Opinion: Israel Education as Diplomacy, not Advocacy

We continue to commit such a disservice to our youth, putting them on the frontline to fight for our right to exist, carrying the weight of 2,000 years of exile, when they themselves don’t even know the aleph-bet of their own existence – let alone – Israel’s. Why should a teenager on their way to…

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The Duality of Passover, Creation, and Life

Living a Jewish life includes doing “Jewish things”, infused with purpose, values and memories (i.e. “we were slaves in Egypt” and what that means from a practical and conceptual worldview).  Passover, a microcosm of Jewish life, exists within a set of guidelines in preparation for the festival of redemption including the cleaning of Hametz and…

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Israel Education as Diplomacy

So, a kid comes back from a trip to Israel and is expected to know it all? Be an advocate?  How? And why? We have committed such a disservice to our kids, putting them on the frontline to fight for our right to exist, to carry the weight of 2,000 years of exile, when they themselves don’t…

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Opinion: On Zionism & Jihad

The Abraham Accords have produced a whole new world many of us could have only dreamed of.  Indeed, there are political and business benefits that will be gained, but more importantly there is a movement of the people – a social group – with an eye to the future.  Individual conversations and group forums have…

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Rabbi Leor Sinai Living the Zionist Dream

A former New York City club promoter, Rabbi Leor Sinai talks fast and thinks ever faster. His energy is high octane but his wisdom is firmly grounded. His passion for Israel is palpable. And he’s parlayed that passion into his position as the co-CEO of the dynamic and successful Jewish and Israeli educational programs at Alexander…

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Imagine: We are all Israeli

When I was growing up in New York I had all kinds of neighbors, all kinds of friends.  There was my Russian-American friend, my Italian-American, Chinese-American, Polish-American, Irish-American and Afro-American, friends.  They knew who they were and from where their ancestors came. So I ask: why are you a Jewish-American? Now please don’t get upset…

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Answering the Needs of Jewish Teens & our Future

Jewish National Fund-USA’s (JNF) Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI-JNF) is in the midst of a banner year, with our Hod HaSharon campus at capacity this spring.  I’ve been shouting it from the rooftops for years to anyone who would listen: American and global Jewish youth are craving an immersive Israel experience for high school students, and…

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Keeping it positive, Positively Israel

JNF’s Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI) is proud to announce that it will be hosting its largest Spring Semester session in its 43 year history with 61 students attending the 4 month, full semester.  The Spring sessions will total 314 students, including Day School and Communal partners. Never have so many students registered…

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The Next Generation & Continuous Revelation: Less Theory, More Experiential

Transmission of Jewish continuity and Israel connectivity does not take place in the formal classroom setting on its own.  Israel and Jewish education must include an experiential component; it is through experientialism that our children explore and discover meaning that they can connect to. Transmission to the recipient in a more practical — less theoretical…

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