Jerusalem U announced Sept. 4 that their online Jewish Education resource Unpacked for Educators, will kick off its Unpacked for Educators Partner School Research Initiative for the 2019-2020 school year.
Fourteen schools are participating in the initiative all over the U.S. and Australia, including three Jewish schools in Los Angeles— YULA Boys High School, YULA Girls High School and Milken Community Schools.
This research initiative will help the Unpacked for Educators team better understand the use and impact of its Israel education resources and content in schools across the religious spectrum and across the world.
Unpacked for Educators provides educators with video series like “History of Israel Explained”, “The Weekly” and feature-length film programs.
Unpacked for Educators main purpose is to provide Jewish insight to educators so they can explore all forms of Jewish perspectives with their students.
In collaboration with Rosov Consulting and Unpacked for Educators partner schools, the research initiative will survey hundreds of students and teachers throughout the school year after they have engaged with the Unpacked for Educators content. The data collected will help deepen the Unpacked for Educators team’s understanding of the student needs for Israel education and will guide future content and activities to ensure educators have access to the most relevant and necessary materials.
Dr. Noam Weissman, Jerusalem U’s Senior Vice President of Education, is leading the initiative which will gather information from diverse schools, including community, pluralistic and Orthodox communities to learn about their unique approaches to Israel education.
“In this past school year alone, I have had conversations with over 100 Jewish day school principals and teachers along with dozens of Jewish education professionals from across the political and religious spectrum,” Weissman said in a statement to the Journal. “While each school and each Jewish professional is unique, there is one thing that has been consistent throughout: More than a need, there is a deep and pervasive demand for practical ways to teach about Israel in a nuanced, sophisticated and non-dogmatic way.”
