Connecting to Israel
Episode description
Featuring: Anne Lanski, Founding Executive Director of The iCenter
“We’ve created a new Israel education paradigm…where Israel is really understood as integral to Jewish identities,” explains Anne Lanski, the founding executive director of The iCenter.
The iCenter’s tagline is “Inspiring Meaningful and Enduring Connections to Israel.” Throughout her career, Anne Lanski had created immersive Israel experiences that lead to greater understanding of engagement with Israeli. She has led The iCenter to incorporate experience education and a learner centered approach to develop the professional field of Israel Education. This work truly captures the essence of their tagline. The goal of The iCenter is for Israel to become an integral part of Jewish education. The iCenter is a model for excellence in education that can be adapted for a variety of topics.
From The iCenter’s website:
We are passionate people with dreams, interests, and beliefs. We care about Israel and Israelis. We are educators: rabbis, lay leaders, teachers, students, parents, teens, and youth.
Our work is across North America: in day schools, public high schools, summer camps, synagogues, youth groups, universities, and beyond.
Founded on these passions in 2008, The iCenter strives to transform the professional field of Israel Education. We focus on the learners, helping them develop their identities and build relationships with Israel and Israelis. We also focus on the entire system, creating a dynamic ecosystem of passionate and knowledgeable educators, rich and nuanced content, and institutions centered around their learners. With these two approaches, The iCenter continually moves Israel education to the heart of Jewish life.
Our Mission is to catalyze excellence in the professional field of Israel Education by supporting the development of educators, pioneering new educational approaches, and relentlessly promoting a relational and learner-centered philosophy.
The iCenter envisions a world in which every Jewish child develops a lifelong relationship with Israel.
Definitions and Clarifications:
Am Israel - the People of Israel
balagon-mess
Eretz Israel- the Land of Israel
Midinat Israel- the State of Israel
mifgash- experience
shanat sherut-a year of service (Gap year)
Shelichim-emissaries. Read more about the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Shelichim here.
Shinshinim- Israeli high school graduates serving as emissaries in Diaspora communities prior to their mandatory Israeli army service.
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