“I’m Going to Israel and All I Need to Pack Is My Imagination”: Pretend Trips to Israel in Jewish Early Childhood Education
"This article examines the practice of pretend Israel trips in Jewish early childhood education. Jewish early childhood educators who work in markedly different preschool settings, and who have differing beliefs about Israel and Israel education, nonetheless converge on a practice of pretend trips to Israel that remains remarkably stable across settings. This article examines how and why these pretend trips have become part of the “grammar” of Jewish early childhood education, illuminating a practice that is simultaneously beloved and unsatisfying for Jewish early childhood educators who care about early childhood education and Israel education."
- Journal of Jewish Education
- Israel
- Infant/Toddler
- Ages 3 - 4
- K - 2
- Early Childhood
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Resources and materials from the March 2026 Day of Learning: Israel through Children's Eyes.
This week on Adapting , David sits down with Keren Fraiman, Dean of Spertus Institute and winner of the prestigious Ilia Salita Excellence in Research Award, for an essential conversation on why Israel must be front and center in our classrooms—now more than ever. While many Jewish educators
While every class has some exposure to Hebrew, our Dual Language track classroom features two teachers, one speaking only Hebrew and the other only English at Congregation Beth Elohim, Brooklyn, NY.