“The Tali education is superb, above and beyond anything I ever saw in the US,” claims Alyssa Friedland, who made aliyah six years ago from Houston with her husband and four children. “I was not willing to compromise on my children’s education. We are involved in a Conservative congregation, so the TALI school was a natural choice for us.” Spearheaded by many former Americans, the first TALI School (Frankel) was established in Jerusalem 20 years ago. Today, there are over 60 TALI school, or TALI tracks within secular State schools around the country.

According to custom in Conservative Judaism, boys and girls have equal religious responsibilities and daven together. Kvells Alyssa, “My nine year old daughter is learning trop, and is already reading Torah.” A very unique element of the TALI system is family education as part of the curriculum. The Frankel School’s VeShinantam Le’Vanecha Center, established in 1994, is based on a partnership between the school and parents. By developing curriculum and initiating projects, the Center exposes parents to the wealth and diversity of Jewish experience, and brings the rich fabric of family backgrounds and personal stories into the ongoing Jewish narrative.
“The family becomes an integral part of the child’s learning,” explains Alyssa. “As a family, we attend Shabbat retreats once or twice a year; multi-generational and every month, we are part of chavurot, book discussions with authors, cooking classes, walking tours, or movies followed by discussions.”

Sharon Peri, formerly of Massachusetts, and a Jerusalem resident, runs the TALI Early Childhood longtime Education Division of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies. “Early childhood frameworks in Israel tend to be defined as either secular or religious in nature, yet there is a growing trend within the society to address the need for a pluralistic Jewish educational approach.” Doubling in number within a year, there are now 41 early childhood classes ranging from Haifa to Beersheva. “Our division works with existing staff, providing pedagogic supervision, curriculum and in-service training.” Once a “North American” enclave, TALI schools and programs now draw Israelis of all backgrounds and professions.