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Farewell and thank you to:
Outgoing Makom shlichim: Orly Kenneth (Washington D.C. shlichah), Yaron Kapitulnik (Miami shaliach), Talia Lidar (Philadelphia shlichah), Hannah Soltz-Aharony (Palm Beach County shlichah).
Washington D.C. Makom Chair Josh Schonfeld. We hope you had a meaningful experience in Israel with your extended family.For Josh Schonfeld's closing remarks, please press here.
Executive Director of the Israel Center in San Francisco, Shlomi Ravid.
Welcome to incoming Makom professionals:
Chairs: Carrie and Ken Goldhoff - Cincinnati
Jim Busis - Pittsburgh
Rabbi Bennett - St. Louis
Meryl Rosenberg and Diane Schilit - Washington, D.C.
Makom Directors : Barbara Miller, Cincinnati
Adina Frydman, St. Louis
Shlichim: Amir Yarchi - Cincinnati
Hedva Montias and Shlomit Zimring - Palm Beach
Adi Inbar and Vered Robinson - Philadelphia
Micha Balf - Washington D.C.
Neal Levy, who will head the Israel Center in San Francisco.
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The Makom Network meeting on Culture as a Gateway to Engaging with Israel took place in New York on June 8-9. The meeting brought together Makom leaders and Jewish cultural figures (museum executives, festival directors) to discuss the role of culture in Israel engagement. In this two-day meeting, Makom explored the growing importance of culture (as opposed to religion) in Jewish identity; the factors involved in bringing Israeli culture to the public space; and the stumbling blocks between North American Jews and Israeli culture. The variety of speakers and workshops helped elucidate strengths and weaknesses in promoting Israeli culture, and boosted a process of deliberation on approaches to exposure to Israeli culture in Jewish communities. This process will be further developed in the planned establishment of a Cultural Network.
For schedule and session summaries, please press here. |
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Community Updates: |
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Each community was asked to send a few "bullets" on activities within the Makom framework in the past few months. Following is a summary of their responses. |
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MetroWest Focus: Knesset Israel |
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Community events
Events are being planned from a different perspective. They are being tailor-made so as to enable synagogues, day schools, and youth movements to take an active role in planning the events. One such event will be the Cultural Celebration for Israel in January. In contrast to previous years, synagogue book clubs and other constituencies within the synagogue will take part in the planning. |
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First Taglit – Birthright – Israel MetroWest trip
In December, 40 young adults will participate in this trip. The synagogues are partners in promoting and recruiting participants from their congregations. |
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Knesset Israel
This program, aiming to renew engagement with Israel via leadership in synagogues, currently includes seven participating synagogues. The coming year’s programs are in the process of being planned with them. Concurrently, plans to include other synagogues are being made, including the development of curriculum tailored to the synagogues.
For more information, contact Orli Dudaie, Executive Shlicha
odudaie@ujcnj.org |
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Miami Focus: Teacher training
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Israel Education Month 2006 with over 5,000 people in attendance at 20 events. |
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“Destination Israel”: A south Miami Dade County community Makom forum of 70 leaders representing 30 organizations. A unique Israel atmosphere and the showing of short Israel movies set the stage for the group to talk about how to implement Makom values in their organizations. A group is in place that will follow up with each organization to encourage the creation of Israel committees or other methods at each of the 30 participating institutions.
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Three seminars for teachers in Day, afternoon and ECE schools on how to teach Israel effectively, including the best use of resources. These seminars, conducted by CAJE, are part of the Katz Fellows Follow-Up program. The Katz Fellows, a group of educators, traveled to Israel as a group and have continued meeting to work together to change the way Israel is presented in their schools. |
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Several preparatory seminars for a group of ECE teachers, principals, parents and children who will be going to Israel as part of the Kesher L’Yisrael program to revamp the way that ECE programs teach Israel. |
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Over 150 students from four different local Miami schools are involved with students of our sister city in Israel, Or Akiva. This initiative allows the students to study the same curriculum and then communicate with each other via e-mail and teleconferences. The forum is part of the Lokey Educational Curriculum project. One of the classes actually met with their counterparts in Israel. |
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The “Israel V’Ani Seminar” – an initiative to involve a select group of organizations that have youth group professionals. The goal is to develop a holistic organizational approach to encouraging youth to go to Israel and to make Israel travel a life-long value. Ten organizations with youth directors are committed to the program, which will start in September and last for 20 months.
