Reimagining Israel Education

Reform Movement Alumni for Israel (RAFI) is part of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue’s Amplify Israel program. RAFI amplifies the concentric circles of leadership from Amplify Israel’s clergy fellows to engage under-affiliated Jewish young adults. RAFI is expanding to 11 cities with the prospect of reaching nearly 1000 Jewish adults, ages 22–35, at local bars or restaurants to 1) learn about Israel and discuss their burning questions; 2) explore their connection to Zionism and Jewish peoplehood; 3) form social bonds that extend beyond these gatherings, and; 4) connect with a local Zionist Reform rabbi, a trusted authority, to turn to in the short- and long-term.

For the Sake of Argument (FSA) encourages thoughtful and more nuanced dialogue in Israel education. FSA leads workshops for and trains teachers at educational institutions, youth movements, summer camps, and other educational partners in its novel pedagogy and resources. Natan’s grant renewal continues to support FSA’s Intergenerational Arguments Project, which brings together parents and their children (adolescent through adult-children) in having productive discussions about Israel through healthy argument. FSA is developing dialogue guides and facilitator training programs to make this new pedagogical approach to Israel conversations more accessible and available to educators and families.

Foundation for Jewish Camp* supports 300+ Jewish day and overnight camps across North America. FJC is piloting a partnership with Givat Haviva—a leading Israeli organization dedicated to equality, democracy, and Jewish-Arab partnership—to bring a delegation of young Givat Haviva alumni to three North American Jewish overnight camps in summer 2026. Over two to three days at each camp, a pair of Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel and a professional staff escort will facilitate workshops, dialogue, and personal storytelling with campers and staff. These first-hand encounters are designed to broaden understanding of Israel’s diverse society and experience a nuanced model of Israel education rooted in human connection.

Moving Traditions emboldens Jewish youth to thrive through the pursuit of personal wellbeing (shleimut), caring relationships (hesed), and a Jewish and feminist vision of equity and justice (tzedek). Moving Traditions’ Jewish Identity & Israel Curriculum program for grades 8–12 offers a set of educational experiences that helps teens build resilience and strengthen their Jewish identity. Natan’s renewal grant enables the iteration and expansion of this student-centered Israel curriculum, which allows participants (and their parents) to dive into the concept of Israel as “home,” gain insights into the historical background of Zionism, encounter the diversity of modern Israeli society, engage with Palestinian history, and confront the major points of Israeli-Palestinian contention while fostering their own sense of pride and peoplehood.

Spertus Institute* is a center for Jewish learning and leadership that is currently training 75 professionals and lay leaders in three new Israel Leadership pilot programs for summer camps, Jewish day schools, and synagogues. This grant will allow Spertus to evaluate these pilots and support the dissemination of this research to impact the field of Israel education. This analysis will help Spertus develop more targeted certificate programs for specific professional groups and regions with demonstrated need and interest and determine the feasibility, focus, and content of a Certificate in Israel Leadership for a multi-sector, national audience, modeled after Spertus’ Certificate in Jewish Leadership.

The Task Force on Arab Citizens of Israel* is a professional resource on Arab citizens and Jewish-Arab relations in Israel providing educational services tailored for American Jewish organizations. ItsIsrael educational travel portfolio is integrating Arab citizens of Israel into the Israel educational travel ecosystem in partnership with Birthright, RootOne, and other travel providers. The Task Force offers meaningful programming focused on Arab citizens of Israel, Jewish- Arab relations, and shared society organizations for participants of organized tours and long-term programs in Israel.

Yahel* trains, supports, and inspires individuals and organizations to take part in and lead responsible and sustainable volunteering in Israel alongside local community members. Natan’s grant will enable Yahel to expand its Regional Volunteering Hubs (Haifa & the North, Central, South, and Jerusalem) focusing on: increasing local partnerships, creating service learning activities and modules that answer local needs in specific hubs, training staff on these modules, and training external staff (i.e., Birthright and others) on its service learning curriculum.

The Z3 Project integrates meaningful discourse about Zionism, Israel, and Jewish peoplehood into the Jewish public square at JCCs. Z3 is integrated with JCCA and partners with EarlyJ to support early childhood educators through its Leadership Lab, equipping preschool teachers and directors with the skills, curriculum, and support systems to better integrate Israeli content in their classrooms.