ZIONIST FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIA 10TH BIENNIAL JEWISH EDUCATORS’ CONFERENCE Welcome 1 The Zionist Federation Of Australia and Zionist Jewish Education 2 Program at a Glance – Day 1 5 Program at a Glance – Day 2 8 Session Descriptions – Day 1 11 Session Descriptions – Day 2 21 International Presenters 29 Local Presenters 35 Site Maps 47 Acknowledgements 50 0 Dear Educators Welcome to the ZFA’s 10th Biennial Jewish Educators’ Conference. Learning and teaching doesn’t start in kindergarten, nor does it finish at Year 12. From learning to understand language, forming our earliest words, through our formal studies and informal experiences, if we’re lucky, we’re learning every day of our lives. Of course, the structured education experiences in kindergartens, school classrooms and tertiary institutions are transformative. Schools, families and communities combine to develop young people with their knowledge, skills and values. A good Jewish education will result in graduates who are knowledgeable, analytical and able to communicate original thought in all disciplines they study. They will be considerate, imbued with the values and passions that have sustained and strengthened the Jewish people for millennia. They will be menschen, whose success is demonstrated by standards well beyond their examination scores. The ZFA Jewish Educators’ Conferences provide inspiration, motivation and continuing learning and development opportunities for educators who will in turn instil knowledge, passion and values to their students. We have invited high calibre international speakers and carefully crafted a conference program to meet the needs for professional development in all areas of Jewish and Zionist education – including Israel studies, text studies, history and Hebrew. We have ensured that there are programs and sessions suitable for teachers of early childhood, through to primary and secondary, including both formal and experiential. Make for yourself a‘ - ”עשה לך רב ,וקנה לך חבר“ ,In Pirkei Avot, Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Perachya says teacher and acquire for yourself a friend’. During this conference, we are all teachers and we are all students – as our conference brand reflects: “Lifelong teaching, lifelong learning”. In every session, we invite you to learn all you can from the presenters and your fellow delegates. In every break, indeed throughout the conference, we invite you to make friends with those around you, particularly those from other states and schools, and to learn from your new friends. We welcome you all to the conference and look forward to our continuing partnership in educating our children, youth, our community and of course ourselves in matters relating to Israel, Zionism, Jewish identity and knowledge. Bevirkat Zion Dr. Danny Lamm Ginette Searle Dr. Miriam Munz PRESIDENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EDUCATION CHAIRPERSON 1 THE ZIONIST FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIA AND ZIONIST JEWISH EDUCATION The Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) believes that education, in its many forms, is the underpinning of a strong and vibrant Jewish and Zionist community. To that end, our priorities and energies are focused on providing a range of educational activities and projects across Australia. ZFA Biennial Jewish Educators’ Conference Every two years, we bring together over 400 Jewish educators from across Australia for the Biennial Jewish Educators’ Conference. This year, we are proud to present our tenth conference, with a varied range of brilliant presentations from international and local experts. The conference provides a unique opportunity for professional development and networking among Australian Jewish education professionals. Zionist Seminars Each Australian winter since the early 1980s, teams of dynamic, inspiring and motivated young Israelis are brought to Australia to spend up to two months working in Jewish day and supplementary schools, conducting camps and programs and engaging students in vibrant Jewish and Zionist activities. The Zionist Seminars, a project of the Jewish Agency for Israel, contribute significantly and meaningfully to participants and their communities and are valued by schools and students alike. During the 30+ years of partnership, relationships have been established with each host school to ensure that each institution receives a team of educators best suited to its specific needs and religious outlook. Australia’s Zionist Seminars are the largest and most successful in the Diaspora. Israel Programs The ZFA is the Australian representative for Taglit Birthright-Israel and Masa Israel Journey. As such, we support more than 750 young adults each year who attend short and long term Israel programs, ranging from 10 days to one year long. A peer