For more information, contact Rabbi Efrat Zarren-Zohar, Coalition Director, CAJE
efratzohar@caje-miami.org
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New York Focus: Culture and Camping |
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The  Seminar on Israeli Culture & Jewish Life, which will be held at Capital Camps, outside of Washington D.C, between October 29th and November 1st, is designed to explore different ways that contemporary Israeli culture can be utilized in informal Jewish education to help develop the Jewish identity of North American teenagers. This seminar will bring together youth workers from around the country to look at some of the critical issues confronting Jewish educators today when dealing with Israel. |
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JEXNET is planning a Conference on Experiential Jewish Youth Education, which will be held on January 21-24, 2007 in Atlanta, GA. |
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Through JEXNET, Makom in New York is continuing its work to enhance Israel education in Jewish summer camping, year-round youth programming and Israel experience programs. The focus will continue to be on training and developing youth professionals, as well as providing them with ongoing resources on JEXNET’s new website (www.JEXNET.org ).
For more information, contact Naomi Korb, Program Director
Naomi@naajewishyouth.org
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Northern Jersey Focus: Teen leadership
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Teen leadership institute: an 18-month training program for 10th graders, planned for Jan 2007. The goal: to train a cadre of teens to become mentors in their movements, planning community-wide social action. |
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A teen council of 33 members representing all movements has been established to participate in the planning of curricula and events. |
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Teen trip to Israel: 40 high school students are set to experience Israel in December
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Planning of community-wide social action, including a rock concert for 1,000 teens, and collecting packages for Israeli soldiers.
For more information, contact Miriam Meyer, Makom Director
miriamm@ujannj.org |
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Palm Beach Focus: Teacher training
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Master teachers program: With the help of the Commission for Jewish Education and lay leaders, a two-year Master teachers training program has been tailored to help local educators develop the knowledge, skills and materials to empower them to teach about Israel. Eighteen teachers have been chosen for the two-year training program with Makom BaGalil (Dr. Mark Rosenstein). Five of them went on a training seminar in Israel in June. |
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Establishment of an Israel "Resource Center" to improve access to Israel education: This lending library, which serves educators and members of the community, includes music, videos/DVDs, books, maps, posters, curricula, games, and other educational materials. |
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Assistance to local institutions in formulation of Israel engagement strategy: One-on-one consultation services are being provided to help schools integrate Israel throughout the curriculum of every grade and develop and pilot new Israel education programs. |
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Increasing Israel engagement in the community: An initiative, "Our Israel", has been created as a series of programs and activities to increase opportunities for the community to express its connections to Israel. The first program was "Show us your Israel" photos contest : more then 200 photos of Israel were sent in by people in the community for a contest. Winners' photos were displayed at the JCC and were announced for the stage in the Yom Ha'Atzmaut main event. To start off the new school year, the second program was launched - a Children's Israel Writing Contest. |
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Educational workshops: A variety of educational workshops have been conducted: pre- and post-programming for trips to Israel, for teens, JCC Staff, School's mission and Temples' missions; professional development sessions on Individual and Collective Connections to Israel, Israeli Culture through Poetry and Music, History of Israel from Biblical to Modern Times, Israeli Geography, Our Partner Region of Tzahar, and Use of Attractive Land kit. Classes on Israel were held for children, teens, adults, Federation and Agency staff, and local educators. |
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Bimonthly articles in CJE's La Moreh newsletter to update educators about Makom activities. |
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Israel Week - The theme of this year's celebration was "13 Million people with one common ground", reaching more than 4,000 people from pre-school age to seniors at multiple venues throughout the community.
