for early-childhood educators has the potential to inspire in-depth Israel exploration that can be woven through emergent curriculum throughout the year, fostering a sense of connection, wonder, and curiosity about Israel in the next generation.

Introduction

Israel is one of the most ubiquitous topics of discussion among the American Jewish community. It’s infused into our services and synagogue programs, it influences national politics, and it incites debate within our communities. Despite the Jewish community’s belief in the importance of Israel, there is no consensus of how, when, and why American Jewish children ought to learn about the Jewish homeland. “The socialization of young American Jews into a deep and meaningful connection with present-day Israel is not as self-evident or as ‘natural’ as it was 40-60 years ago” (Horowitz, 2012). Even within particular denominations of Judaism, there is no national curriculum or consensus on what content should be taught, or when it should be introduced. Lisa Grant and Ezra Kopelowitz wrote in their book, Israel Matters, that, “Israel education should be about integrating Israel more fully into the tapestry of Jewish life in North

America, that process cannot begin with Jewish teens; it must include the emotional and intellectual lives of Jewish children as well” (Grant & Kopelowitz, 2012). Israel education is often incorporated within the curriculum for supplementary religious school; however, little is known about Jewish early-childhood education and its capacity to teach about Israel in meaningful and developmentally appropriate ways to our youngest learners and their families.

This research seeks to begin to fill that gap in order to discover how early childhood educators’ personal exposure and connection to Israel affects the curriculum and methodology of teaching

Israel in a typical Jewish pre-school.

Throughout America’s Jewish educational institutions, Israel education is most often introduced in pre-schools and early-childhood centers. These settings, which most often serve two to five-year-olds, and their families, have no standard curriculum, which results in a wide

variety of content taught throughout the country. The teachers in these early childhood settings greatly differ in terms of their personal Israel education and experiences, bringing unique perspectives to their teaching. Teachers’ relationships with Israel are dynamic and are often affected by Israel exposure, education and experiences, as well as, current events and the media.

“Although it may seem that that these issues concern only adult learners and are not the main focus of Israel educators working with younger children, there has to be some recognition that educators themselves are affected by the contemporary context, as are the parents of the children” (Horowitz, 2012). As the field of Israel education continues to grow, it is important to recognize who is teaching about Israel in our Jewish education settings, and to recognize that early-childhood educators across America come from a variety of religious and ethnic backgrounds. As a result, different educators think about Israel in vastly different ways.

Non-Jewish teachers are part of the fabric of many progressive early-childhood centers.

This reality differs from that of Jewish day schools or supplementary religious schools which primarily hire Jewish teachers. Jewish early-childhood teachers are expected to help create a caring, warm, safe environment, teach young children about the world around them, and lay a foundation for future Jewish learning. “Jewish preschools can help to strengthen Jewish identity, enhance Jewish practice, and foster Jewish learning” (Rosen & Schwartz, 2015). This Jewish learning often includes a focus on Shabbat, holidays, Jewish values, and Israel, and can become the gateway into Jewish life for an entire family. This research seeks to investigate how exposure to Israel, or lack thereof, can influence how educators approach the subject.

Jewish early-childhood settings are often times the first place where young children are exposed to Israel, as a country, and as the Jewish homeland. Early childhood educators have the unique responsibility and opportunity to lay the foundation for additionally learning about the

Jewish state. With the rise of Birthright Israel, many more parents have had the opportunity to travel to Israel and have participated in a first-hand travel experience. Yet, many of these parents are left with questions and concerns about how to talk about Israel with their young children.

Parents of pre-school aged children use pre-school teachers as role models for Jewish living, they may ask teachers questions about aspects of Jewish life that they would like to learn more about.

They may turn to their children’s teachers during moments of political turmoil in Israel. It is important to know what the teachers in our Jewish early childhood centers think, feel, and know about Israel and how it affects their teaching. Only through understanding the diversity in their background and experiences, can schools properly fill in gaps and empower educators to teach about Israel passionately and authentically, which in turn will help create a sense of connection, wonder, and curiosity about Israel in the next generation.

Overview of the Fields of Study

In order to discover how teachers’ personal exposure and connection to Israel affect the curriculum and methodology of teaching Israel in a typical Jewish pre-school, there are two primary bodies of research to explore in depth: Jewish early-childhood education and Israel

Education. Currently, there is little research in the overlap between these two fields. Pearl Beck, a social psychologist, minimally discusses Israel education in her case study at a Jewish early childhood center, “Israel-related and Hebrew-language programs appear to be the weakest component. The only Israel-related programming is the celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s

Independence Day. Because few staff members speak Hebrew, let alone have visited Israel, some schools hire local Israelis to conduct programs, which consist mostly of Hebrew songs and dances” (Beck, 2002). Although this anecdote is short, it reflects trends Israel education in early-

childhood Israel curriculum including that Israel education is typically taught surrounding Yom

Ha’atzmut, and that Hebrew songs and dances are a key component to this curriculum. Findings that will be further explored in my research.

Both the fields of Jewish early-childhood education and Israel Education have continued to individually grow throughout the past ten years. This has led to an increase in academic research, related fellowships, and media coverage within the Jewish landscape. For my research, both the fields of Israel education and Jewish early childhood are used as foundations to understand and frame my research as a whole. Previous studies and their findings aid the understanding of mainstream definitions of relevant terms, questions in the field, developmentally appropriate practice and pedagogy, as well as recommendations for the future.

Introduction to Early Childhood Education

In order to have a strong foundation for my research, I examined the setting in which this research is situated, the early-childhood center. Jewish early-childhood education was first found in the United States in the 1930s to help children adapt to American culture (Vogelstein, 2002).

These original programs were part-time, and were an opportunity for young children to socialize with other Jewish children. This is no longer the national landscape. The National Jewish Early

Childhood Education Demographic Study commissioned by the Jewish Early Childhood

Education Partnership (JECEP) recently (2002) found that many children two to four years of age are spending between 20 and 40 hours a week in early childhood programs. This provides a huge opportunity for Jewish early-childhood to be a foundation for joyous Jewish learning. Ilene

Vogelstein writes about the opportunity and the challenges of Jewish early-childhood education in her article, “Nurturing the Next Generations.” She writes that “Jewish early-childhood

education has great potential for transforming ritual practice and community involvement in families. But first, it must be recognized as a credible educational experience, and resources must be invested in enhancing and developing exemplary Jewish early-childhood programs.

Additional resources enable more expanded programs so that children can participate in full day programs as well as attract more qualified teachers” (Vogelstein, 2002). Throughout the field’s history, Jewish early-childhood education has followed many societal patters of the field of early-childhood as a whole. It is often seen as a field of caregivers, who provide childcare services, rather than a professional field that demands high levels of training and community support to run excellent programs to help form and grow the Jewish experiences of young children and their families.

Early-childhood has become more necessary with the rise of two income families, particularly amongst Jewish populations. With the rise of these two-income households, parents’ priorities have shifted from religious connection and socialization, to convenience (Rosen &

Schwartz, 2015). Mark Rosen and Heidi Schwartz examine how parents choose childcare options in their study titled “How Jews Choose: A Study of Jewish Early Childhood Parents in Greater

Boston.” They find that both location and available hours play a large role in parents’ choice of where to send their children. However, in the Boston area they found that 48 percent of Jewish parents surveyed are sending their kids to Jewish early childhood and an additional 26 percent considered it. Many of these 26 percent who were considering Jewish early childhood settings made the choice to send their children elsewhere because there were limited Jewish options in their neighborhoods. Jewish parents are interested in Jewish early childhood as long as the programs fit the needs of their family.

Jewish early-childhood education is a field that has historically received minimal support, both professionally as well as financially. There are few specific pathways to leadership, and there are many teachers and directors who unexpectedly find themselves in the field. They join the field with a wide variety of backgrounds concerning both Jewish education as well as early- childhood education and experience. Nationally, there is only one graduate program that focuses specifically on Jewish early childhood education. However, around the country there has been an influx of fellowships including within JECELI: Jewish Early Childhood Education Learning

Institute, the JCCA Sheva Center, early-childhood movements within religious denominations, and the Paradigm Project. These programs are committed to elevating the field of Jewish early childhood education and are primarily attended by leaders within the school and school administrators. There is a significant lack of qualified Jewish professionals entering the field.

Many seek more profitable employment opportunities. “Most early childhood educators in

Jewish programs are between 30 and 50 years old and college-educated, and yet they earn salaries that are comparable to parking lot attendants ($19,400 annually in 2002), without any benefits” (Vogelstein, 2002). The lack of resources in the field leads to hiring teachers who may have a lower level of educational background, as well as teachers who have minimal Jewish knowledge. “One-third of the current early childhood professionals are not Jewish. Of those who are, the majority have no formal Jewish education beyond their afternoon religious school training” (Vogelstein, 2002). This reality is striking, and leads us to ask, how are teachers who are not Jewish, or Jewishly educated, teach about Jewish concepts - especially one as contentious as Israel? It is important that these realities about the field are known and shared, so that schools provide the resources necessary to deliver the rich Jewish education that children in Jewish early- childhood deserve.

Vogelstein’s research helped reinforce my decision to interview a diverse sample population of teachers including both Jews and non-Jews, all of which view themselves differently as Jewish educations, and especially, as Israel educations. Professionalizing the role, of the early-childhood teacher does not only evolve through changing external influences such as education and salary. Teachers themselves need to see themselves as Jewish educators and Israel educators. “Early childhood professionals must understand, believe, and accept that they are

Jewish educators, not preschool teachers and certainly not nannies or babysitters. Our educators, who spend several hours a day with our children, are helping them form values with which they will view themselves and the world” (Vogelstein, 2002). Understanding this landscape lays a framework for selecting the participants for the research. It was important for the sample size to have a level of diversity including non-Jewish educators, American Jewishly educated educators, educators who are Jewish and not well educated about Israel, and Israelis. Having this full range of ideas and lived experience is important to begin to understand how different teachers relate to teaching Jewish subject matter, particularly Israel, in the Jewish early childhood classroom.

Throughout the research process of Israel in early-childhood settings, it is evident that

Israel is a particular subset of early-childhood education which has been minimally studied. As mentioned earlier, Dr. Pearl Beck, a social psychologist who studies Jewish Education, briefly mentions Israel education in her article “Jewish Preschool as Gateways to Jewish Life.” In her research she surveys Jewish preschools, and particularly the parent communities in three cities.

She sees that Jewish pre-schools throughout the country engage parents in Jewish life in a way that extends beyond how they were observing Judaism before their child began Jewish pre- school. There is a new-found emphasis on Shabbat and holidays. Despite this growth in Jewish learning, Israel is a subset of content that she found minimally focus on in early childhood

settings. “Israel-related and Hebrew-language programs appear to be the weakest component.

The only Israel-related programming is the celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s

Independence Day. Because few staff members speak Hebrew, let alone have visited Israel, some schools hire local Israelis to conduct programs, which consist mostly of Hebrew songs and dances” (Beck, 2002). The focus on Yom Ha’atzmaut education is something examined within the capstone. Additionally, Beck’s findings raise questions about the use of Hebrew, Israeli song,

Israeli dance, and Israeli teachers in the classroom. This research seeks to analyze what kind of

Israel education is happening in an early-childhood center and whether or not it is affected by the early childhood educators’ exposure and connection to Israel.

