PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The impact of the Israel seminar is echoed in the participants' comments, reflections and ideas for application in their early childhood classroom. We hope that though reading participants' meaningful and heartfelt descriptions, you will gain a taste of this unique experience.

JERUSALEM

"Before our tour of Jerusalem we listened to a fascinating lecture by Adolfo Roitman..."

The Western Wall

The Wailing Wall by Barbara Sparago (Florida, 2000)

Yad Vashem

Har Herzl

TEL AVIV

Independence Hall
"My favorite site was Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, I was so moved and touched by what was shared there that even now my eyes well up with tears of pride." (Florida, 2000)

"I think we all found this a truly emotional experience as we heard the original tape of David Ben-Gurion declaring the new state. There were very few dry eyes as we all stood to sing Hatikvah."

TZEFAT

"It is a mystical place. In Jerusalem you can feel the holiness, in Tzefat you can see it." (JTS, 2000)

MAGDEL CHAMS

"A Druze village which sits directly on the border with Syria. Seeing another culture up close, being in the home of a Druze family and hearing of their experiences was a most interesting learning experience." (Florida, 2000)

The Druze by Barbara Sparago (Florida, 2000)

KIBBUTZ GEZER

"This Kibbutz is near the site where the Maccabees once were - it is incredible; it brings everything into focus. It tied in what we learned with Ta- Shma (a pluralistic center for Jewish Learning) to that land that our ancestors and we share. The connection is brought to life in Pinat Shorashim"

DESERT

One of the most memorable moments was sitting on the sand and just reflecting as we looked at the sand dunes. I will absolutely do that activity with my children taking time out many times during the school year to think and reflect and pause for just a moment in their lives. (Florida, 2000)

ABOUT LEARNING

"I feel that I will be able to communicate Bible stories and the richness of Jewish identity as well as the land of Israel. I will tell of my experiences with a passion I never had.
On this trip I learned about the places and people written about in the Bible. I have been able to connect with my Jewish identity.
The chevruta sessions were not only informative but allowed time to get to know others through the exchanges of our ideas.
I really enjoyed all of our learning sessions. Studying torah is something new to me and I would love to continue studying. "

MEETING REPRESENTATIVES from the PARTNERSHIP 2000 LOCAL AUTHORITIES

"I thoroughly enjoyed our evening with our host gannenot and visiting experience the ganim especially Ma'ale Yoseph and Shlomi. The hospitality was overwhelming. Personal stories of gannenot were emotional and real and I can't recommend these enough." (England, 2001)

"Throughout the whole trip what stood out more than anything to me was the commitment that is put into early childhood..."

SHABBAT

"We were down in the lobby ready to light Shabbat candles..."

PRESCHOOL VISITS

"We divided into groups and went to different early childhood centers..."

Pre-school in Merchavim

"During the last ten days we have been fortunate enough to meet..."

"What a day! We were welcomed with open hearts..."

EARLY CHILDHOOD ENRICHMENT CENTERS

Beit Hamikra, Bible Story House

Wide Angle

Gan Milo

GOING HOME

Comments

Introduction | Journal Entries | Itineraries | Photo Gallery

"During the last ten days we have been fortunate enough to meet people involved in early years and visit many of their kindergartens. The welcome we received and hospitality was outstanding from these visits. I am taking back with me many new ideas of how to present myself in my work to the children I teach. I have seen many new approaches to teaching the children and have seen how they have responded - they are very independent and produce beautiful work and arts and crafts. I have seen how one can tie in the love of Eretz Yisroel with any topic. I have more inspiration for new ideas and ways of trying to do things differently. We also had some sessions of actually learning how to make our own resources, which were very useful indeed. We were given an enormous amount of historical knowledge in a "hands on" way wherever possible and this enhanced our knowledge historically and spiritually. I envy the Israeli education system that provides such a rich resource / support system and wish I could take that away with me." (England, 2001)

"Before our tour of Jerusalem we listened to a fascinating lecture by Adolfo Roitman - "Earthly Jerusalem and Heavenly Jerusalem." at Machon Schechter. We learned of the importance of this city to Jews through the ages - spiritually and physically. We were treated to a discussion of Jerusalem not as important secular city but as spiritual entity and a symbol of Jewish identity. As Dr. Roitman said, "We can't understand ourselves as Jews without Jerusalem."
We proceeded to the Old City and after Dr. Roitman's lecture I saw Jerusalem in a totally different way. Instead of being a modern multi-cultural city built around ancient ruins, I felt it pull on my heart in a deeper spiritual way as we walked around with our guide and saw the ancient sites and learned about the people who lived here. I never lost the feeling of connection to G-d and a sense of promises made over centuries of conflict and change." (JTS, 2000)

The trip to the Western Wall was one of the most powerful things I ever experienced. The feeling of comfort, and spiritual belief took over and somehow I felt connected. It was a day I shall not soon forget. (JTS, 2000)

The Wailing Wall
by Barbara Sparago (Florida, 2000)

Write, write my precious ones
Write, write my special ones
Write, write my loved ones
Write your silent cries
Your silent cries belong now to history
Embedded in the tombs of time

The participants toured the Old City of Jerusalem, visiting Kotel tunnels, Kotel, Herodian Mansions, Cardo and the Jewish Quarter. They learned about the historical development of the city as well as the different groups of people who lived within the walls and the models of community that they created.

