On the Map

On the Map is Jewish LearningWorks’ curricular framework and activity guide designed to make enduring change regarding how Israel is taught to middle and high school students. It came about in response to a number of educators who called us asking for “a good map of Israel” to use in their classrooms. Of course, there are many maps of Israel that convey different messages, and this idea is the foundation of the material.

On the Map was created in 2016 by beloved Israel educator Vavi Toran, and is organized thematically around seven units with accompanying materials. On the Map has been used successfully in congregational and day schools in the Bay Area, and around the United States.

At-a-glance:

  • Designed for 6th grade and above learners. May be used for staff training as well.
  • Ideal for congregational and day school settings.
  • Use the full curriculum or in segments. We recommend a minimum of three 45-minute lessons.

The material answers essential questions many learners are grappling with today, including:

  • What are the complex realities of modern Israel?
  • How is the history of Israel manifested in present day events?
  • Who are the people whose stories are being told? What is their relationship to the land?
  • What is the connection between borders, territory and a spiritual longing for the land?

What does On the Map include?

The materials include descriptions of maps, reference texts, and suggested learning activities; they are designed to be adapted to your educational context. On the Map is available as a digital download which includes a PPT presentation and PDF document.

What is the cost?

There is a one-time access fee of $180. This fee includes the digital files, and a one-hour consultation with a member of our team to help you think through your educational goals, and how these resources can help you achieve them.

To begin the process, download a sample lesson and a member of our team will follow up with you.

Download a Sample Lesson

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Are you a Jewish educator?

Jewish LearningWorks staff will work with you to determine the best type of support to offer you and your team in using On the Map, which might be one or two stand alone consultations for an individual, or a longer training series for a teaching team.

Contact us for more information

For more information, please contact Jenni Mangel at jenni@jewishlearning.works.

What "On the Map" Users Are Saying

“They loved it. When the students don’t want to leave the class and they want to talk about it more and more and ask so many questions… OTM brought up a lot of interesting things. There are provocative, unusual maps that are so different from what they usually see. It is so out of the box that it is a great way to enrich the way they look at maps.”
Day School Educator
“At the school, we can celebrate and love Israel. But this is a class. It is not an advocacy class. It’s not a propaganda class. It’s an academic subject. In the class, we study Israel rather than blindly follow Israel. Study means struggle. It means not accepting Israel blindly. The students now know how to say, ‘There’s more to the story.’”
Day School Educator
“I was shocked at what my students didn’t know. We studied the territories last year and they didn’t remember anything. It’s so important for us to be reviewing. Maps are so concrete; it’s accessible to them.”
Day School Educator
“This should be a national curriculum. It is multi-disciplinary. It has politics, history, art. It is nuanced. The curriculum is set up so you can use the material in a surface way or in a deep way. It is so needed.”
Day School Educator