Chaim Botwinick is correct in asserting that summer is the time for school leaders to prepare compelling Israel education material (“New Urgency to How We Teach About Israel,” Opinion, July 16). Summer is also the time that Jewish summer camps, both day and residential, provide many educational experiences connecting campers to Israel. One such program is the Goodman Family Foundation Institute: Yisrael Sheli (My Israel) developed by the JCC Association. Yisrael Sheli offers teens at Jewish Community Center residential camps a three-year program addressing issues in Israeli history and contemporary Israeli life.
Not all Jewish children are enrolled in Jewish schools; summer camps provide an ideal setting for robust activity-based learning. The question is not which institution is more important — they are each essential. The question is how to ensure the most effective Israel programs in every educational environment we have.
Director, Mandel Center for Jewish Education
JCC Association
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