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

