Israel through Children's Eyes: Day of Learning with Dr. Sivan Zakai

In-Person
$0.00
Day of Learning: March 5, 2026, In-Person: Congregation Rodeph Sholom
Join leading scholar of Israel education Dr. Sivan Zakai for a day of learning focused on the question: How do children and teens encounter, make sense of, and build relationships with Israel over time?
 
Sivan Zakai, PhD, is the Sara S. Lee Associate Professor of Jewish Education at HUC-JIR/Los Angeles. Her books include My Second Favorite Country: How American Jewish Children Think About Israel (winner of a 2022 National Jewish Book Award) and Teaching Israel: Studies of Pedagogy from the Field. 

This in-person workshop in Manhattan will bring together Jewish educators working across ages and settings to explore what recent research on child development can teach us about effective, responsible Israel education. Through hands-on experiences, guided reflection, and conversation with Dr. Zakai, participants will examine how learners' questions, assumptions, and understandings of Israel shift across developmental stages—and what that means for our educational choices.

Educators will leave with shared language, practical frameworks, and age-appropriate strategies they can adapt to their own contexts, strengthening their capacity to teach Israel with intention, care, and developmental integrity.
 
Schedule*
9:00am Registration, Breakfast, and Israel Education Discovery Lab
10:00am Developmental Frameworks in Theory and Practice
12:00pm Lunch
12:45pm Ages & Stages Deep Dive (EC; K-7th; 8th-12th)
2:15pm Your Next Steps
3:00pm Goodbye!
 
*Subject to change
 
Please reach out to Jenna Handler at jhandler@jewishedproject.org with any questions. 
 
Setting
  • After School and Beyond
  • Early Childhood Education
  • Educator Training
  • Camp
  • Congregational Learning
  • Day Schools and Yeshivas
  • Family Engagement
  • Teen Engagement
Dr. Sivan Zakai
Dr. Sivan Zakai

Sivan Zakai, PhD, is the Sara S. Lee Associate Professor of Jewish Education at HUC-JIR/Los Angeles. Her books include My Second Favorite Country: How American Jewish Children Think About Israel (winner of a 2022 National Jewish Book Award) and Teaching Israel: Studies of Pedagogy from the Field. 
 

Mikhael Reuven Kesher
Mikhael Kesher

Mikhael Kesher is a curator of educational experiences and resources, whose professional passion is supporting Jewish educators and learners in building informed, constructive, and committed relationships with am yisrael (the Jewish people) and medinat yisrael (the Jewish state). As a British-born Israeli-by-choice and new American, he cares deeply about strengthening each Jew’s connection to global Jewry. Before joining The Jewish Education Project as Director, Israel Education, Mikhael worked at Harvard Hillel, MIT Hillel, and Hebrew College. He holds Master’s degrees in Philosophy (University of Cambridge), Near Eastern & Judaic Studies (Brandeis University), and Jewish professional leadership (Brandeis University). At home, Mikhael is an avid reader, ḥevruta enthusiast, and devoted abba to two young children.

Discover more

Slide Deck

Slide Deck from Israel through the Eyes of Children Day of Learning on Developmental Frameworks in Theory and Practice.

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Young students learning about Israel together.

Plans and setup for Discovery Lab featured at Israel through the Eyes of Children Day of Learning.

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Young students doing an Israel-related art activity.

Research on developmentally appropriate tools for K-8 Israel education.

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