WZPS p hoto courtesy David Yellin Teachers College ISRAEL David Yellin, second row, second from left, college founder, and the first student body. A t a time when edu- cational standards are under attack and the quality of Israeli education has become a controversial issue, the David Yellin Teachers College stands as a model for teacher training in Israel. Celebrating its 75th, or "diamond," anniversary, the college is the oldest educa- tional institution of higher learning in Israel, represen- ting the ideals and values of education intrinsic in the Jewish heritage. Its founder, David Yellin, was a sabra and pioneer Jewish educator whose in- volvement in the develop- ment of Jerusalem and its major institutions — the National Library, B'nai B'rith and the Hebrew Language Committee — made him a prominent leader in the "Yishuv," or pre-state Palestine. Teacher education began in pre-state Israel in 1904 with the establishment in Jerusa- lem of the Jewish Teachers Seminary sponsored by "Ezra," the German Jewish Association (Hilfsverein) with David Yellin serving as the assistant principal. In 1913, the "language war" broke out and different communities — French, Ger- man, English, Ladino, Yid- dish — fought to establish their language as the official language of the Yishuv. Firm- ly believing that Hebrew should be the official 108 FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 1990 Educational Diamond The Yellin Teachers college has been helping shape Israel's future for 75 years. LISA SAMIN Special to The Jewish News language of instruction, David Yellin and a group of teachers and students left Ezra, the Jewish Teachers Seminary, and founded the Hebrew Tbachers Seminary — the change in name in- dicating that all classes were to be conducted in Hebrew. It wasn't until 1928 that the college received its perma- nent home in the Jerusalem suburb of Beit Hakerem, where its innovative ap- proach in teacher-training continues today. The Beit Hakerem Seminary, as it was to be fondly called for many years, had 60 students, all male, and was an important educational institution and center for Zionist learning and cultural activities. During the 1929 Arab riots, the college was a place of defense and refuge for the Jewish community. From then until the War of In- dependence, the college serv- ed as a place of learning dur- ing the day and as a training ground for the Haganah, the underground defense organi- zation of the Yishuv, at night. It was from here that the Lamed Hei group set out on its historic mission to save the population of Gush Etzion and, during the battle for the Old City of Jerusalem in 1967; a group of paratroopers camped within its walls. However, throughout the tur- bulent history of the country, The college is also the national center for training teachers for the severely mentally handicapped in Israel. classes — sometimes under the most extenuating cir- cumstances — were always held. Many distinguished educators, influential in shap- ing Israel's public education system, were trained at the college. According to Zohar Wilbusch, who today is 81 years old and was the first woman to study at the college in 1931, "The Hebrew Teachers Seminary was the place to learn. The standard of teaching and the level of Hebrew taught were unsur- passed by any other institu- tion." Distinguished alumni in- clude Avraham Even- Shoshan, author of the authoritative Hebrew dic- tionary; linguist and author Dr. Reuven Sivan; poet Yehuda Amichai; Knesset Member Shulamit Aloni and Israel prize-winner and pro- moter of Arab-Jewish coex- istence, Shulamit Katznelson. In 1979, the college receiv- ed academic recognition from the Council for Higher Education in Israel, enabling it to award the bachelor of education degree to qualified students. With its new academic status, the college continued working toward its goals of providing the highest level of educational theory and prac- tice for all student teachers, in which the pursuit of knowledge and individuality flourishes. Tbday, the college's modern methods and innovative pro- grams are designed to meet the needs of Israel's pluralistic society. According to Dean Emeritus and former American educator Dr. Nor- man Schanin, "Teachers should see it as their role to ease tensions and to educate for understanding and for peaceful coexistence of the various communities which make up a land and a people." The college's many pro- grams include early child- hood education, Arab special education, training math and science teachers for develop- ment towns, an institute for Arab-Jewish coexitence and a preparatory program for new immigrants. The college is also the national center for training teachers for the severely mentally handicap- ped in Israel. The David Yellin Teachers college is proud of the role it has played in creating dedicated and committed teachers, passing the values of educational excellence, moderation and peace from generation to generation. Dr. Itay Zimran, the new dean of the college, says, "On the eve of our 75th anniver- sary, we must take stock of ourselves, using the best of what we have and combining it with the best of what can be. "In this way, we can provide Israel with teachers who are motivated, dedicated and trained in a modern educa- tional system which offers them the tools to effectively educate our future genera- tions. ❑ World Zionist Press Service.