The tour of the Old City also included lunch at the Cardo Culinarium — a culinary experience in the Roman style!

Yad Vashem
We were met by Rachel Korazim, who works for the Department of Education at the Jewish Agency. She is in charge of professional development. She is a tall, slender, handsome woman with bespeckled eyes. Going through the Alley of the Righteous Gentiles; Rachel retells personal stories. We pass a tree with many rocks at the base and read the inscription on the plaque commemorating Oskar Schindler, made famous by Steven Spielberg's movie "Schindler's List". We stop at another tree and Rachel tells a moving account of elderly non-Jews from Holland who risked their lives for their Jewish friends during the war. These are the people that these trees commemorate for their courage and bravery. Through Rachel's eyes, Yad Vashem became not only a museum or a monument of a people's grief but rather a symbol of rebirth and rebuilding of a people and their nation. This was the true meaning of the writing on the wall - for all of us to see and to be able to connect with our past and our future. (JTS, 2000)

Har Herzl
We visited graves of Herzl, Golda Meir, Rabin and other Jewish heroes, especially the grave of young soldiers buried in the National Cemetery who gave their lives for their country and the Jewish People. (JTS, 2000)

Seeing Ytzhak Rabin's gravesite was especially tearful as I can clearly remember the day he was assassinated by a fellow Jew while giving a speech on achieving "PEACE". I remember watching his redheaded granddaughter giving the eulogy at the funeral that was attended by world dignitaries. I was crying, feeling a bit numb watching the people carrying candles and breaking down with emotion over this horrific tragedy. (Toronto, 2000)

This evening we recognized Yom Hazikaron, the annual day of remembrance for the soldiers and civilians who have been killed in war. Tiki, our host and preschool teacher in Kiryat Shemona takes us to the memorial ceremony at the large auditorium in Kiryat Shemona. I am struck by the number of people, young and old, spilling into the aisles and filling the balcony. During the ceremony we watch a film recognizing all the 114 people who have died in Kiryat Shemona, many from ketushot that have blasted over the mountain coming from Lebanon, only 5 kilometers away. With each picture comes a sigh or a wail from someone in the audience. Next to me sits Tiki's friend's son who points out every third person or so that appears on the screen. He says 'this is my uncle', 'my best friend', 'my friend's grandmother' … I look to Tiki, whose eyes well up with tears. This is real. This is now and Tiki is sharing it with us. The mourning is not hidden or private. It is a shared, collective experience. I couldn't understand the words being spoken, but I could understand the feelings and was allowed to share in this collective remembrance. It was a powerful experience that I will never forget. (San Francisco, 2001)

Magdel Chams
"I was initially angry at the visit to Magdel Chams and didn't understand why we were there - when the square had a Syrian Flag and a picture of Assad. I looked at the tourists from America who had come to Israel to see a Jewish land, Jewish history, progress, medical, educational and economic development and not a Druze village. But after I heard the guide's explanation and after feeling the warmth of the host, the beautiful view, I said that maybe we also need to see this side of Israel." (Florida, 2000)

The Druze by Barbara Sparago (Florida, 2000)

Welcome, my friends into my house
My house belongs to humanity
How strange,
I do not believe what you believe
I do not worship as you worship
I celebrate my religion, buy not as you do yours
But try to understand - I am a man,
I am a member of the human race
Let there be peace among us
Let there be no more shattered brains
Strewn about on the sands of time

"Throughout the whole trip what stood out more than anything to me was the commitment that is put into early childhood care. From the people at "the top" i.e. the council workers and the nursery workers on all levels. They are all working as one in order to help the children. As well as this, the warmth that is shown in all the places we visited not only to us, but also to each other and to the children. From this I feel the need to improve the system we have at home [England] and we must find a way to encourage our authorities to work "with" us rather than "above us". If we make our views known and show as much as we can of what we have seen and experienced maybe they will listen to us. To improve the relationship without social service workers and Ofsted inspectors would help our task." (England, 2001)

"We were down in the lobby ready to light Shabbat candles. The women who were never in Israel before were given that honor. Some of us were moved to tears. We hugged and wished each other a good Shabbat and as we walked, we tried to understand the many emotions that have seemed to take over our bodies. This has been a special "selfish" time for many of us. Selfish in a wonderful way - while here, we are no longer mothers, teachers, and wives; we are women sharing special times together. After a beautiful Kabbalat Shabbat Service at HUC, we gazed at the moon and headed back for dinner at the hotel. After dinner a few of us took a beautiful walk." (JTS, 2000)