Introduction to Israel Education

Israel education is a new field of study that has only recently been defined. The field of

Israel education has been evolving as a distinct field from Jewish education and has recently grown significantly, partially due to the creation of the iCenter for Israel Education in 2009. The iCenter describes itself as “a national hub and catalyst for building, shaping and supporting the field of Israel education, supporting educators and providing tools to bring Israel into students’ lives.” The iCenter trains a variety of Jewish educators to be Israel educators and has helped to support research and writing about Israel education. As a result, it has elevated the field. This research included a commissioned piece from a leading expert in the field, professor and socio- psychologist at New York University Bethamie Horowitz. In her piece, “Defining Israel

Education” Horiwitz helps to create a framework for understanding the field of Israel education.

Horowitz clearly defines the goal of Israel education, “To forge a relationship between the individual person and Israel, so that it becomes part of how a person thinks about him/herself as

a Jew” (Horowitz, 2012). This definition framed this capstone through explicitly stating how

Israel education is a modality to create a connection between the student and Israel, rather than simply transmitting knowledge. This definition of Israel education is used to both understand how teachers have experienced Israel education, as well as to define the Israel educational experiences that they create in their classrooms.

The specific topic for this research is also a response to a recommendation from

Horowitz’s piece where she recommends that, “opportunities for cultivating Israel educators amongst Jewish educators are essential to the enterprise” (Horowitz, 2012). This is an important recommendation for all aspects of Jewish education, and my research focuses on specifically understanding early-childhood educators as they relate to Israel and the field of Israel education.

Through examining a variety of current literature, it is evident that there is a gap of research that overlaps the fields of Israel education and Jewish early-childhood education, making this capstone an exciting and relevant addition to the field.

The Aleph-Bet of Israel Education significantly informs this particular capstone in its definitions and framing of Israel educators, understanding Israel as content, and pedagogies and methodologies of teaching Israel. This book was published by the iCenter and contains a series of essays of focusing on different aspects of Israel education. These essays together are designed to be, “a set of core principles, approaches to content, and essential pedagogies that together constitute the building blocks for the field” (Lanski, 2011). One chapter, “The Educator: The

Power of Teaching, The Power of Learning” by Clare Goldwater and Lesley Litman, goes in- depth into how we define what it means to be an Israel educator in the 21st century. This essay begins with what it means to be an educator, which they define as, “the moment we are in a position to affect another human being’s perspective” (Goldwater & Litman, 2011). This

definition is broad, and provides opportunity for both lead teachers and assistant teachers to be considered educators in early childhood settings. Being an educator is not based on the creation of a curriculum; rather it is a role with the ability to alter opinion and my research examines how teachers are able to do just that. Goldwater and Litman continue to define who is an Israel

Educator: “whether or not Israel is in your job description or your title, if you are concerned with connecting your learners to the land and state of Israel then this chapter is talking to you”

(Goldwater & Litman, 2011). This definition helped to frame the questions in my research in order to understand how pre-school teachers define themselves as Israel educators and the work that they do as Israel education. Lastly, Goldwater and Litman discuss the challenge of authentically connecting to content. They state that, “Authenticity in Israel education can only be achieved when the deliverer of that education is authentically connected with his or her own feelings and passion about Israel” (Goldwater & Litman, 2011). The interview questions for this research strive to build upon this concept. They were created to support educators as they grapple with and uncover their own feelings and passions about Israel, and to elicit responses focused on how those feelings translate to tangible early-childhood appropriate classroom curriculum.

The Aleph Bet of Israel Education additionally contains essays that help frame approaches to Israel as content. One such essay, by Zohar Raviv titled, “Eretz, Medina, Am

Yisrael: Navigating Multiple Landscapes,” breaks down the variety of different conceptual frameworks that individuals have for thinking about Israel. The piece illuminates the need to continually clarify how we define terms in conversations surrounding Israel. Throughout the interview process, I discovered that thinking about Israel as a land, country or people was a concept that was often new to educators. As will be shown, using Raviv’s structure of Eretz,

Medina and Am Yisrael helped create consistency in how we defined Israel. Raviv also includes

a historical analysis of how the Jewish people have conceptualized Israel throughout time. He writes about the imagined land, the covenantal land, the remembered land, the lived land, and the envisioned land. These concepts place modern Israel education within the larger historical framework and are a reminder that how we think about Israel is dependent on where we situate ourselves within history. Additionally, this framework enabled the categorization of interviews to see if early-childhood teachers think about Israel as an imagined land, a covenantal land, a remembered land, a lived land, or an envisioned land, and whether or not that corresponded to a teacher’s previous Israel education and experience.

When considering how early-childhood educators think about teaching Israel, it is important to understand what curriculum is, and what curriculum about Israel looks like throughout the Jewish educational landscape. Jan Katzew’s essay titled “Curricularizing Israel:

Principles and Themes” that deals directly with this topic in child centered, experiential education. “The Israel curriculum should be a combination of education and experience, addressing the mind, the heart, and the limbs” (Katzew, 2011). He additionally lists what he thinks and Israel curriculum must encompass:

1. Core Values about Israel that we want young people initially to internalize.

2. Israel themes that we regard as essential to conveying those values

3. Experiences related to Israel that we see as integral to making those values real

These three concepts were integral to figuring out how to sort and analyze the important work that our early-childhood teachers are doing in their classrooms. Through categorizing values, themes, and experiences, it is easier to analyze and understand how, and to what extent, teachers are thinking about, and creating Israel curriculum. Additionally, Katzew talks about

Israel permeating beyond the walls of the school and into the fabric of the institution. “The Israel

curriculum should permeate the culture of the institution, i.e. its aesthetics, its ethics, its staff and its budget” (Katzew, 2011). This insight informed the interviews with the director and teachers at the Shalom Center shedding light on how they conceptualize how Israel may be taught not just within the walls of the classrooms, but also within of the school-wide culture. Despite the fact that The Aleph-Bet of Israel Education has a wealth of ideas about how teach Israel in elementary school and beyond, it has little to nothing to say about Israel education specifically within early childhood settings, a common trend throughout the field of Israel Education.

Another core piece of literature that is essential to the growing field of Israel education research is Lisa Grant and Ezra Kopelowitz’s book, Israel Education Matters: a 21st Century

Paradigm for Jewish Education. This work helps lay a foundation for the raison d’etre of this research. Through some believe that Israel a developmentally inappropriate topic for early- childhood learners, it continues to be taught to young children in Jewish early-childhood centers across America and across denominations. According to Grant and Kopelowitz, that’s because

“It (Israel) is a core element of Judaism and the collective Jewish experience wherever it’s lived”

(Grant & Kopelowitz, 2012). Grant and Kopelowitz respond to the fear that Israel education is becoming over-simplified due to a fear of the challenge of teaching multiple and complex narratives to young and young adult learners. They seek to share modalities and models of how to teach Israel in a way that will lay a foundation of connection to Israel without the demands of unconditional love. This is because “a conventional approach to education about Israel that promotes and perhaps even demands an unreflective love, may ultimately leave Israel as a superficial, peripheral and even and alienating aspect of American Jewish life” (Grant 2008).

They recommend teaching Israel through lived experiences, rather than focusing curriculum on symbolic norms that are seen as the cornerstones of most Israel curriculum. “A balanced

approach of Israel education should include dimensions of both symbolic and critical engagement rooted in the social reality of individuals’ lives” (Grant & Kopelowitz, 2012). Their recommendations for excellent Israel education are a strong foundation for the recommendations set forth in this capstone, and they help frame how Israel education should be conceptualized and formed for learners of all ages.

Sivan Zakai responds to Grant and Kopelowitz’s challenge of teaching Israel to our youngest learners by seeking to answer the question: “How do young children make sense of

Israel?” She is doing this through a long-term ethnographic study following students from kindergarten through sixth grade. She writes, “If Israel education is to better respond to the concerns, needs, and questions of children, it will require a better understanding of how children make sense of Israel” (Zakai, 2015). Zakai is the only researcher to study how children as young as five think about Israel, and she writes about her findings in an article “Israel is Meant for Me:

Kindergarteners conceptions of Israel” published in the Jewish Journal of Education. She particularly focuses on how young children are able to hold conflicting viewpoints about Israel simultaneously without seeing their opposing views as hypocritical. Her research shows, “how children conceive of Israel as a Jewish place and a home for those who live there, a dangerous place and a safe haven for Jews, and a place at once special and ordinary” (Zakai, 2015). This thinking already reflects many of the “meta-narratives that American Jews tell themselves about themselves.” These findings show the significance of how the views we chose to share with our youngest learners lay a strong foundation for how they continue to think about Israel in elementary school and beyond. These findings compel Zakai to recommend that foundational curriculum can include diversity and provide opportunity to discuss challenges within Israeli society in developmental appropriate ways. “Curricula geared at young children need not avoid

teaching about Israel as a home to many peoples and religions, even as it teaches about the special role that it has played in the past and present of the Jewish people. Teachers of young children need not steer clear of talking about the challenges—mundane and extraordinary— facing Israel’s residents, even as they teach about Israel’s special landscapes and customs”

(Zakai, 2015). Zakai’s research is currently the only research about how young children conceptualize Israel, and provides a wonderful framework for the recommendations in this capstone. Additionally, it creates the awareness and space that children, as young as five years old, already have views and ideas about Israel. These begin to form throughout earlier experiences in their homes and through Jewish early childhood centers. This reality, which Zakai illuminates, creates a space for examining what children are learning about Israel in these early childhood centers, and for understanding the teachers who are teaching Israel within these spaces.

Through reading and examining a variety of literature about both early-childhood education and Israel education, it is evident that there is a gap in research about what Israel education looks like in our early childhood classrooms. This gap includes understanding the goals of Israel education, the content of Israel education, the pedagogy and methods of teaching

Israel, and lastly the educators themselves. It is important to understand who are early childhood educators, and what has been their exposure to Israel including their background and experiences surrounding Israel education. In addition, this capstone seeks to understand early-childhood educators’ connection to the state of Israel and how, and if, this connection relates to what content to they bring to our youngest learners. The research that exists creates a foundation and basis for understanding how to define terms, what questions to ask, as well as what young children think about Israel. This research’s purpose is to systematically understand who our

early-childhood educators are in one particular setting and analyze how that affects Israel education within one Los Angeles area school.

Definitions

Throughout this paper, I will be defining these terms as follows:

Israel: Israel is the modern political state founded in 1948, as well as the land where the modern state was founded. Gaza and the West Bank are included in this definition of Israel, and when they are referred to independently they are referred to as the Palestinian Territories.

Early-Childhood, Pre-School, Children’s Center and Nursery School: These terms are used interchangeably throughout this paper and refer to schools that serve students approximately ages two through five. Students at these schools attend between two and five days per week and between three to eight hours a day.

Jewish: All teachers self-defined as either Jewish or non-Jewish as they saw fit. For research purposes, the definition of Jewish refers to anyone who self-identified as Jewish with a Jewish mother or father, or someone who has personally converted. Many teachers discussed leading

Jewish lives or knowing Jewish rituals, despite self-defining as non-Jewish.

