Nitzanim Certification and Professionalization in Jewish Education

The Nitzanim Course is a project of the Educational Resource & Professional Development Division at the Department for Jewish Zionist Education of the Jewish Agency for Israel. The program first opened in 1996, in the framework of the social dialogue in Israeli society that emerged following the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin z"l.

Nitzanim is targeted at young Jewish educators with a wide range of professional experience, offering them opportunities for study, exploration and enrichment. The training course endeavors offer a foundation for educational approaches and development that will guide our future educational leadership, both within Israeli society, and in its encounter with Diaspora Jewry. 

The Course is an encounter framework for Israeli students engaged in Jewish education in the Diaspora, where they can relate to issues that are central to their work. It also provides options for in-depth personal and professional clarification, while ensuring the continuity of a network of young, trained educators who possess the abilities, knowledge, depth and personal commitment that are crucial to our work with the Jewish world.

Nitzanim is a multi-faceted six-month program, consisting of lectures, workshops, encounters, personal and group study. Each annual intake consists of 25 trainees who will, upon completion, fulfill a commitment to work in the sphere of Jewish Zionist education.

Nitzanim is a unique framework and has set a new standard for professional leadership training and cadre development in Jewish education for the Diaspora. In its first decade, it has acquired distinction as a professionalization program - not only within the Department for Jewish Zionist Education at The Jewish Agency, but also within Jewish organizations, youth movements, and other professional human resource development sectors within Jewish and Zionist education. Today, with 257 graduates, Nitzanim is prominent leader in the area of human resources serving Jewish Zionist education.