The third day of the KKL-JNF World Conference on Education combined the rich history of the land of the bible with the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship in contemporary Israel.
The day commenced with experiential activities at Kfar Kedem in Hoshaya, a site reconstructing the everyday lives of our forefathers during biblical times. Group members got dressed up in the customary fashion of Abraham’s day, and prepared goat cheese, baked their own pitas on a tabun oven, spun sheep’s wool, released messenger pigeons, and finished by riding donkeys, as was done in biblical times.
“Students who come here seek a connection with Judaism and Israel”, said the Menachem the guide, “our task is to connect the children to the Jews who lived here thousands of years ago. The landscapes haven’t changed since those times, and we provide an experience echoing those times.”
“It’s a wonderful way to get in touch with history and the bible,” said Dora Braverman from Mexico. “A lot of Jewish teens in Mexico come to visit Israel, and we’ll also try to pass on the experience to those who hadn’t visited here.”
Rina Rebibo, educational director of a synagogue in Washington, said that the visit to Kfar Kedem suggested a lot of ideas on how to convey the story of Israel in an experiential and creative manner. “It’s not enough to read books about Israel, here the history really comes to life.”
“Forming a connection with Israel is an important challenge we’re dealing with, and the visit certainly connects us to the history of our nation,” said Miri Volchegorsky, a Hebrew teacher at a Florida high school.
Another group from the delegation visited Beit She’arim – an archeological site with the remains of an important Jewish settlement from the period of the second temple.
From there everyone continued on to the Taglit – Birthright Israel Innovation Center in Tel Aviv, which exhibits Israeli innovation and its contribution to the world. The interactive exhibition displays Israeli achievements in the fields of agriculture, medicine, defense, science, transportation, and space. The projects presented in the exhibition include the Waze app, Check Point from the field of cyber security, the Mobileye smart driving system, and more.
“The entrepreneurial spirit in Israel is really inspiring,” said
Laurence Kiman of Paris. “There is no doubt that this innovation can connect the younger generation to Israel. Not everyone knows about the source of all the Israeli inventions. Supporters of the BDS don’t understand that if their struggle against Israel were to succeed we would all be back in the Dark Ages.”
The American educators visited the
9/11 Living Memorial in
Emek HaArazim in the Jerusalem mountains and held a ceremony there in memory of those killed in the attacks. The impressive site was established by KKL-JNF with the support of its friends in the U.S., in memory of the victims of the terrible terrorist attack and with a call for peace among the world’s nations.
The memorial sculpture depicts the flag of the United States, which transforms into a memorial flame. A metal beam taken from the wreckage of the World Trade Center is displayed at the base of the memorial and the square is surrounded by memorial plaques commemorating the names of the 2,996 victims of the terrorist attack. This landmark expresses the shared destiny of Israel and the United States of America in their facing the threats of terrorism.
The conference participants spent Saturday in Jerusalem and went on independent tours of the Old City and the new. On Saturday night, the eve of Tisha B’Av, two lectures on Jewish identity were held, by
Uriel Feinerman and
Yakir Segev.
“Our mission is to make Israel a part of the lives of Jewish families”, said
Keith Dvorchik, the CEO of JCC Orlando in Florida. “When the children will start talking about Israel, I’m certain the parents will also connect to the country in an entirely different way, it’s important for people to understand Israel as it really is, and not just hear about the political and security situation.”