Shalom Center: The Shalom Center is the pseudonym for the center in which this research was focused. This center is connected to a large, affluent Reform synagogue in Los Angeles. The

Shalom Center has eleven preschool classes and helps foster the growth, development and learning for Jewish children aged two to five.

Lead Teacher: There is one lead teacher for each of the eleven classrooms, and she (all are female) prepares and leads the curriculum her class and is in charge of all written parent communication. There are no religious qualifications to be a lead teacher at the Shalom Center.

Assistant Teacher: There are two assistant teachers for each of the eleven classrooms at the

Shalom Center. Assistant Teachers support the Lead Teacher in implementing curriculum and managing classroom behavior. There are no religious qualifications to be an assistant teacher at the Shalom Center.

Research Methods

In order to see how Israel is taught in Jewish pre-schools, I conducted a case study in a typical synagogue-based early-childhood center. I interviewed twenty teachers as well as the director. Performing in-depth interviews provided the opportunity to hear the stories, thoughts and feelings that pre-school teachers have about Israel role Israel plays in their classrooms, as well as Israel’s role in their personal lives. Interviews allowed me to hear variances in language and ask follow-up questions to discover insight that would not have been as easily gained through a survey or other forms of quantitative data.

The research took place at an early-childhood center which I will refer to as the Shalom

Center. It is a large pre-school with over one hundred fifty students and approximately thirty- three teachers. I chose this school because of the varied nature of its staff and access gained

through my experience as a student intern at the Shalom Center. The Shalom Center was not chosen at random, and I was a known entity to those who I interviewed. I believe that the genuine relationships I have with the people I interviewed provided the opportunity for our conversations about Israel to be deeper and more authentic, but I acknowledge that the pre- existing relationships may have impacted the data I ultimately collected.

My qualitative research included interviews of both lead teachers and teaching assistants.

I sought to have a representative sample of teachers who were observantly Jewish, non- practicing Jewish, Israeli, and non-Jewish. Initially, I was hoping to interview the full sample of thirty-three teachers, but realized that was too much for the scope of this capstone and that a sample of twenty-one participants displayed the wide range of diversity that exists throughout the teaching staff. The twenty-one interviews, strove to be a representative sample of this community taking into account diversity in position, sex, ethnicity and religion. The final data derive from interviews of interviewing the director, five lead teachers, fourteen assistant teachers and the music specialist.

I found it more challenging than I expected to find times in which I could interview teachers. Initially, I sent out an email explaining my research with a link to a Google sheet, yet despite the fact that I sent it out twice, no one signed up. It was recommended to me that I leave a sign-up sheet near where teachers sign-in each day with times to interview. This was more successful and many teachers signed up. However, due to the unpredictable nature of the pre- school environment, teachers were often not able to honor the time we had set aside to talk. I had the most success finding teachers on a break, or after school and seizing the moment to interview them immediately. The spontaneous nature of these interviews resulted in a more diverse sample population. Fewer teachers self-selected to be interviewed, and the spontaneous nature of these

interviews allowed me to interview teachers who felt as if they had nothing to contribute to the conversation about Israel, conversations important to my completed data-set.

Research Questions

Each of the interviews were unique; I was amazed at the diversity in backgrounds and experiences of each of the teachers at the Shalom Center. Despite the fact that each interview was different, all of my interviews questions were asked in order to inform, and gain insight to, my five main research questions.

Five Main Research Questions:

1. What experiences have shaped the Shalom Center’s pre-school teachers’ views towards Israel? 2. What do pre-school teachers at the Shalom Center teach about Israel? 3. How does what they know affect how and what they teach? 4. In what settings, and with whom, do pre-school teachers at the Shalom Center talk about Israel? 5. In what ways do the pre-school teachers at the Shalom Center think about Israel as a cultural or political entity?

These five research questions guided my twenty interview questions. While conducting the interviews, I was acutely aware that I had existing relationships with every teacher I interviewed, and that I would be in relationship with them for the rest of the year. My awareness of this reality resulted in interviews that were significantly inconsistent. It is important to note that the teachers and their experiences were so vastly different that it was important to ask them each different questions, in order to best honor their stories and experiences. However, there were some teachers who informed me they knew very little, and were visibly uncomfortable talking about Israel, who I refrained from asking any follow up questions. Others shied away from politics, and let that not be the focus of the conversation. In retrospect, I wish that I had felt

comfortable pushing more teachers to answer more questions to create more consistent data.

Regardless, I had many enriching conversations and learned a tremendous amount from the teachers who I interviewed. Although my interview questions greatly differed, they were based on my initial set of twenty questions.

1. What inspired you to be a teacher at this school? 2. Can you share with me a bit about your connection to Judaism? 3. Where did you first learn about Israel? 4. Have you ever had any formal education surrounding Israel? Any informal education? 5. What does Israel mean to you? 6. How does your background affect how you teach Israel? 7. When does Israel come up in your classroom? 8. Tell me a bit about your Israel curriculum? 9. What do you do for Yom Ha'atzmaut? 10. Are there any specific books you use to teach about Israel? 11. Do you use maps when you teach about Israel? 12. How do you use Hebrew in your teaching about Israel? 13. How do you use Arabic in your teaching about Israel? 14. How do you talk at all about diversity within Israel as you teach? 15. In your position as an early childhood educator, does Israel come up with parents and with teachers? Where do you find yourself in these conversations? 16. Do you feel comfortable talking about Israeli culture? 17. Do you feel comfortable talking about Israeli politics? 18. Do you follow Israel in the news? 19. Have you heard criticism towards Israel within your community, how is it expressed? 20. What are your goals for your students learning?

The twenty-one interviews ranged between six to twenty-five minutes with the majority being between fifteen and twenty minutes. Although I imagined that they would be longer, teachers only had one short break time throughout the day, and all were able to use the short time we had together very effectively; many of them spoke quite quickly. The few shorter interviews that I conducted, correlated with the teachers who were not Jewish, and had little to no knowledge about Israel. Although the interviews were short, their lack of Israel education and experience proved important in my findings.

Teacher Profiles

Each teacher at the Shalom Center has a unique story, background and set of experiences.

For the purpose of this capstone, I often refer to teachers using demographic qualifiers, such as

Jewish, non-Jewish, Israeli etc. This is not to say that every teacher in this demographic category shares the same experience or perspective. However, small scale trends did appear throughout my research and understanding the teachers’ profiles helps make sense of the data, findings and trends.

Sex:

I interviewed twenty women and one man. The man who I interviewed is an assistant teacher and the only male-identified teacher at the school.

Ethnicity:

Ten of the interviewees were born in the United States, two born in Israel, two born in Iran, and one in each born in Bulgaria, Ukraine, Guatemala, the Netherlands, El Salvador, Belarus and

Armenia.

An interesting finding was that four of women interviewed became connected to the Shalom

Center after working as nannies for families who sent their children there. After the children started to attend elementary school, these women found employment and community at the

Shalom Center. This is common at the school as a whole, and has aided in increasing ethnic and religious diversity at the Shalom Center.

Religion:

Thirteen of the twenty-one self-identified as Jewish, which is equivalent to about 62 percent. Of the 38 percent who are not Jewish, three identify as Catholic, and five identify as not affiliated with a religious denomination at this point in their lives.

Lead Teachers: In the school as a whole, three of the eleven lead teachers are not Jewish, 27 percent, and eight are Jewish, 77 percent. In this study, I interviewed two non-Jewish lead teachers, and three Jewish lead teachers.

Assistant Teachers: In the school as a whole, 12 of the 21 assistant teachers are not Jewish, totaling 57 percent, and nine are Jewish, 42 percent. I interviewed a total of 14 assistant teachers: eight Jewish teachers, totaling 57 percent, and six who are not Jewish, 42 percent.

Israel Experience and Exposure:

Eleven of the interviewees had been to Israel in their lifetime, all of which were Jewish. This included two individuals who were born in Israel, four in total who had lived there for more than two years and four who had been as part of a Birthright trip. Ten of the 21 teachers have never been to Israel, including two Jewish teachers and the eight non-Jewish teachers.

The non-Jewish teachers had first been exposed to Israel in two distinctively different ways. All but one of the teachers over forty, first exposure to Israel took place either nannying for Jewish families or teaching in the early-childhood center. Younger teachers, under-forty, first heard about Israel on their college campuses where there was significant anti-Israel rhetoric on their

campus. This finding both illumined differences in educational background between older and younger non-Jewish teachers as well as shows the variety of methods that non-Jewish teachers are first exposed to Israel.

The demographic data variety allows for a variety of ways to understand for a deeper interpretation into how background and experience affects a teacher’s mindset and curriculum towards Israel.

Findings

Part One: Pre-School Teachers’ Exposure and Connection to Israel

Introduction to Teachers’ Exposure to Israel

Jewish teachers had more exposure to Israel than non-Jewish teachers, but the exposure to Israel for Jewish teachers was not consistent. Through the interview process, it became clear that a personal Israel experience greatly shapes an individual’s views toward Israel. Only Jewish teachers at the Shalom Center have traveled to Israel, although many of the non-Jewish teachers have a deep curiosity and strong desire to visit. As a result, I found that there was a significant difference in tone, enthusiasm, and passion in how Jewish teachers who had traveled to Israel, talked about Israel, and also, taught about Israel.

The desire to visit Israel for both Jewish and non-Jewish teachers grows from being exposed to pictures, stories, sites and food of Israel, either from previous personal experiences or from their time teaching and learning at the Shalom Center. Many of the Jewish teachers also

have had the additional experiences of hearing about Israel in their homes, and within Jewish communal institutions throughout their life. The director shared her story about how she had talked about Israel with her grandparents who were deeply committed Zionists:

“From the time I was a little girl, my grandparents went to Israel. I still have the hanukiah that they gave me. I probably was six or seven years old. They were religious, and my grandfather, he was my inspiration. From that day on, I wanted to go to Israel and Israel was a huge part of my life.”

Other teachers heard about Israel in their childhood religious schools and summer camps. Three of the teachers spoke fondly of their experiences on Birthright, and the impact that that experience had on their current relationship with Israel:

“I was in religious school from pre-school through sophomore year of high school. I went to Israel last summer with Birthright. The experience was insane. It was amazing. It was a good group of people. The culture, you feel connected to it. For me, it’s like I’ve learned about it my whole life, it was so crazy to be there. I love the food, I love the culture, most of the people, not all of them. We just had a lot of laughs, it was a really good group.”

The three Jewish teachers from the former Soviet Union often did not have these early

Israel experiences. They knew little about Israel, and even their own Jewishness, until they were teenagers or young adults. One had the opportunity to learn more about Israel as a teen in a

Jewish Summer camps where she was first exposed to Israeli culture and Israeli people. Another only learned more about Israel once they moved to America:

“I was afraid to talk about Israel, not until I grew up were people allowed to talk about Israel. People in our country hate Jewish you know? I know very less about Israel and the Jewish stuff, but they put my name and my passport and I’m Jewish! When I came here, especially in this school, it was open eyes for me.”