group, educational Israel program has been shown to be a formative, identity building experience, with long term positive impact on participants. We firmly believe that our community’s high participation rates in Israel programs is an important factor in the strength of our community. Diller Teen Fellowship The Diller Teen Fellowship is an international program which partners exceptional teenagers from communities in the Diaspora with counterparts from a community in Israel. The ZFA has embraced this program, with a partnership between Melbourne and the Golan region. In 2015 – 2016, our first cohort of 18 young potential leaders has been formed. Over a fifteen month period, the group participates in regular workshops and Shabbaton retreats, working cooperatively with their Israeli partner group. The Golan cohort visited Melbourne in April for the “Jewish Community Mifgash” and the Australian group attended the “Israel Summer Seminar” in July – a three week experience which included time with the Golan group, a Kenes with the other Diaspora groups and a Congress with all 500+ Diller Teen Fellows from around the world. 2 Diller Teen Fellowship provides an unparalleled educational leadership training experience for teenagers and we expect to see the impact of the program positively contributing to our community in the future. Habayit and Hebrew in the Community The ZFA operates Habayit - the Home of Hebrew and Israeli Culture out of the Lamm Jewish Library of Australia. Habayit offers a range of Hebrew language programs and cultural activities for members of the community across age groups and Hebrew proficiency levels. Habayit also presents an annual Israeli festival, bringing together 1000 community members to this Israeli Culture event which features Israeli music, dance, food, film and art. In addition to providing a wide range of programs and activities, Habayit has become a hub of activity for the Israeli community in Victoria. Arava Australia Partnership The ZFA is delighted to be partnering with the Arava Australia Partnership (AAP) project, a part of the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Partnership 2Gether initiative. The objectives of the AAP are to foster close, personal connections between the Australian community and our partner community in Israel – the Central Arava. This is achieved through several diverse and interesting projects including: Teacher Exchange – teachers from the Arava coming for extended periods to Australia and in alternate years, teachers from Australia visiting and working in the Arava. Student exchange – annual visit of students from the Acacia school to Australia. Adult delegations to Australia – in the past two years, we welcomed an Agri-Science Delegation which visited Melbourne and Sydney, a Culinary Delegation to Sydney and Perth and a Photographic Delegation to Sydney and Melbourne. Youth movement shnat and other gap year and short term Australian Israel program groups (eg IBC, Onward Academy) spend time in the Arava. AZYC shnat sikkum Seminar takes place in the Arava. The AAP supports a range of programs in the Arava, including Limmud Arava, several education related projects and regional development projects. Kangarusski – Russian Speaking Jewish Community Project Engaging Jewish people from the Former Soviet Union in Jewish and Zionist activity is a priority area of endeavour for the ZFA. We have engaged a Shaliach to coordinate this project, who works out of Melbourne and in close collaboration with the ZFA Kangarusski coordinator in Sydney. In addition to providing a range of educational and cultural programs for the Russian speaking community, Kangarusski runs school holiday day camps for primary aged children. This year, the ZFA has committed to funding a Kangarusski Taglit Birthright Israel group which will see 40 young adults from this sector of the community participating in a free, 10 day transformative Israel experience. It 3 is expected that the alumni of the Birthright trip will make up the nucleus of a young leadership cohort in both Melbourne and Sydney. Also on the educational front, Limmud FSU – a festival of learning for the Russian Speaking Jewish community, was first presented in Melbourne in 2015 and will take place in Sydney in September 2016. Our Shaliach and Sydney coordinator are co-chairing the planning committee and we look forward to an impressive program with a strong attendance. Aliyah The Israel Aliyah Centre operates out of the ZFA, with offices in both Melbourne and Sydney. The IAC is staffed in each location by a Shaliach and a local worker. Each year, the IAC facilitates and supports the Aliyah of, on average, 175 Australians, including administrative and logistic support, providing customised and individual advice to each oleh and ensuring a smooth and happy absorption. Shlichim Shlichim (emissaries)