Research Encounter: Teaching Israel

This podcast, based on the volume Teaching Israel: Studies of Pedagogy from the Field, edited by Sivan Zakai and Matt Reingold, focuses on Israel teachers in the classroom. Who teaches our students about Israel, and in what contexts? How do Israel educators think about their role--as an "explorer" or "exemplar"? What happens when a "micromoment" arises, when a student struggles to understand or is deeply troubled by something they've learned? And how are Israel classrooms adapting to the reality of our post-October 7 world? What has changed, and what hasn't, in this work? (Recorded on 9/27)

Special guests

Sivan Zakai is the Sara S. Lee Associate Professor of Jewish Education at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and a Senior Editor of the Journal of Jewish Education.

Matt Reingold is a Jewish educator with over 16 years of in-class experience teaching Jewish and Israeli history in Toronto Jewish day schools. In addition to co-editing Teaching Israel, with Sivan Zakai, he is the author of four books about Jewish and Israeli comics and graphic novels.

Lisa Exler is Director of Jewish Studies and Ivrit at Beit Rabban Day School in Manhattan.

Rebecca Boim Wolf serves as Coordinator for Israel Education and teaches history at SAR High School in the Bronx, NY, a modern Orthodox Jewish day school.

Jeremy Toren is the ECC-12 Director of Jewish Education at San Diego Jewish Academy.