Both teachers from Iran had family in Israel and spent time there in their youth visiting their families. These teachers saw Israel as a safe place, and one where you could be proud to be

Jewish. They also reflected on their time spent in Israel very nostalgically, and have important

memories of childhood and of being a young adult in Israel, spending time with friends and family:

“My grandparents lived in Israel and went in 1949. We visited Israel growing up, it was so much fun and we were in love, we loved it there. Then my parents got an apartment there in 1978 when there was a revolution. So, we moved, I went to ulpan. It was wonderful to learn the language. I wanted to be in Israel, the situation was very bad in Iran.”

Each individual learned about Israel through a set of unique experiences, yet their early experiences with Israel and Judaism cultivated feelings of deep appreciation for the Jewish state.

Each and every one of them spoke of positive feelings and connections toward Israel.

Jewish Teachers’ Connection with Israel: The Impact of an Israel Experience

Teachers would pause, and reminisce, about the time they spent in Israel. Their voices would change, some slowed down, others sped up, but many spoke with passion:

“It is my homeland, someplace where I’ve spent years, I’ve studied in Hebrew University and ulpan. I am terribly interested in everything that happens there. I was devastated by Shimon Peres’ passing. I love teaching these little kids about Hebrew words and Hebrew phrases and I love getting them excited about being Jewish.”

Many spoke about Israel as a home, or a place in which they feel deeply connected.

Additionally, teachers discussed being connected to the culture of Israel. Many of the teachers described Israel with sensory orientated language and they described the sights, smells, tastes and experiences they had while they were there:

“Birthright was really fun, I told people afterwards that Birthright wasn’t necessarily a religious experience for me, but more cultural. I felt like, you didn't have to be Jewish in order to understand what Israel was all about, or to enjoy it. I just loved more of the history and the context and I feel like even the buildings, everything just has a story. I feel like when you’re here (America), a building is a building; a building is where you go to do multiple different things. I feel in Israel every building has a meaning, a specific

meaning for that building, how it came to be, what happened if it knocked down and then was rebuilt and so Israel was just an eye-opening experience, of just, everything has purpose, everything has a meaning.”

Multiple individuals talked about how they feel connected not just to the people and culture, but to the physical places within Israel; that the even in air, they felt transported to a different place:

“I’ve been to Israel four times. The first time I went, like when you get off the plane, you just smell something in the air that makes you feel like you connect with it on a different level and when you walk through the streets, I’ve never been somewhere where I’ve connected with every stranger in front of me.”

Through conducting interviews, it is evident that a first-hand Israel experience has a deep impact on individuals’ relationship toward Israel. Individuals are able to create a connection to the land, people and culture. They are able to effusively talk about how Israel has impacted them, culturally or religiously, even if they have only spent ten days there. Through examining additional findings, it is necessary to remember how influential this first-hand Israel experience is, regardless of religion or religious observance. An Israel experience has a unique impact on how teachers think, talk, and teach, about Israel.

Non-Jewish Teachers’ Exposure to Israel

Non-Jewish teachers also spoke positively about Israel, yet there are differences in what they know and how they talk about Israel compared to the teachers who have spent time there.

Most of the non-Jewish teachers’ knowledge about Israel draws from what they have learned since they began being involved in Jewish life either through their university, being a nanny to a

Jewish family, teaching at the Shalom Center, or first teaching at a different Jewish pre-school.

Non-Jewish teachers’ first exposure to Israel greatly differed between the age demographics and ethnicities. The younger non-Jewish teachers tended to be born in the United States, and they

originally learned about Israel first during their college experience. Older non-Jewish teachers tended to not be born in America, and originally learned about Israel through their work experience. Half of the non-Jewish teachers specifically discussed how what they have learned about Israel comes from Israeli teachers who work at the center. Many spoke specifically about an Israeli teacher, Talia, who taught Judaic studies throughout the school, but is no longer working at the Shalom Center. One non-Jewish lead teacher shared, “I’ve had no formal or informal education about Israel, it’s all from Talia, and from Aya.” These teachers, and Talia in particular, obviously made a tremendous impact in bringing Jewish culture to the school and they were mentioned by both Jewish and non-Jewish teachers as individuals who consistently brought

Israel into the classroom.

Non-Jewish teachers seemed to have a special relationship with Talia because as she taught, they learned about Israel and Judaism right along with the students. “They didn’t directly teach me (about Israel), they teach children but I listen and learn.” The curriculum that Talia taught was uniquely her own. She came into each class, talked to students and created projects.

Since Talia came into every classroom, teachers never felt responsible for learning about or teaching Israel. Unfortunately, since Talia is no longer at the school, and her materials were not organized into a curriculum, her teachings are unable to be analyzed or reproduced. Talia, however, was not the only source of knowledge concerning Israel within the community.

Teachers who had been at the Shalom Center for some time learned a bit about Israel from a course that was offered five years ago through the Builders of Jewish Education (BJE).

Teachers remembered enjoying that course, but could give me only minimal information about what they learned. There has been no professional development opportunity to learn about Israel on the adult level for at least the past five years. If teachers do not have knowledge about Israel

before working at the school, then they will most often begin their Israel education right along with their students and gain more knowledge over time through conversations with teachers who had deep and rich Israel experiences.

Non-Jewish Teachers’ Connection with Israel: The Impact of a Classroom

Experience

Non-Jewish teachers are primarily exposed to the same Israel education as their two to five-year-old students. Throughout my interviews, this minimal education appeared to create a strong, positive connection to Israel and a drive to make Israel fun and exciting for students.

Many of these non-Jewish teachers have taught about Israel so many times that they feel like they have been there, and they talk about Israel with positive language and feelings. Many have a strong desire to travel and spend time in Israel:

“I don’t know anything about Israel, I want to go to Israel. That’s my dream, and I’m not going to die until I go to Israel. I cannot not go, I have to go, I want to go to the wailing wall. Why do I want to go to Israel? I’ve seen pictures, lots of pictures. Every year for Yom Ha’atzmaut, for eleven years we've been doing these different stations, the kibbutz and all of that I see myself, in my head. I see myself there. So far, it’s a dream that I have not been able to make yet. My girlfriend, my wife Claudia, she wants to go and it’s a dream we both have, we’re going to Israel. It’s a dream. I want to go to the Wailing Wall. I want to float in the Dead Sea, there are so many things I want to do, I want to go to Israel.”

This teacher is passionate about the Israel that she has seen in her own students’ experiences, and longs to live out the experiences she creates for her students in her own life.

Throughout the interviews, there were multiple instances of non-Jewish teachers discussing

Israel as a religious place. They specifically talk about the holiness of the land, their desire to pray at the Kotel and how it is a holy place for multiple religions. This is a way of including their

own religious background in the conversation of how they are teaching and understanding Israel.

Non-Jewish teachers did not talk about Israel as a home to Jewish culture, rather, religion.

“First of all, Israel is a holy land. Everybody goes there to pray, to be, to get in touch with their feelings, God, their wishes, their desires, their most secret inner thoughts. That’s what I think.”

Other teachers talk about Israel as a “scared place.” Of the ten non-Jewish teachers, only two felt personally unsure about their feelings about Israel and felt disconnected because of their minimal experience with Israel. One, non-Jewish and from the Netherlands stated that she had:

“No cultural, heritage or anything sucking me there except for that it sounds cool.”

Another American Non-Jewish teacher, who is married to a Jewish man, said that Israel was a barrier to her converting:

“The one thing that has kept me from going that extra step is the strong connection to Israel. I’ve never been there, and I don’t have any family from there. That’s the one aspect that has been in the way for me.”

To them, Israel was a place just like any other place and they knew that mindset set them apart from other teachers at the school. They still thought positively about Israel yet, just personally felt as if didn't have any particular connection to the country or land.

Conclusion on Teachers’ Israel Exposure and Connection

Throughout the early-childhood center, each teacher brought a completely unique set of educational experiences surrounding Israel. Many Jewish pre-school teachers have lived or spent significant time in Israel that has supported their relationship, others have been on Birthright.

These teachers have a strong connection to Israel that is grounded in the idea that Israel is a

Jewish home and a space where they belong. Many said they feel at home there and are excited

to teach its history and culture to their students. Teachers who haven’t been to Israel first hand primarily learned about Israel through working in the Jewish community or through conversations on their colleges’ campus. However, the majority of teachers who hadn’t traveled to Israel, spent time learning about Israel from other teachers right alongside their students.

Many of these teachers speak about Israel positively, and are eager to create experiences to connect their students to the holy land, their religious homeland. They see Israel as a holy and special place for the Jewish people, so much so, that many are eager to travel there for themselves. However, there are a few of the non-Jewish teachers who felt as if they had no connection with Israel, to them it sounds like an interesting place, may be a “cool” place but it is not a place where they feel drawn to or spiritually connected. These wide ranges of experiences set a foundation for a wide variety of curricula as teachers seek to bring their own knowledge and educational experiences into the Israel education of the Shalom Center.

Part Two: Israel in the Early Childhood Classroom

Institutional Goals for Teaching Israel

Israel Education at the Shalom Center is minimal, mainly focused on the week or two leading up to Yom Ha’atzmaut in May. Despite this reality, both Jewish and non-Jewish teachers have significant goals for what they want their students to learn about Israel during this time.

When asked about their goals for their students’ learning, there were a wide range of answers including cognitive goals which focused on acquisition of knowledge, affective goals which focus on feelings, as well as goals that relate to the spiritual and Jewish identity of the student.

The director of the Shalom Center shared her own goal, which reinforces the notion of the importance of cultural connection:

“I want them to know the customs, the traditions, that Israel is our homeland and that thousands of years ago this is where our culture started, our identity started, and that everyone should take a trip to Israel with their family.”

This reinforces the idea that Israel is a means to understanding Jewish culture, which was a very common idea, especially amongst the Jewish teachers.

Jewish Teachers’ Goals for Teaching Israel

Both Jewish and non-Jewish teachers had rarely, if ever, been formally asked about their goals for Israel education, resulting in a wide variety of goals amongst teachers. The disparity amongst educators was very apparent, most teachers shared goals that were based on their own exposure to Israel rather than what they determined was developmentally appropriate for their learners. Jewish teachers who had been to Israel shared a lot of affective goals. These teachers were the ones who also spoke very positively about their own Israel experience; they spoke about how they hope to create a desire to learn more about this homeland so far away:

“I just want them to be curious, I want to leave them with a curiosity and a wonder about what it is. I want them to think, ‘I know this place exists it’s not tangible right now but I know a little bit about it and I want to know more.”

Many teachers spoke about how hard it is to have goals for such young children. They know when their students think that Israel is a challenging subject to accurately conceptualize.

However, despite this, they still want their students to continue to learn more about Israel during their time at the Shalom Center:

“I think for me goals would be more geography and cultural, rather than any kind of controversy, they are so young, they aren’t even three yet. but yeah, the geography and the culture.”

These concrete goals were consistent amongst teachers. Most teachers are eager for their students to learn about the sights, sounds and tastes of Israel and some spoke about their curriculum for Yom Ha’atzmaut as a framework to discuss the goals they had for their students

Israel education:

“My goal is just for them to know what Israel is, to know things about the key points about the main cities, and in those main cities, what you know the focus is in those main cities. Like, what’s a kibbutz? So we’ll squeeze oranges or squeeze lemons, so they do all that, or if it’s traveling on the airplane and then it’s the Kotel and make the wishes and the wall.”

