At Jewish day schools in the Philadelphia area, Israel is always part of the curriculum. Therefore, post-Oct. 7 and at a time of rising antisemitism, local schools don’t need to change much.
But there is one thing that’s slightly different: the attempt at connecting American and Israeli students.
At several local schools, administrators are trying to have American kids talk to Israeli students and staff.
Perelman Jewish Day School is bringing in a cohort of new families from Israel this year, according to Head of School Mitchell Daar. Kellman Brown Academy took in 20 Israeli students last year; and four are enrolling again for 2024-’25, according to Head of School Rachel Zivic.
And at Abrams Hebrew Academy, administrators are implementing “The Hands Across the Ocean-Hands Across the Sky” program in which American students make Zoom connections with Israeli students, per Head of School Rabbi Ira Budow. The Yardley school is partnering with a school in the Northern District of Israel to connect American and Israeli students in seventh and eighth grades.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia provided a grant to make the program possible.
“We want our kids via Zoom to be able to speak to the kids about a variety of topics, fun topics, difficult topics, music, sports, the war in Israel, what’s going on in the United States, holidays,” Budow said. “Our school counselor is going to come up with topics that teenagers have a lot of commonality in talking about.”
Budow came up with the program idea during the campus unrest last spring. He knows he is training students to get into those schools. But once they arrive, they should have a deeper understanding of Israel, according to Budow. They should even, potentially, have friends in Israel.
“We send our kids to colleges eventually, and they are at the mercy of what’s going on there,” Budow said. “Hopefully they’ll know the challenges, the heartache, the happiness (of Israel). So when they go to college, hopefully, they’ll be prepared to deal with what’s going on on campus.”
Abrams teaches Hebrew to students. It also sends them to Israel. But there is no greater lesson than knowing Israelis, according to Budow.
“It’s important that our students and their students know each other in a real way,” he said.
Budow, who has served in his position for more than 40 years, used to do pen pal programs with European kids when he was a student. Zoom is like a pen pal program with modern technology.
Back in Budow’s day, you’d wait two weeks for a reply. On Zoom, kids can talk in real-time.
“Our technology should be used for this type of communication,” he said. “Wouldn’t it be nice if you’re an ultra-Orthodox kid and you can talk to an ultra-Orthodox kid in Israel about the holidays and what they’re doing?”
After coming up with the idea, Budow tasked Sharon Abergel, Abrams’ Israeli teacher of Hebrew, Mishna and Israeli history, with coordinating it.
Abergel reached out to Ronen Gershom, the deputy mayor of Beit She’an in the Northern District of Israel. (Gershom is married to Abergel’s cousin.)
“He’s the one in charge of all the education programs,” Abergel said.
Gershom loved the idea.
He thought it would benefit Israelis, too.
“The Israelis get the connection between the United States and Israel; to make it better and a stronger connection,” he said. “To know what the Jewish community, the children, think about us; to give them our perspective in Israel; the truth from our side; to make our brothers and sisters more with us.”
Budow hopes that other schools implement similar programs.
“I hope all schools will be able to partner up with Israel. It’s not a difficult thing to do anymore,” he said. “Then when those kids go to those colleges, they’ll have much more of a backbone than what we’re producing today.”
“Last year was so difficult as Jews. I’ve been head of this school for 44 years. I said, ‘I have to come up with something that will be educational, fun and connecting,’” he concluded.