An intensive learning program helping Bay Area Jewish educators engage their learners with the Arab-Israeli/Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

This program is an adaptation of The iCenter‘s signature training, Conflicts of Interest. It was designed in partnership with their trainers to help Bay Area Jewish educators build their knowledge of one of the most contentious topics today: the Arab-Israeli/Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Through multiple lenses, and with an open heart, we will engage in meaningful education to build your confidence, and core competencies, thus helping you engage your learners with the historical conflict in a respectful way.

A Layered Approach for a Layered Topic

Conflicts of Interest participants will explore multiple perspectives, and narratives of the Arab-Israeli/Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the examination of primary sources. They will engage with content through varied pedagogical modalities; apply diverse frames of understanding; participate in conversations and respectful discourse, develop facilitation skills, and gain practical tools for engaging learners in this and other controversial topics.

  • Aimed at: Bay Area Jewish educators within all educational settings.
  • Structure: Two-day, in-person intensive preceded by an online opening session. The in-person sessions are also followed by an online closing.
  • Facilitated by: The iCenter.

Program Details

Opening session: September 3, 2024 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm (Online)

Two-day intensive:

  • Sunday, September 15, 2024 from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm (In-person)
  • Monday, September 16, 2024 from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm (In-person)

Closing session: September 24, 2024 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm (Online)

Location: In-person sessions at Congregation B’nai Tikvah (25 Hillcroft Way, Walnut Creek, CA 94597). A Zoom link for the online sessions will be shared with participants upon registration.

Registration

Registration is closed. The program is full.

The cost of the program is $144 per participant.

All trainings at Jewish LearningWorks are subsidized by our generous donors. If the cost is a barrier to your participation, do not hesitate to contact us to arrange an adjustment. Please email alisha@jewishlearning.works.

Questions

Please contact Alisha Pedowitz, Senior Educator, at alisha@jewishlearning.works or at (415) 259-5992 for any questions or more information.

This Program is a Collaboration of

The iCenter inspires and supports the largest network of Israel educators across North America, transforming the field of Israel Education across day schools, public schools, summer camps, synagogues, youth groups, universities, and beyond. Their programs support the development of Israel educators, pioneer new educational approaches, and promote a relational and learner-centered philosophy.

Exploring Israel with learners of any age has perhaps never been more difficult. When we teach about Israel, each of us in the room – whether teacher or learner – comes with our own knowledge, experiences, and assumptions. It is in this context that Jewish LearningWorks has developed our Israel education offerings for 2024-25.

We acknowledge that no teacher, and no topic can be value neutral, and we have chosen partners that we believe will create a safe, learning environment for participants. We embrace an approach Rabbi Laura Novak Winer recently termed Yedidat Yisrael/Knowing Israel as we work together to sharpen our content knowledge, and develop the tools required to reach learners with divergent ideas, experiences and positions. Rabbi Novak Winer writes: “Yediat Yisrael more accurately reflects the type of knowledge, understandings, and connections our learners need. Yes, it may lead to ahavat Yisrael, but that is not the primary objective. Yediat Yisrael aims for learners to find and navigate their own meanings and connections with Israel, as the historic homeland, as a global, diverse Jewish community, and as the modern State. Yediat Yisrael aims to build understanding.”

Ultimately, meaningful Israel education (in fact all education) depends on educators bringing themselves to the work. We are committed to taking an intentional, and  learner-centered approach to this topic, and remain always open to your feedback.