Teachers who had spent time living in Israel discussed the importance of teaching about the state of Israel, and the physical land of Israel, rather than just the geography and culture.

Additionally, they used very strong positive language to explain the connection they want their students to have to the state of Israel:

“I want them to have a positive understanding that is a Jewish state and I would love for them to feel proud about who they are as Jewish children. I want them to just have a positive feeling about it.”

This teacher really emphasized pride, not just for themselves, but pride in the Jewish people. There is a strong sense of collective Jewish identity that she sees as intrinsically connected to a strong connection with Israel. Another teacher shared how important it is for her to teach her students that Israel is a place that belongs to the entirety of the Jewish people:

“It (Israel) is belonging to something kadosh. I'm blessed that I have been there and I have seen it. I want them to know that that they have a land there, even if they haven’t seen it, that this land belongs to us and it’s there for us always, and we belong to that land.”

These ideas were much more abstract than the teachers who had been to Israel only one or two times. There is a connection that these teachers have to the state and land of Israel that is important for them to pass down to the next generation.

Non-Jewish Teachers’ Goals

Non-Jewish teachers’ goals for Israel education were often based on their own exposure to Israel, either rooted in their own religious tradition, or on the concrete curriculum that they had been exposed to while working at a Jewish pre-school. These teachers, like Jewish teachers, had thoughtful abstract goals for what they want their students to gain from their Israel curriculum. Some of these thoughts were focused on Israel specifically; however, many were focused on the beauty of religion as a whole, and how Israel can teach universal values through a

Jewish lens:

“I want students to learn that all people are precious and we are all even when it comes to God and that God loves everybody.”

This was the only answer that mentioned a connection to God. One teacher connected her goal of her students’ learning to the idea of the importance of teaching peace and acceptance. It was interesting how she felt that the Jewish people get along with everyone, despite the fact that the country is often facing challenges with its neighbors:

“Israel always tries to be a peaceful country and that they always advocate for peace in the region, that to me is very, very important, to me Jewish people they get along with anyone, that’s what we can learn about.”

This idea of Israel and the Jewish people as moral exemplars helps this teacher as she sees those values as tangible and important components of her students’ understanding of Israel as a nation. Many teachers brought up of the concept of Israel as a holy place and a place different from other places. This idea was shared by both Jewish and non-Jews and it is fascinating to hear that non-Jewish teachers have become so passionate about Israel:

“I want them to learn that Israel is a very special place, it’s a really special place and whoever has the honor, and I mean the honor, to visit or be born

there to embrace it and be happy about it, because Israeli people are blessed and I feel that it’s special, very special.”

These teachers share a yearning not only to be connected to Israel as a place, but also to the Jewish people as a whole. This sentiment was not found among all the non-Jewish teachers, yet was something that did exist, particularly for teachers who did feel connected to their own religion:

“What should the goal be for students to learn about Israel? I think they should understand the history which is so rich there and everything that the Torah says about Israel, there should be a passion and curiosity that’s already there so when they go there it’s a place of reverence, that it’s a majestic place that they have heard about their whole life and now they are actual there and that they feel complete and connected to their heritage.”

Non-Jewish teachers want their students to be prepared not just cognitively but also emotionally and spiritually for the experience of traveling to Israel. They want them to understand that Israel is their homeland and traveling there is an experience that they should not take for granted. These are part of a variety of abstract goals that these non-Jewish teachers have for their young students.

Conclusion on Goals

Many of the teachers were aware that their Israel curriculum was limited and that they are unsure if they are meeting the goals the hope to achieve. The director shared that she knows that the curriculum at the moment is limited, and does not reach her intended goal:

“I think we could do a much better job teaching about Israel and not just around Yom Ha’atzmaut.”

Throughout my interviews, it is evident that there is a significant focus on Israel education surrounding Yom Ha’atzmaut. Many teachers know that this is a surface level Israel educational experience, which gives students the opportunity to learn and “experience” many of

the sites of Israel. This simulation experience fulfills a variety of teacher’s cognitive goals for the students. It gives them exposure to the geography, major cities and some of the Israeli sites.

Additionally, this simulation experience is fun and engaging; teachers believe that it will lay the foundation of connection and positive feelings towards the Jewish homeland. Throughout the interviews, there was little connection between teachers’ goals for Israel education and the reality of what was happening in the classroom. This lack of connection could be partially due to the wide variety of goals that teachers have for Israel education throughout the Shalom Center. In order to create an Israel curriculum that aligns with the goals of the classroom or institution, it would be necessary for there to be clearly defined classroom or intuitional wide goals for the curriculum and pedagogy of Israel education.

Introduction to Classroom Curriculum

Throughout the Shalom Center, there is little-to-no instructional curriculum focusing on the content and methodology of Israel Education. Understanding Israel as a faraway country with different cultures and languages is a concept that is hard for young children to conceptualize.

This reality alone makes Israel a topic that is developmentally challenging to teach to our youngest learners, who learn best when grounded in their lived experiences. However, as a

Jewish community, we have continued to prioritize Israel. We spend time investing energy into developing a love and curiosity towards the Jewish state and Hebrew, and continue to strive to teach about Israel in developmentally appropriate ways. Yet, even though Israel continues to be a pillar of intuitional curriculum in early-childhood centers, there is often very little uniformity or intentionality behind the curriculum that is taught.

At the Shalom Center, Israel is rarely discussed within the day-to-day life of a classroom, unless there is an Israeli teacher present. Teachers had to think hard about instances when Israel is incorporated into their curriculum, beyond saying “HaMotzi” and celebrating Shabbat. In response to the question of, “Where does Israel appear in the curriculum?” teachers typically identified two related Israel appearances, both of which are holiday centered.

Approximately one third of the teachers, did not directly discuss Israel, and instead described how they teach Jewish holidays, including Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot. Israel was often thought of as being synonymous with all Jewish holidays and Jewish culture in general, with teachers seeing little differentiation between Jewish holiday observance and Israel education. Thus, they include Israel in teaching about Jewish holidays without teaching about

Israel as its own subject.

Other teachers discussed only what they do for Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence

Day. Teaching about and celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut naturally includes Israel, but again, not as its own topic. The country and culture of Israel become reduced to a holiday which is introduced and then celebrated, not as an existing, ongoing country with its own culture, language and society. These two paradigms for thinking about how Israel is incorporated into the curriculum were prevalent throughout the interview process and continually show how the country of Israel is often connected to the holiday cycle and Jewish calendar of early-childhood curriculum.

The only ongoing exposure to Israeli culture is the use of the Hebrew language in the classroom. Hebrew is often used in connection to Jewish rituals, holidays and prayers and is rarely explicitly connected to being the modern language spoken by people living in Israel.

Arabic, the second national language of Israel, is rarely, if ever, brought into early classroom

settings. Arabic is viewed as a political statement, rather than an additional language that influences the people, culture and society of the State of Israel.

Teaching Israel as a Symbol of Jewish Culture and Holidays

When teachers were asked, “Where does Israel come into the classroom?” they often continued the conversation by talking about the Jewish holidays. I was surprised by this pattern, and noticed that eight of the teachers answered a question about Israel, by talking about Rosh

Hashanah, Sukkot or Shabbat. These teachers were quick to make a connection between Israel education and Jewish education and saw teaching about Israel the same as teaching about Jewish culture and ritual. When asked, “When is Israel is incorporated in the curriculum?” a teacher shared:

“With the holidays. I bring in things I experienced with Israel and in my own learning in Jewish schools from other teachers and other classrooms and I just think it’s such a gift that these children are getting at such a young age that they are learning about the holidays and leaning about the traditions and the values of Judaism that I missed out on.”

Another teacher shared that Israel is a constant surrounding how they think about holidays:

“Well I think you always kind of have it on your mind, no matter what you teach because there is some sort of connection to the land of Israel. Any holiday you are teaching, Sukkot or Hanukah, basically every holiday except for, well I think every holiday.”

Teachers discussed how they taught about each of the holidays, yet rarely did the teachers make explicit connection to the country of Israel, and how it relates to the holiday that they were teaching. Teachers’ discussed the Exodus story, and how it was the biblical journey to settle in the land of Israel. Another teacher shared with me how Sukkot is a pilgrimage festival, yet when

I asked if she taught that to the children, she explained that they did not know what a pilgrimage festival was. Teachers continued to share their knowledge of particular Jewish holidays as if they were sharing connections to Israel education. This also perpetuates the concept that anything related to Am Yisarel (the people of Israel) is inherently connected to Medinat Yisrael (the State of Israel):

“Israel comes up when we are learning about the Jewish holidays primarily, or we might have some different books with different pictures of it with the Western Wall, and different places like that where they will ask about. Mainly during the holidays Israel comes up I think.”

I found that the consistent disconnect between the ideas of the Jewish holiday cycle and

Israel resulted in Israel becoming a code word for “Jewish studies” or “Jewish culture.” This may have been a result of teachers not knowing how teaching about Israel fits within their classroom curriculum. If so, it is worth asking whether teachers were uncomfortable with the topic of Israel, or nervous about how to effectively answer questions, so they simply discussed holidays instead.

Throughout my time as the Judaic specialist, I did not experience instances of teachers connecting these particular holidays to the people, land or modern state of Israel.

Lastly, since Israel is so abstract, teachers struggle with how to make Israel relevant and developmentally appropriate for such young children. By talking about Israel through the holidays, teachers are able to utilize an existing framework for how to talk about Jewish life and culture:

“I don’t (teach Israel) until the second half of the year. They aren’t at an age yet where they can understand it, but when it’s the second half of the year and we’re getting into Purim and Tu BiShvat. I can start to incorporate it. The three and a half point is really when they can start a little bit.”

Jewish holidays provide a safe framework in which to talk and teach about Israel, and the cycle of the Jewish year is integral to Jewish early childhood education. These modes of

connection, although important and interesting, only help teach the importance of the land of

Israel and root the connection to Israel in a biblical narrative; teachers could additionally use the holidays to connect children to the calendar, or the modern state and culture of Israel. Despite these many ways to integrate Israel education with the holidays, this explicit integration was rarely incorporated into the curriculum around each holiday. It is important to know to what extent Israel is being brought up in these holiday conversations, and to provide teachers with the tools to incorporate Israel in what appears to be a natural and comfortable way for teachers to integrate Israel education in their classroom throughout the year.

Teaching Israel through Yom Ha’atzmaut Education

Through researching the Israel curriculum at the Shalom Center, it is evident that Israel is taught as if it were a holiday, rather than a culture or society. Pre-schools throughout the country teach Jewish holidays using a similar pedagogical model. They spend a week or two, prior to the holiday, exploring that particular holiday through multiple modalities in order to prepare for the holiday. This preparation can include small group discussions, books, creative dramatic play, songs and art. These opportunities for learning infuse the classroom with the spirt of the holiday building momentum and excitement for the holiday itself. Then, there is a class or school wide celebration of the holiday, which is the culmination of that holiday’s curriculum. Once the holiday passes, the holiday is no longer a part of the classroom curriculum or culture. This model is often used to teach Israel where all of Israel education is concentrated in the weeks preceding

Yom Ha’atzmaut.

