This certainly seems like a strange title for a pamphlet about Israel education! One might even think it a misprint.
The usual questions about Israel education are:
What is Israel education? How do we do Israel education? What are the contents of Israel education?But this title is no mistake. Our intention in this pamphlet is indeed to discuss “where should we do Israel education?”
Why Ask “Where”?
In one sense, the question is misleading. Obviously, we should do Israel education wherever young Jews (or Jews of any age) are: in day schools, complementary schools, camps, JCCs, youth programming, Israel trips, retreats – in the many venues where Jewish education is implemented.
But the “where question” we are asking is not geographical; it is not about venue. It is ecological; it is about the environment. What we are really asking is: “where does Israel education live in the ecosystem of an educational institution or framework?”
Responses
The great immersive experiment of the Jewish people has been summer camp. The evidence is overwhelming in its assertion of Jewish identity and suggests three efforts. We should: 1. be looking for (and supporting existing) ways to get more children to summer camp. 2. look for ways to integrate the aleph-bet of Israel education into the existing camp curriculum 3. As Pomson & Chazan suggest, model those successul immersion programs in our day schools, congregationals schools, youth groups, etc. .
In this pamphlet, Drs. Pomson and Chazan address one of the key issues in Israel Education, one that has been largely neglected until now. They argue convincingly that the “where” is as important as the “what” vis a vis Israel Education, and the two ought to be inseparable from the onset. They begin by stating that the title of their pamphlet may seem strange, suggesting that as the field exists today, ‘where to do Israel Education’, is not a primary or even secondary starting point for most educators. The hope is that before long, this question will not seem strange and, in fact, will be regularly asked in Israel Education circles as it is paramount to maximizing our ability to provide meaningful, impactful and holistic...