IT HAPPENED TOMORROW Teaching Israel

By Guido Vitale

“Teaching Israel to American kids is not easy. Engendering love and criticism simultaneously is tricky in any subject. That might be why more and more parents are seeking out Jewish education that does not wade into the murky waters of Zionism. But these kids live in the world. They are and will continue to be confronted with their association with Israel whether parents like it or not. As educators, we can run away from it and let someone else indoctrinate them, or we can do what we are hired to do: teach with complexity and compassion. Anything else would be disrespectful to the intellect and analytical skills of the incredibly smart kids we teach. They can handle it if we can. It’s time to break the silence on Israel education in this country.” (Misha Shulman, director of New York’s School for Creative Judaism)