For more information, contact Shlomit Zimring, Coalition Director
shlomit.zimring@gmail.com |
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Philadelphia Focus: Educators and Camp Leaders |
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Last May the Makom committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, chaired by Viki Earlbaum, approved the Makom work-plan for this coming year; a plan that has already been put into motion. Focusing on youth as the local Lab, the following projects will be at the core of the Makom activity: |
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ICONNECT teacher training program: focusing on synagogue supplementary schools, this program will enter its second year with 7 synagogues and one high-school continuing their program after a summer educational tour in Israel, and a new cohort with 6 new synagogues. This program was developed and ran with the local ACAJE and with ‘Makom Ba’Galil’ from Israel, using video conferences, chevruta learning sessions and case study presentations by participants as the main tools of work. This program will be also used as a starting point with the involvement of local Rabbis into the ‘Hartman Lay Leadership Program’, thus expanding the Lab for involving the synagogues themselves. |
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Hillel Fellow Program: a volunteer Shlicha (Rinat Bialer) positioned at the Hillel of Greater Philadelphia serving 6 campuses, with the charge of infusing campus activities with Israel programming and support. |
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Cultural Programming: promoting and offering the ICONNECT schools in particular and the greater community in general cultural programming that offers hands-on experience with Israeli Culture and encounters with Israelis. Past examples include the Orna Porat Youth Theater, the Zionist Seminars, the local Film Festival, Melitz Scholar in residence and more. |
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High School Seniors Trip: based on research, this trip is offered as a ‘community service’ initiative, together with the public schools approval. |
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Mega Teen Event: aimed at drawing non-affiliated youth together with the various youth groups, this event was a success last year (featuring Idan Raichel’s Project) and will be followed be a similar event this year. |
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Israel Returnees Program: a series of Israel culture events aimed at Israel returnees. We plan to use their motivation and enthusiasm to promote wider community events such as the Film Festival, Missions to Israel and the Mega Teen Event. |
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P2K Mifgash: co-sponsoring 12 participants on a trip to the partnership region, as well as hosting teens from the Netivot-Sedot Negev region in Philadelphia. |
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Camp initiative: bringing directors of Jewish Camps in the area for joint learning and planning opportunities through workshops and a trip to Israel, thus infusing camps with Israel programming. This will be a joint endeavor together with David Bryfman from JEXNET. |
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Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to say Le’hitraot Ve’Todah Rabah to Talia Lidar who served as the community Shlichah and as the Makom backbone in our community for the past four years, and to Welcome Vered Robinzon, the new community Shlicha, Adi Inbar, the new Youth/Habonim-Dror Shlicha, and Rinat Bialer, the new Hillel Fellow.
For more information, contact Adi Inbar, Youth/Habonim-Dror Shlicha
ainbar@philafederation.org |
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Pittsburgh: Focus: Teens and early childhood
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The i-connect Teen Mega Mission: Through a collaboration with the UJF, JCC, and the Agency for Jewish Learning, 93 teens traveled to Israel. Unfortunately, the planned camp program in Pittsburgh's Partnership 2000 region with 45 Israeli teens was impacted by the war in the north. The teens spent a few days together in Jerusalem and the Pittsburgh teen delegation returned home. Ten days later, a delegation of 33 Israeli teens arrived in Pittsburgh and were hosted by the local teens. They spent 10 days together and went to Washington, D.C., where they spoke with representatives of the Israeli Embassy and AIPAC, and toured museums and monuments. Their visit to Pittsburgh ended with a farewell party and teen rally for Israel attended by teen mission participants, youth organizations, and hosting families. |
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The Nitzanim Early Childhood Teacher Training Program: This program is underway in community early childhood departments. Thirteen directors and teachers were scheduled to travel to Israel this summer as a component of this project, however, due to the war, the trip was postponed. Directors and teachers will begin their second year of study in September. |
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The Heroes of Israel Card Collection: Recently produced, the collection has been distributed to Pittsburgh day schools and supplemental schools. The Agency for Jewish Learning will provide teacher training programs with this educational tool. The Young Shlichim will be designing classroom activities for supplemental school students based on this educational resource. Ed Snitkoff of the Jewish Agency facilitated a session on Israel Literacy at the annual CAJE Conference and identified the Heroes of Israel Card Collection as a means of enhancing Israel literacy in the classroom. |
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The i-connect Israel Scholarship Program has received 194 applications for subsidy including four OTZMA candidates. This is a very significant increase from last year and i-connect was successful in advocating for an increase in Merit Scholarship to $1,250 for next year. |
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Pittsburgh has become a MASA Community, recognizing that the long-term experience in Israel could transform the next generation of Jews around the world.