It is evident that this holiday model of Israel education is relevant for the Shalom Center where Israel education is most condensed surrounding Yom Ha’atzmaut. Nineteen of the twenty-

one teachers discussed their experience teaching Yom Ha’atzmaut, the only exception being two teachers who joined the teaching staff this year. As teachers talked about Yom Ha’atzmaut, they shared their experiences of the school-wide community programs, as well as some of the learning that takes place in individual classrooms. The learning that takes place to prepare for

Yom Ha’atzmaut mirrors the learning process that often takes place to prepare for Jewish holidays. Their preparation period includes in-classroom learning based on books, art, dramatic play and classroom discussions. This prepares the students for a school-wide celebration to honor

Israel’s birthday. Many symbols are incorporated with the anticipation of Yom Ha’atzmaut.

Children learn about the flag, how to draw a Jewish star, the importance of blue and white, and oftentimes students write birthday cards to Israel:

“Israel’s birthday in our class, we make a cake, and we always bring out an Israeli flag and talk about the different colors and the meaning of it. We will also make blue and white confetti that we will throw in the air and we will sing happy birthday to Israel. It’s very cute.”

“When we get to Israel’s birthday that’s the point in which we do most, about Israel. I mean, I don’t think I talk about Israel at other points during the year otherwise. We refer to it sometimes. But on Yom Ha’atzmaut, we always do Israeli flag, we do a lot with blue and white, I teach them triangles and how to put the star together on their own, they are always so excited to do that.”

To prepare for Yom Ha’atzmaut, each class at the Shalom Center studies one aspect of

Israel and then they transform their class into that site for the holiday. Students travel with their class from room to room and are able to experience the sites, attractions and culture of Israel:

“It’s more a sort of schoolwide thing, each class focuses on one specific thing, we tend to do a kibbutz, so we get some books, teach them about how to live on a kibbutz. We tape oranges on the trees and set up our classroom so that other students can come in and pick them”

The sites on the early-childhood Israel experience include, but are not limited to, an El Al airplane, a Tel Aviv disco, the Dead Sea Spa, the Western Wall, fishing in the Mediterranean

Sea, an olive oil factory, orange picking on a Kibbutz, a dairy farm, a Tel Aviv cafe and falafel shop. One of the Israeli teachers, who also happens to teach older students, goes more in-depth to create a multi-disciplinary Israel experience incorporating writing and math to prepare for their

Israel adventure. This teacher draws on her experience to construct an Israel curriculum that teaches through a variety of learning modalities:

“I usually make in my class an airplane, a pretend airplane, we make tickets, we make pretend passports and we get ready to go on a pretend trip to Israel. We are talking about different cities in Israel, how Tel Aviv looks like, how Haifa is, what Jerusalem is, where is the capital, what people do in Israel. I have these pictures of how kids in Israel hang up their backpacks etc. things that the kids can relate to mostly. We decorate our classroom with either small flags or big flags. It is Israel but it is also math, we make their passport with their number. I ask them, why are you going to see Israel, what are you wanting to see, on their visa page, they tell me what cities they are going to go and visit and what they are going to do.”

Through creating the plane and passport, young children are able to better understand how Israel is a place far from them and their homes. It also creates the relatable experience for them of going to the airport and gives them the opportunity to share about that experience and replicate it at school. Teachers invest a lot of time and energy into creating the Yom Ha’atzmaut experience for their classroom and the school and through this experience; they often realize how challenging it is to teach about a country so far away, with such a different culture:

“During Independence Day, each of the classrooms does a station and last year I did an olive oil factory. I taught them all about how that’s produced in Israel and how there is a big market there. I showed them what it looks like in pictures, and we did a tasting. All the other classrooms are the same, there’s the kibbutz, and the wall. They all write notes and put them in. That’s usually the time where we talk about Israel, but other than that they don’t understand that there’s like this really big place outside of here. Most of them don’t even understand that they are in this place, that there’s a place outside of this school and outside of their house. It’s a big world.” Since the Israel curriculum is only focused on one time a year, Israel becomes taught and conceptualized as if it were a holiday. It raises the question how, and if, Israel education would

be taught if Yom Ha’atzmaut occurred during the summer months? If there was no Yom

Ha’atzmaut during the school year, would Israel Education be part of the early-childhood curriculum? Yom Ha’atzmaut is not just a celebration of Israel; it becomes Israel. Teachers shared how they prepare the children for the day of Yom Ha’atzmaut, then the school celebrates together and then afterwards Israel is rarely talked about. This framework for thinking about

Israel is limiting and creates the sense that Israel is a day, rather than a country with a culture that can be integrated into any subject.

Bringing the Languages of Israel into the Classrooms

In order to further examine Israel curriculum in early-childhood classrooms, I researched how language is used as a tool to understand the culture and society of Israel. Israel is a unique country with two national languages: Hebrew and Arabic. Both of these languages are often connected to religious groups, Judaism and Islam, yet are spoken as modern living languages throughout Israel today. My interviews focus on how comfortable teachers are with the concepts of including additional languages in the classrooms, how they are taught, and how are the goals of language learning connected to the goals of Israel education. Since these languages are being taught in Jewish schools, I examine specifically how the Hebrew is related to the Jewish religion as a language of prayer, as well as a modern language. Through my research, I analyze how

Hebrew is introduced in classrooms, and for what purposes. Exposure to Arabic is often a politicized topic, despite the fact that it is a national language of Israel. My research primarily focuses on teachers comfort level with exposure to Arabic as a modern language. Although exposure to Arabic is rarely incorporated in Jewish classrooms, I believe it is important to research the usage of both of the country’s national language when researching the languages of

Israel. Additionally, the exposure to Arabic sets a foundation for an ethnically diverse country.

Through studying language, I am interested in understanding how, and if, teachers relate to and expose children to these languages, in order to set a foundation understanding the culture and society of the modern state of Israel today.

Hebrew

Jewish early-childhood centers across the U.S. seek to create a positive connection to the

Hebrew language, in hopes that this early exposure will lay a foundation for a lifetime of Jewish learning. Some Jewish early-childhood centers are even creating Hebrew-immersive curricula so students become fluent in modern Hebrew at an early age. Other schools bring Hebrew into the classroom in a variety of different ways scattered throughout their curriculum through prayers before meals, Shabbat songs, classroom names, and/or spoken greetings and phrases. The

Hebrew language can often be connected to religious identity and spiritual growth. Additionally,

Hebrew can be used as a connection to the State of Israel, modern Jewish culture and a sense of

Jewish peoplehood. Through my interviews, I sought to find out how, and in what contexts, early-childhood educators are using Hebrew and whether or not they see Hebrew as a link to

Israel education.

The findings in the interviews continued to reinforce the notion that Hebrew is a strong link to Jewish religion and culture. At the Shalom Center, Hebrew is used throughout the year in a variety of ways to connect young learners to Jewish traditions. Hebrew usage does not appear to increase as a result of preparing for Yom Ha’atzmaut or any other forms of Israel education.

Hebrew is most often used as a spoken or auditory language and is very rarely written or printed

on posters on the walls. When I asked teachers about how they use Hebrew in the classroom I received a variety of responses, including:

“Shabbat, Hamotzi, just that”

“Sometimes, mainly in our songs I would say. We’ll say the prayers obviously before meals.”

“When we count, we count to three in Hebrew. Little words here and there, yeladim (children), shalom, so they can understand “

“Knows some songs in Hebrew: abba (father), ima (mother), spider, rain, star and some of the letters and numbers; but there is no Hebrew up in the classroom”

Only one teacher, who also happened to be Israeli, shared how Hebrew language learning increases when students are talking about Israel:

“For Yom Ha’atzmaut, we have songs that we sing, they introduce the body parts. They are Israeli songs, not American songs in Hebrew. Yadaim lemala, al arosh, also other songs like Good Morning Boker Tov, and Mishpacha, We All Live in a Family, but that’s an American song that uses Hebrew words. We also teach Kahol v’Lavan, the degel and the colors of the degel, like we teach them almost everything.”

Through hearing about the variety of ways that teachers incorporate Hebrew in the classroom, it can be concluded that there is an emphasis on Hebrew for practicing Jewish ritual, rather than a focus on introducing a Modern Hebrew vocabulary. Additionally, I found that

Modern Hebrew is almost exclusively taught by Israeli teachers. These findings are common to what is found throughout many Jewish educational settings; Hebrew language is often taught as a tool to connect to Jewish prayer rather than a modern language in which to converse. This framework lays a foundation for Israel being a religious place, since teachers often focus on connecting Hebrew to religious purposes. Incorporating modern Hebrew continues to lay a foundation for understanding Israel as both a holy and ordinary place; it is a place where Jews live that has its own culture and society that extends beyond religion. Throughout our

conversations about Hebrew, teachers continued to focus on how Hebrew is a central component of Jewish identity and did not explicitly explain how learning Hebrew is a direct connection to the modern country of Israel.

Arabic

Early-childhood teachers were surprised and often uncomfortable with the idea of Arabic being incorporated into the curriculum. However, a few teachers were excited about the idea of students learning a few words such as “Salam” (peace) and were interested in having authentic artifacts, such as street signs, in the classroom that exposed children to different alphabets.

Arabic in the classroom was a new idea to all the teachers and was something they had not considered before. These conversations differed depending on the individual teacher’s exposure and connection to Israel and previous Israel education. Often times, these questions led to very short conversations that ended because of the teacher’s discomfort. Teachers spoke about how they want to focus on the “Jewish,” reinforcing the concept of Hebrew as a religious language.

Other times they lead to in-depth conservations about how to lay a foundation for understanding the diversity of Israel. Most often, non-Jewish teachers were more excited about incorporating

Arabic in the classroom than Jewish teachers. When initially asked about Arabic most, if not all, of teachers were surprised and often confused:

“Excuse me, what?

“Well, the teachers are new so we haven’t talked about including a bit of that.”

A few of them saw including Arabic as a strong political statement, and some personally felt uneasy with that concept:

“I’m not comfortable with Arabic in the classroom, not really interested in that.”

Other teachers believed that their colleagues would be upset if they included Arabic in the Israel curriculum.

“No, I think that…no…like in the lunchroom you hear opinions. They are very pro-Israeli and not very pro-Arabic.”

The teachers who were uncomfortable talking about Arabic appeared to have strong stances, and because of our personal relationships, I did not ask them follow up questions.

However, some teachers wanted me to explain what I meant by having Arabic in the classroom.

Once they asked me a question, I felt comfortable sharing with them examples of how Arabic is incorporated in Israeli society. I shared that throughout Israel, the street signs contain three different languages, Hebrew, English and Arabic, and that looking at those street signs could be an authentic artifact showing the diversity of Israeli culture and exposes young children to recognizing each language and differentiating between the three. This clear example seemed new to teachers, and in many cases, seemed exciting:

“Authentic street sign…something authentic like that? I would love to have anything authentic, but if anyone did that would be awesome. That’s how I am, oh my god I would love it.”