"We divided into groups and went to different early childhood centers for Kabbalat Shabbat. My group went to the Hebrew Union College to see a class of 5-year-olds. Except for the fact that Hebrew was spoken instead of English, the Shabbat experience was the same as ours! One additional touch, which was truly beautiful, was the blessing over the children. The director came in and along with the teachers held up a tallit over the children and the blessing was said. The teachers and Shabbat parents made us feel very welcomed. It was a great feeling to see that our Shabbat is the same as Shabbat in early childhood centers in Israel. We were proud of that!" (JTS, 2000)

"This morning I enjoyed a visit to a pre-school in Merchavim - a partner town/moshav with MetroWest. It was a small "gan" on a small moshav. Our initial reaction was that this school was rather underprivileged - no new outdoor equipment - only old tires, a large play area with discarded "junk". But as we spent time with the children and the teacher, it was clear to us that material wealth is not important - children played creatively throughout and seemed quite happy in very active, innovative ways. The interior was quite large - many wonderful play areas - the children were well behaved and welcomed us. This was a secular environment with age-appropriate materials that we found to be more than adequate. We thoroughly enjoyed this little gan and agreed to keep in touch -with our classes exchanging holiday greetings throughout the year." (JTS, 2000)

"What a day! We were welcomed with open hearts by every preschool center we entered and with platefuls of food and gifts. Going from gan to gan, a waterfall of ideas rushed around our heads. We saw the children self-motivated and truly involved in thoughtfully planned activities. The displays were beautifully presented and focused at the children's level to extend the children's learning. It was clear that the children were highly valued and their education was child centered. In the positive sense of the word - starting with what they can do and giving them the opportunity to move on at their own pace."

Beit Hamikra, Bible Story House
"We drive to Bible Story House where I am thoroughly impressed. I loved it. So many ideas but many that I'm not sure can be adapted to a classroom. After all, this was set up as a center for children to visit on a field trip. I love how they integrated "hands on material," theater and crafts. I noticed the absence of music. Loved the low pile carpeting on walls and floors and the use of velcro." (JTS, 2000).

"Bible story house in Ramat Gan, what a place! The children are greeted by actors dressed in biblical costume who take the children into the bible stories. We saw a group of children learning about Noah's Ark. Their learning included getting dressed up as animals and actually going into an Ark. When the doors closed and the sounds of pounding rain was heard, you could almost believe you were not going to be able to leave for 40 days! After the experience in the ark the children went into a second hall where there were all kinds of games and manupulatives relating to the story. This was truly a center of excellence both in the activities for the children and the quality of the theatrical production." (England, 2000)

Gan Milo
"Gan Milo is an arts enrichment centre where children and teachers are introduced to music and the arts. The teachers, Yochi and Sofia, introduced the children to elements of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. The children listened spellbound (so did we) as Yochi told on simple outline of the story and played two selected tunes - the Arabian and Russian dances. Activities which followed included orchestrated movement activities, free movement and drawing. The climax was a puppet show of this section of the story. It was a magical experience for the whole audience. We were all aware of the planning, ingenuity, expertise and long term value of this experience for the children. The enrichment center has been one of the most inspiring experiences so far and is one which all of us will somehow try to recreate in some form at home." (England 2000).

Wide Angle
Wide Angle is a unique setting in Israel that promotes problem solving and scientific and mathematical thinking skills. Wide Angle also trains teachers to enable children to learn though their natural curiosity and problem solving capabilities. Points that were highlighted include the need to give time and space for children to develop and internalize concepts.

"A story was told at the Wide Angle enrichment centre about a lone girl who meets a gnome and together they travel on a long journey over a river by boat with two sets of oars, one large, one small. They have to climb over a wall to reach a beautiful palace where they dance all night and then fall asleep! The children were told to build anyone of the structures that appear in the story (boat, palace etc.). They used materials that had been laid out in the room. The staff enabled the children to meet their needs in a relaxed well thought out environment. The children built truly amazing structures with little or no help from the adults in the room. It was quite an eye opener with regards to children's capabilities." (England, 2000)

"I feel that I have been given a gift of a lifetime, and I have a new understanding and appreciation for my religion and myself. I hope to bring it all home and integrate my new feeling into my everyday life."

"If I were to judge the success of this tour by the thank yous and many tears that were shed at the airport - it was very successful. However, I am now looking for the long-term effects and I am hoping that the teachers' future learning together will be colored by the Israel experience."

"Our guides gave not just facts, but feelings. They gave the country a "personality" a sense of history, which just doesn't come from hearsay or films or books - it's the being here that made an impact."

"I feel I have leant so much more about the religion and the country and this gives a lot more meaning to the importance of Jewish heritage, tradition and values."