BJE Holds Special Session on Israel for Area Educators

Last week, educators from BJE-affiliated schools across the Greater Los Angeles area gathered on Zoom for a special learning session about Israel – the distinct place it holds in the lives and hearts of millions of Jews around the world, and the historic and current reasons for this feeling of connection.

BJE engaged Carl Schrag, Senior Educator of the iCenter, to provide context aimed at fostering both knowledge and better understanding of why Israel is so important to the families who enroll their children in Jewish schools in our community. The iCenter supports Israel educators across North America; during this moment of crisis in Israel, efforts are focused on helping empower them to teach the complexity of the environment. Prior to his role at the iCenter, Carl Schrag was editor of the Jerusalem Post, where he reported on a wide array of stories unfolding in the region. The BJE workshop was open to all educators but was particularly geared toward those who aren’t Jewish or who are less familiar with the place of Israel in the lives of so many North American Jews and Jews throughout the world.

“Israel is part of the curriculum of Jewish schools, but many new questions and conversations arise at a time like we’re currently experiencing,” said Carly Rosenstein, Director of BJE’s Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Education and Special Projects. “It was important that we create an opportunity for our educators to ask questions and grow their knowledge base. Particularly for teachers new to a Jewish educational setting, or those who aren’t Jewish, this program gave them better tools to support and communicate with students and parents.”

For more information about this program, contact Carly Rosenstein, Director of BJE’s Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Education and Special Projects.