Some were more apprehensive at first, and then realized that the idea was based in the reality of Israeli culture.

“I don’t think Arabic on street signs is necessary… but yeah why not, that’s how it is in Israel, in Israel by law, has to have all three languages.”

A few of the teachers felt that introducing an additional language was too overwhelming developmentally, especially for young children who are continuing to understand and use

English as well as some Hebrew:

“I would like for them to know Salam (peace) or something of that nature, but they might be too young. I’m not sure, it’s hard enough with the Hebrew, but I would love it.”

Pre-school teachers conceptualize the languages of Israel as a continuation of Jewish identity, both religious and spiritual, rather than a connection to the state of Israel where both modern Hebrew and Arabic are spoken throughout the country. Due to the challenging nature of

Israeli politics, the incorporation of Arabic is seen as an advancement of a political agenda rather than an authentic artifact of Israeli culture.

Additionally, I noticed that rarely, is the diversity of Israel, either ethnically or religiously, discussed on a pre-school level:

“We only focus on the Jewish, we never… I think they are too young.”

This poses the question of whether incorporating the diversity of Israel is too controversial, or if teachers are not prepared to educate Israel as a Jewish state with religious and ethnic diversity? It seems that if teachers had more education surrounding the realities of Israeli culture, then our students could be better equipped to understand Israel as a real and diverse place that is not just a homeland for the Jewish people, but a home to all.

Part Three: How does Exposure and Connection Affect Teachers’

Comfort Discussing Israel?

Introduction

Teachers’ exposure and connection to Israel had a significant affect in how teachers discussed Israel both in and beyond the classroom. In order to facilitate effective teaching,

teachers must personally feel comfortable with the subject matter they are discussing. Israel’s complexities may make this difficult in a variety of settings. Teachers have learned to navigate the conversations about Israel so that they can teach Israel and stay within the realm of what is known and comfortable to them as an individual. As part of my interview process, I specifically asked teachers if they feel comfortable talking about Israeli culture as well as Israeli politics.

Additionally, I asked them how they felt talking to the parents in their classroom, and other teachers and whether or not that was something that commonly was discussed.

Discussing Israeli Culture

Through these interviews, it was evident that the majority of pre-school teachers are comfortable with their ability to talk about Israeli culture. All of the teachers who had been to

Israel felt comfortable talking about the culture, and empowered to access additional information if necessary. One of the teachers who had been on Birthright Israel shared that:

“If someone asks about culture or geography I’m happy to share what I know, and if I don’t know, I’ll look it up.”

The ability to feel comfortable talking about Israeli culture is a key component of the

Birthright experience. Through their trip, participants are able to gain a personal connection as well as visit significant sites, many of which are incorporated into the pre-school curriculum.

This differed from teachers who had spent more significant time in Israel, who were eager to enthusiastically share how comfortable they feel talking about the culture of a country they so deeply love. These teachers not only feel comfortable talking about the country but they also feel at home in Israel and its culture:

“Never a time where I feel uncomfortable talking about Israel. I couldn't wait to tell the world that I was in Israel, I was always a very proud Jew, it’s not that I was ever religious or traditional I just culturally connect with the

country and the people that I haven't connected with like anyone else. I am very open about being Jewish, and about Israel.”

This mentality links the idea of being able to passionately talk about Israel to being a proud Jew. Talking about Israeli culture is an extension of this teacher’s Jewish identity. Many of the teachers who had significant spent time in Israel talked about this comfort and connection.

Despite a lack of first-hand familiarity with Israel, non-Jewish teachers, as well as

Jewish teachers who hadn’t had a first-hand Israel travel experience, nonetheless felt comfortable talking about Israel in general or felt as though they knew enough to facilitate pre-school learning experiences. Many of the non-Jewish teachers know that they have learned a lot about

Israel over their years teaching and are proud of what they learned and how they are able to incorporate that knowledge into their classroom settings:

“I do feel comfortable, I can tell them what I know so far, I read books to them, what I know is because of the culture that has been instilled in me from all the other educators in the school.”

Many of these teachers know even know they feel comfortable teaching in the pre-school setting their knowledge is inadequate to discuss Israel with others beyond the pre-school classroom:

“I feel comfortable talking about it as far as three year olds goes, I wouldn’t be able to hold a conversation with an adult who knows anything about Israel.”

Throughout many of the interviews, there was significant awareness that their personal level of knowledge was inadequate for talking, or debating, about Israel with other adults, or to understand current events. These teachers felt as that knowing what they needed to know for pre- school was adequate. When asked, “Do you feel comfortable talking about Israel?” a Jewish teacher who had not traveled to Israel shared:

“To my class yes, to older children or to like another class I would have to do a little bit more research about what would be developmentally appropriate for that class. I totally, in my element with my two turning three year olds, totally comfortable.”

Further research may explore what is necessary for a teacher to feel as if they know enough in order to teach two and three year olds and how that evolves as children turn four and five. Since there is no standardization for Israel education, every teacher has created their own framework for what is appropriate for them to know about Israel, which directly corresponds to what they are able to teach. A non-Jewish teacher who had primarily taught infants has never spent time talking about Israel in her classroom and she shared that she is:

“Not that comfortable because I don't know it that good, just little, a minimum.”

Currently, she is teaching two year olds and she will be expected to teach more about Israel,

regardless if she feels personally equipped with the background knowledge in order to do so.

Teachers’ comfort level discussing Israel has a strong correspondence to teachers’

exposure and connection with Israel. First hand Israel experiences help teachers feel comfortable

drawing upon their own Israel experience and allows them to bring themselves into the Israel

Curriculum. However, teachers who haven’t been to Israel, and have experienced Israel

education through teaching, most often also feel comfortable teaching about Israel. They believe

that although they know they might not know much about Israel, that they know just enough

about to bring Israel education their young students in a developmentally appropriate way and

that meets the goals and standards of the Shalom Center.

Discussing Israeli Politics

Through my research it was evident that, many teachers are comfortable discussing Israel for their purposes of teaching, yet do not feel comfortable talking about topics that might arise concerning Israel beyond the walls of their classroom. Overall, teachers had a very different response to discussing their comfort talking about Israeli politics than they did Israeli culture.

Most teachers felt uncomfortable talking about Israeli politics, with noticeable differences if teachers were particularly uncomfortable talking about Israeli politics or if it was connected to their apathy, or dislike, of discussing politics in general. Teachers who felt comfortable talking about Israeli politics either were Israeli themselves or had spent significant time in Israel. These teachers not only feel comfortable, but also have well developed personal views about Israeli politics. One Israeli teacher shared a concern that through discussing Israeli politics was just her sharing her own opinion:

“Oh, I’m definitely comfortable, but it all comes down to my opinion. It’s just ‘cause I lived there my whole life and I served the army.”

This teacher is aware that her experience in the Israeli army is unique among pre-school teachers and it is one that has greatly affected her opinions about Israeli politics. Regardless, the time she has spent in Israel, as an Israeli, enables her to feel confident in her ability to discuss politics with individuals of all ages and experiences with Israel. American teachers who have spent time in Israel shared apprehension in talking about Israeli politics, not because of their lack of knowledge, but because of the heated nature of the political conversations in the American

Jewish community:

“Yes, I’m comfortable, but it depends where I am at. If it’s people who I don’t think will get it, I won’t even entertain it. If someone is going to talk to me about right wing settlements, I really don't want to talk about it. I’m not

saying that I have to talk to only like-minded people, but some people just have their minds made up and it’s just not worth having a match.”

This polarized political nature of conversations about Israeli-Palestinian conflict really discourages many teachers from even attempting to engage in conversation concerning Israeli

Politics:

“When I know someone is ridiculously political, I don't talk about that with people, especially in Los Angeles because they’re so extreme, it’s just not something we need to discuss other than just the basics of what’s going on, but it’s just such a big topic and people have so many mixed feelings about it. So, whenever someone starts to talk about it, that’s when I’m uncomfortable.”

Through these interviews, it became evident that even those with knowledge of Israeli politics often feel uncomfortable talking about them because of the challenging nature of the discourse of Israeli political discussions in America.

Many of the teachers whose only Israel experience was with Birthright stated clearly that they don’t feel as though they have enough information to engage in Israeli political dialogue:

“In general, I’m not the biggest on politics, but when there are bombings, if anyone is being killed, I’ll reach out to my Israeli friends and make sure they are ok. Like most things in life now, I find out about most things on social media, on Facebook I’ll see things.”

This showed she has an interest in how politics affects Israeli people and culture even if she doesn’t know much about the dynamic of the politics themselves.

The majority, if not all, of the non-Jewish teachers felt uncomfortable or ill equipped to talk about Israeli politics. Similarly, to the Jewish teachers, many of them feel uncomfortable talking about politics of any sort; yet feel particularly overwhelmed with the political situation in

Israel.

“No, I don’t feel comfortable talking about politics period.”

“You know what I don’t have that knowledge, it’s not my place to talk about it.”

Some non-Jewish teachers feel as though they don’t have a stake in discussing Israeli politics and that they don’t how Israeli politics can have an effect on individuals’ connection to the Jewish community. The disconnect they feel towards the political situation in Israel results in them not engaging in a conversation or taking a position on it:

“At least like, with the conflict, I try not to take a position on it. I really don’t know both sides enough, I don’t know the emotions involved or what it’s like to have one experience or the other.”

Only one teacher shared that not only does she not know, or feel comfortable talking about the political situation in Israel, but also that she feels as though it is something she should know, not just as a pre-school teacher at a Jewish school, but as a citizen of the world:

“The onus should be on me, as a human being in the world, but there are a lot of things I should know as a human being in the world, and umm I just haven't been able to make time for it.”

Knowing how to navigate Israeli politics is challenging, and for many non-Jewish teachers it is one area of interest in a sea of international news; all of which feels important as a citizen in the world, and all of which takes time, and energy, to learn in-depth.

Although teachers may feel discomfort specifically about Israeli politics, most teachers shared that they don’t enjoy talking about politics in any setting. I am curious if this is a trend with pre-school teachers across the country, and if political discourse is antithetical to nature of most individuals who choose to teach in early childhood settings:

“I mean I couldn’t even tell you who the president (of Israel) is. I mean I can barely even tell you about American politics. I purposely like don’t watch TV, don’t look at magazines, don’t read newspapers. I’m like in my own little bubble where everything’s just perfect and wonderful and yeah…I’m so nervous for November 8th, I can’t deal.”

“No, I don’t watch the news it depresses me. It’s been a long time, I used to, but it’s been two or three years that I don’t follow the news at all, because it depresses me, it makes me very sad the world is crazy, it’s scary and crazy.”

Even one of the Israeli teachers shared her apathy towards following news sources:

“I don’t follow Israel in the news - just heard about the fires, I don’t follow Israel in the news when I’m in Israel either.”

This indifference towards politics and the news may just be common to the nature of early-childhood educators. Although I did not have the opportunity to explore this correlation in- depth, I found it an interesting finding within my research.

Understanding the political situation in Israel takes time, effort and education. The majority of these pre-school teachers, either Jewish or non-Jewish, have not had the opportunity to access rich education to teach them the facts about the political situation in Israel, nor have them been pushed in their professional setting to have their own opinion about Israeli politics.

