I Come From a Land Down Under

Last Updated on Saturday, 2 January 2009 03:51 Written by bryfy Thursday, 17 December 2009 08:07

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to meet with a group of talented Jewish-Australian (or is it Australian-Jewish?) students leaders in New York on the AUJS Leadership Development Program (LDP). Full disclosure before I continue – I was a madrich on AUJS LDP a few years ago (ok, quite a few years ago). The group had spent some time in Washington D.C., was just starting a few days in the Big Apple, before heading off to Amsterdam and then Israel.

The discussion began by looking at some of the characteristics that define the Australian Jewish community. Orthodox (and some Conservative and Reform), Anti-Semitism, Israel, Holocaust, Jewish Dayschools, South Africans, Russians, youth movements – were some of the terms they generated.

The list about American Jewry was a bit less interesting, a bit less informed (as expected) and a bit more stereotypical – but that is hardly the point.

Who is Wise?

Last Updated on Saturday, 5 December 2009 12:14 Written by bryfy Sunday, 8 November 2009 09:49

How many times have we as Jewish educators quoted this passage from Ethics of Our Fathers? How many times has it actually happened – where we as educators truly do learn from everyone (especially our students)

Just recently I was giving a talk about Israeli music and I played the song “Hebrew Man”. (what a great song!)

After listening to the song I asked, “any comments?”

I expected the usual responses – “cool”, “who’s Cohen?”, “look – they included Jesus…”

And then it came – the question from a seemingly disinterested 14 year old male. “Well the song says that Moses said, “let my people go” in Hebrew. Does that mean that Pharaoh spoke Hebrew?”

Israel Education: Myth or Reality

Last Updated on Saturday, 5 December 2009 12:11 Written by bryfy Sunday, 8 November 2009 09:28

Teaching about Israel is not as simple as it might first appear. One of the first issues that all educators need to consider is which Israel they want to portray – a mythical image or a realistic one.

On one hand you don’t want to fill people with mythical images of the country that once used to be. Believe me I have seen many activities even today that ask children to pick oranges, make sheep out of cotton wool and milk plastic gloves that barely resemble cows – all in the name of re-creating a classical Israel.