For more information, contact Sue Linzer, i-connect Project Director
slinzer@UJFpittsburgh.org |
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San Francisco Focus: Travel and Day Schools |
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First 8th Grade Trip to Israel
For the first time in the community's history, four Jewish day schools are planning an eighth grade trip to Israel. This is a milestone for the community and if established as a permanent feature, has the potential of impacting not only the students but also the entire school community and its culture. The planned eighth grade trips represent an opportunity of introducing the idea of school twinning as pilot programs in order to enhance and strengthen the trip to Israel and the relationship with Israelis. |
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School Twinning Program
This long-term 3-4 year program, which matches schools in the San Francisco-Bay Area and Israel, is now set to begin, after being designed collaboratively by educational professionals in the schools both in Israel and the San Francisco-Bay Area. Activities will range from the simple exchange of holiday greetings and emails between classes to videoconferences, and from jointly prepared curricular units taught in parallel grades to travel and seminar exchanges of students, parents and faculty between the two schools. |
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Israel in the Gardens 2006
In June, the award-winning Israeli percussionist Chen Zimbalista led the first ever Children's Rhythm Band in the San Francisco Area at the Israel Center's yearly "Israel in the Gardens" event. The Band included 150 children from five Bay Area Jewish day schools. Soloists from each school had a moment in the spotlight. The performance was created when Zimbalista, as artist-in-residence, visited each of the schools several times in late April and late May. Students learned and rehearsed with the drummer to perform in a way guaranteed to make the audience jump out of their seats, cheer, clap and keep the beat.
For more information, contact Vavi Toran, Coalition Director
vtoran@bjesf.org |
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Toronto Focus: Travel |
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This new Makom community has tailored and carried out two professional development missions, in special education and environmental studies. Both missions were laboratories for new Israel engagement opportunities. More than 60 educators took part in the pre-trip training and missions, and are currently undergoing post programming. The will become change agents and mentors in their schools, under ongoing supervision by outside professionals.
For more information, contact Daniel Fine, Director of Informal Education and Makom Director
dfine@ujafed.org
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Washington, D.C.
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A very successful Camp Israel took place at the JCC of Northern Virginia for the second year. Camp Israel was also launched for the first time at the Washington DC JCC. Both programs will be reviewed to continue developing this unique camp experience for next summer. |
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The second class of the Early Childhood Educators' Israel Seminar will soon be launched. This is a core program of Israel in DC that has had tremendous ripple effect and has led to intensive professional training with other cohort groups. The seminar is planned collaboratively with pre-schools in our Partnership 2000 community of Beit Shemesh/Yehuda Plains. Israel has been integrated into the pre-school curriculum in a holistic way and classrooms on both sides of the ocean benefit from learning together and sharing their Jewish identities. |
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The Israel film club, café seret, has grown, reaching multiple synagogue locations and two JCCs. The success of this model may facilitate the introduction of Israeli book clubs this year. |
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For the first time, local agencies and synagogues initiated relationships with Washington's Partnership 2000 region by using art and photography as the central theme of their relationship. This relationship includes sharing of artistic work by senior citizens in both communities and a people to people exchange.
For more information, contact Marci Harris-Blumenthal, Director, Community Planning & Allocations
marci.harris-blumenthal@shalomdc.org
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Welcome
Cincinatti and St. Louis have just joined the Makom Network. On behalf of all Makom communities and Makom National – welcome on board! |
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More Articles
 From the Editor
Conflict and Conversation
Makom Mission
Ariel View
Personal Bookshelf
New from Makom
Community Initiative
Makom Matters
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