This reality displays that knowledge about Israeli politics is just not a priority of pre-school teachers in Jewish settings:

“We are so busy with our work with our children, we don’t discuss anything political. It’s history, past history, its religion; it’s holidays, that’s it. We don’t have time, we are so busy with our children, our children are our first priority. We don’t discuss politics. For us children are most important.”

It is essential that children are the priority within any early-childhood center. However, this research inspires a question if within Jewish settings, there should be a baseline level of knowledge about Israeli culture and politics that would be helpful to inform, and empower, pre- school teachers in Jewish early childhood settings.

Part Four: Recommendations

Recommendations for Teachers

The early-childhood setting has the opportunity to lay a foundation of deep curiosity and joy for young Jewish children as they continue to build their own sense of Jewish identity. We trust in our teachers to give their students this foundation, with the awareness of the reality that many of these teachers may not have this educational foundation for themselves. There are many non-Jewish teachers, as well as Jewish teachers, who may not feel Jewishly connected or well educated who inspire and teach our youngest learners many incredible things each and every day. Israel is a concept that many of our teachers hear about in the media, but may not know how they personally feel about the Jewish homeland. Even within Jewish settings, there are a variety of views about Israel, which can overwhelm teachers who have a limited background in Israel or may not follow politics of any kind.

If Israel is a topic that we continue to teach, it is important for teachers to understand the historical significance of Israel, Israel as a people, land and modern state, and how Israel fits within our modern American Jewish landscape. It is up to us as a community to educate our teachers and to provide them with opportunities to learn about Israel at the adult level. Having adult-level knowledge can help teachers feel confident and prepared to talk about Israel from a place of understanding.

In order for our teachers to be able to speak passionately and emotively about Israeli life and culture then we must invest in sending our early-childhood educators to Israel whether or not

they are Jewish. The Israel experience has profound effect on how individuals think about Israel and on Jewish culture as a whole. No longer is Israel an abstract land of religious holiness, but it becomes an ordinary place where children go to school and individuals buy groceries.

Understanding that Israel is both holy and ordinary is a step to understanding how Israel functions in our Jewish community and in our world. Additionally, this is a concept that is tangible, even for young children. When teachers are able to create a relatable Israel, children are able to see it as a place that is similar to where they live; the relatable helps them formulate questions and it inspires wonder. Through laying a foundation of Israel as a living breathing culture, teachers are able to lay a foundation for further curiosities surrounding Israel in the future.

Recommendations for Curriculum

Early-childhood institutions, administrators and teachers need to create clear and tangible goals and objectives in order for teachers to understand what do they want their students to know, or feel about Israel. These goals can be either content or affective goals. Yet, regardless, having clear goals can help teachers focus on how they want to engage in their own personal

Israel education, and will help teachers know they are working towards helping students have an

Israel education that is aligned with the school’s vision. Having clear goals and vision for Israel education also help empower teachers feel more confident about what content to bring to the classroom, if they know that content is aligned with the goal of the institutions. Early-childhood centers should create a task force of clergy, administrators, teachers and parents to create vision of Israel education and together the community can work towards having an engaging and dynamic Israel curriculum.

Through the variety of conversations with teachers, it is evident that Israel is taught predominantly in May and is taught as a holiday. Teachers prepare their students for Yom

Ha’atzmaut, then the holiday is celebrated, and afterward Israel fails to be incorporated in the rest of the curriculum. Israel education ought to extend beyond this holiday paradigm and be taught as culture that can be woven in any and all curriculum. Lisa Grant talks about an integrated approach to Israel education in her book Israel Matters, she says that, “Israel education at its finest is an integral part of the cultural and educational ethos of a Jewish institution. It might not even appear as a noticeable or perhaps distant educational strategy; but rather is woven seamlessly into the daily life of the educational setting. It will include formal and informal opportunities for engagement, learning through academic study, ceremony, conversation, refection and experiential learning” (Grant p.27). This type of integrated learning can be developmentally appropriate for any age.

As part of a child-centered early childhood philosophy, teachers can learn how does

Israel relate to their secular units. Such as when they are learning about transportation, they could learn about the transportation in Israel as well. Children can explore what do Israeli buses look like, then each student could receive their own RavKav (Transportations Pass). Students can also learn about animals native to Israel, or inventions and scientific discoveries originating in

Israel. The possibilities are endless, and all are emergent, meaning they can be based on students’ identified interests and curiosities. By integrating Israel in a child-centered approach to education, Israel would be mentioned throughout the year. It becomes a multi-dimensional culture that is as dynamic as the one in which they live in.

Hebrew should also be integrated as a living, modern language throughout students’ early-childhood experiences. Students benefit from hearing the rhythms and sounds of a second

language. Through modern Hebrew, they begin to understand that Judaism and Hebrew extend beyond the sanctuary, Shabbat and holidays. Hebrew is the language of the Jewish people and it is used to converse around the world. Although it is unrealistic for every pre-school teacher to be fluent in Hebrew, it is important that the ones who do know Hebrew use it. Additionally, teachers can utilize the Hebrew Through Movement program, which provides the opportunity for students to hear and learn how to respond to many modern Hebrew words in developmentally appropriate ways. Teachers can be encouraged to have written Hebrew displayed on their walls so students become familiar with the shape of the letters and become aquatinted with the concept that different languages use different letters. This lays a foundation for curiosity and further

Hebrew learning.

Laying the foundation for a diverse and nuanced understanding of Israel is a challenging task, but there are many tangible and developmentally appropriate ways to begin this journey in any Jewish early-childhood center. Exposing our young learners to Arabic is another way of continuing to incorporate the authentic languages spoken in Israel in early-childhood classrooms.

Through authentic artifacts such as street signs, or through looking at words on different food labels, exposure to Arabic language helps children understand that Israel is both a Jewish state and a home to other people. Additionally, schools should strive to have pictures of many different types of Israelis including religious Jews, secular Jews, Ethiopian Jews, Bedouins,

Christian Arabs and Muslim Arabs. Having visual representation of the diversity of Israel creates a foundation for young children to continue to learn about the dynamic multicultural nature of the state of Israel.

This capstone was created in conjunction with a parallel curriculum guide that explores

Israel in the framework of home and homeland for preschoolers, their parents and their teachers.

Through examining diverse homes students can begin to relate the Jewish homeland to their own notions and understand of home. This curriculum includes opportunities to explore the homes of

Orthodox Jews, Reform Jews, Ethiopian Jews and the Arab community living in Israel.

Additionally, this curriculum has opportunities for parents and teachers to learn about Israel at an adult level.

Conclusion

Jewish early-childhood centers have the power to inspire lifelong relationships with

Israel. In order to maximize this opportunity, the Jewish community needs to create initiatives to provide pre-school teachers with an Israel experience so that they can be inspired to passionately teach about the Jewish homeland. If this is unfeasible, then rabbis and educators need to provide safe spaces to have in-depth adult-level Israel education and discussion. It is important that teachers understand the politics and complexities of Israel for themselves so that they can lay a foundation of ethnic and religious diversity for all their students in developmentally appropriate ways. Additionally, teachers need the knowledge and tools to integrate Israel in their curriculum throughout the year and to have resources to learn how to incorporate Israel into their secular subjects. Lastly, Hebrew exposure needs to continue to be incorporated in Jewish early- childhood centers across the U.S. These recommendations will help foster deeper learning for our teachers, through teacher’s additional knowledge, Jewish students could have the opportunity to have a rich, unique perspective on Israel at a young age which will lay a foundation for continued learning and growth.

As the American Jewish community tries to strengthen individuals’ Jewish identities as well as relationships with Israel, it is only fitting that we invest in Israel education for our

teachers and children. Through the power of dynamic Israel education, we can create stronger schools that can expose students to critical thinking and big questions. Yet this powerful education cannot be delivered if our teachers do not feel as if they know enough to teach the content. Through talking with a variety of pre-school teachers with diverse backgrounds, it is evident that the teachers who have spent time in Israel are able to talk about the country both critically and with love. They know and understand the culture and appreciate many of its subtleties that they can then bring with them into their classroom. Having a relationship with

Israel has become a cornerstone of the American Jewish experience; it is time that we invest in our teachers so they can develop a relationship with Israel of their own, so that each and every one of them can bring their own commitment and love of Israel to our children.

Bibliography

Beck, P. (2002). Jewish Preschools as a Gateway to Jewish Life. Contact: The Journal of Jewish Life Network, 5.1, 6-7.

Chazan, B. (2015). Diverse Narratives. The Aleph Bet of Israel Education. The iCenter. 89-96.

Cohen, M. (2010). Connecting Preschoolers, Their Teachers and Families to Israel. JewishBoston. Combined Jewish Philanthropies.

Goldwater C., & Lesley L. (2015) The Educator: The Power of Teaching, The Power of Learning. The Aleph Bet of Israel Education. The iCenter. 117-124.

Grant, L., & Kopelowitz, E. (2012). Israel education matters: A 21st century paradigm for Jewish education. Jerusalem, Israel: Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education. Horowitz, B. (2012). Defining Israel education. Chicago, IL: The iCenter. Jennings, A. J. (2016). 4-year-olds discuss Love and Marriage by A.J. Jennings. Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality. Milwaukee, WI: A Rethinking Schools Publication. 50-55.

Jones, E. & Reynolds, G. (2011). The Play’s the Thing: Teachers’ Roles in Children’s Play. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Katzew, Jan. (2015). Curricularizing Israel: Principles and Themes. The Aleph Bet of Israel Education. The iCenter. 40-57

Raviv, Z. (2015). Eretz, Medina, Am Yisrael: Navigating Multiple Landscapes. The Aleph Bet of Israel Education. The iCenter. 41-48.

Rosen, M. & Schwartz, H. (2015, Aug). How Jews Choose: A Study of Early Childhood Decisions Among Jewish Parents in Greater Boston. Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston. Retrieved from http://www.bjpa.org/Publications/details.cfm?PublicationID=22551

Sasson, T. (2014). The New American Zionism. New York, NY: New York University Press. Saxe, L., & Chazan, B. (2008). Ten days of Birthright Israel: A Journey in Young Adult Identity. Lebanon, NH: University Press of New England. Sinclair, A. (2013). Loving the Real Israel: An Educational Agenda for Liberal Zionism. Teaneck, NJ: Ben Yehuda.

Troy, Gil. (2002). Why I Am a Zionist: Israel, Jewish Identity and the Challenges of Today. Montréal: Bronfman Jewish Education Centre.

Vogelstein, I. (2002) Nurturing the Next Generations. Contact: The Journal of Jewish Life Network, 5 (1), 3-4.

Wood, C. (2007). Yardsticks 3rd Edition: Children in the Classroom. Turners Falls, MA. Center for Responsive Schools.

Zakai, Sivan. (2015). “Israel is meant for me: Kindergarten’s Conceptions about Israel” Journal of Jewish Education, 81(1), 4-34.

Zakai, Sivan. (2014). “My heart is in the East and I am in the West”: Enduring questions of Israel Education in North America. Journal of Jewish Education, 80(3), 287–318.