10 | APRIL 8 • 2021
PURELY COMMENTARY
family, but of course, I could not
allow panic to reign on the bridge
of my ship — not on my watch!
I got myself into this mess and I
was going to seamlessly get myself
out of it.
“Full engines reverse!” I yelled
in my inner sailor’s voice as I pro-
ceeded to shift gears in an attempt
to dislodge the boat from the large
wooden restaurant sign holding us
captive. The boat slowly struggled
to move away from the dock, like
a fish trying to free itself from the
grasp of a hook.
FINALLY, FREEDOM
I could feel progress being made.
Actually, I could “hear” progress
being made because emanating
from the wooden sign was an
ear-piercing, gut-wrenching sound
of nails being violently ripped
from their lodging to the dock. I
freed my boat but was taking the
restaurant’s sign with me!
A lesser man would’ve fled the
scene but not me. I was hungry
and I was willing to swallow my
pride (the incident was witnessed
by restaurant patrons on a patio)
in order to swallow some lunch.
I walked up to the maître d’ an
offered the traditional Jewish boat-
er’s greeting — “Oyhoy, matey!”
Fortunately, I wasn’t confined to
the brig or asked to cover repair
costs for this accident at sea. As
a good will gesture, I tipped our
server handsomely and bought a
Hard Dock Landing T-shirt for
the memory.
I fully admit the dock-crashing
fiasco that fateful day lay solely on
operator error. I could’ve blamed it
on rough waters, but alas, the sea
was not angry that day… only the
manager of the restaurant.
Alan Muskovitz is a writer, voice-over/
acting talent, speaker, and emcee. Visit his
website at laughwithbigal.com,“Like” Al on
Facebook and reach him at amuskovitz@
renmedia.us.
INTEGRATE ISRAEL
THROUGHOUT THE
CURRICULUM
As the National Council of
Teachers of English noted in
1995, the world is not organized
into distinct subject areas, and
a curriculum should reflect that
complexity. If schools are serious
about mission statements citing
Israel education as central to
Jewish identity, they should treat
Israel education as equal to other
subjects and incorporate it into
everyday general studies. Israel
can’t be an afterthought granted
a sliver of the time set aside for
Judaic studies, with some extra
time allotted weeks before a trip
to Israel.
When Israel is integrated into
science, math, English and social
studies, the subject belongs to
the entire faculty, and educa-
tional silos are toppled. Educator
collaboration increases, which
improves staff morale and the
school climate.
Students perceive Israel as a
subject that matters and gain the
proven benefits of interdisciplin-
ary instruction, including critical
thinking, problem solving and an
appreciation for uncertainty.
Vancouver Talmud Torah
in British Columbia has cre-
ated an integrated curriculum
called I-S.T.E.A.M. (Israel
through Science, Technology,
Engineering, Arts and Math).
In one study unit, students
explored Israeli architecture and
watched videos of such designers
as Eliezer Armon and Yaakov
Agam. They took virtual tours of
Israel to learn what makes spaces
holy and how to bring that spe-
cial feeling to places in their lives.
They combined those inspira-
tions with engineering lessons
about form and function and
computer skills in design soft-
ware to create a plan for a new
school wing, then wrote essays
to persuade administrators to
accept their design.
INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY
Far from sparking controversy,
well-integrated Israel education
based on original sources gener-
ates critical thinking. Biases and
polemics cannot take root when
sources are used and interpreted.
Bringing communal influenc-
ers into the process builds trust
and helps deepen the communi-
ty’s Israel discourse.
Parents become key support-
ers when their excited children
bring home new knowledge and
when schools invite them to par-
ticipate while anecdotal, evidence
suggests that these schools retain
students and boost enrollment.
Sinai Akiba Academy in Los
Angeles has recognized the cru-
cial part parents can play in mid-
dle school. While writing lessons
and experimenting with activities
for students, the administration
and teachers are also designing
opportunities for parents to
learn. The programs will show-
case informed discourse and
build bridges among families
with diverse opinions.
We have learned that insti-
tuting excellent Israel education
requires a multiyear commit-
ment. I meet with some teachers
weekly to review lesson plans,
demonstrate presentations to
students, and help them wring
out biases and assumptions for
or against Israel and commit to
primary sources over preferred
narratives.
THE PAYOFF IS IMMENSE.
In the short term, teachers
find their work more reward-
ing. Students are excited and
engaged. Parents learn and
become more committed to the
school community.
In the long term, deep knowl-
edge of Israel’s history, politics,
economy and culture, rather
than idealized portrayals that
can be shattered, leads to under-
standing of why Israel matters
to diaspora Jews and can make
Israel a community unifier
instead of a divider.
That unity goes beyond
Israel. While examining debates
ranging from the Zionist
Uganda Plan to the sinking of
the Altalena to contemporary
politics, schools are modeling lis-
tening, speaking and disagreeing
according to Jewish values. Just
as in every generation the Jewish
people have struggled with the
dreams and realities of Israel, so
too we have managed to embrace
the strengths and weaknesses of
our differences, then compro-
mise and come together.
When we have those substan-
tive Israel conversations with our
students, we empower them to
connect and stay connected with
Israel and to be agents of change
and continuity in our Jewish
communities.
Dr. Tal Grinfas-David is the day school
education specialist for the Center for
Israel Education, an Atlanta-based
nonprofit.
3 LESSONS continued from page 6
“SUBSTANTIVE ISRAEL
CONVERSATIONS WITH STUDENTS
EMPOWER THEM TO CONNECT AND
STAY CONNECTED WITH ISRAEL”
— DR. TAL GRINFAS-DAVID
NOT-SO-SMOOTH
continued from page 4