Amplify Israel* is Stephen Wise Free Synagogue’s education and advocacy initiative aimed at healing the fractured relationship between American liberal Jews and Israel. Amplify Israel bolsters Reform rabbis and educators with the tools and resources to incorporate Israel and Jewish peoplehood more fully into their practice. Natan’s grant supports the Reform Movement Alumni for Israel (RAFI), a new leadership and peer-engagement program for young adults ages 22–35.

ARZA Canada*, an affiliate of URJ and the Reform Jewish Community of Canada, strengthens the connections of Canadian Reform Jewish communities to Israel as the Jewish spiritual home and the ideals of progressive Zionism. ARZA Canada is developing a new suite of Israel curriculum for congregational schools that allow elementary school learners (and their parents) to engage with an authentic portrait of Israel rooted in open inquiry and foster greater attachment to Israel. Natan’s grant will support the expansion of this curriculum to more Reform communities in Canada and around the world, to adapt lessons for middle and high school students, and create new modules specific to teenage learners.

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 will continue 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.

Israel Story, the award-winning podcast that tells extraordinary tales about ordinary Israelis and Palestinians. With Natan’s support, Israel Story has organized and catalogued its podcast archive—based on themes, historical events, topics, and trends—to make content more accessible to educators and also developed curricula to accompany select episodes in partnership with expert educators. These new projects are designed for educators and parents to more easily integrate Israel Story’s podcasts (and new documentary video shorts) into lessons for use at Hillels, day schools, Hebrew supplementary schools, camps, and even in the home.

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’ Kulam program for grades 8–12 offers a set of educational experiences that helps teens build resilience and strengthen their Jewish identity. Natan’s grant supports the development of an Israel curriculum within Kulam that allows participants 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.

Open Dor Media creates educational media that inspires a generation to live, learn, and love Israel and Judaism. Natan’s renewal grant will enable OpenDor to grow its UnpackEd (UED) impact on elementary-aged children by providing greater support, training, and resources to their Jewish day school educators. Open Dor Media produces a podcast designed for kids ages 8–12 with complementary resources for educators to readily incorporate this into day school and supplementary school classes.

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, which equips preschool teachers and directors with the skills, curriculum, and support systems to better integrate Israeli content in their classrooms. Natan’s grant supports the expansion of this ECE Leadership Lab.