Israel trip gives Jewish day school educators opportunities to learn so they can teach

Teachers and staff from Pittsburgh's three Jewish day schools participated in a 10-day Classrooms Without Borders (CWB) seminar in Israel from June 30 to July 9, following nearly 18 months of preparation. The trip, initially postponed from 2025 to 2026 due to regional conflict, was rescheduled for 2024 after a mid-June ceasefire. This delay allowed participants to delve deeper into Jewish history and regional relations with CWB scholar-in-residence Avi Ben-Hur, providing "just pure facts and knowledge about Israel and its connection to the Jewish people," according to Shelly Itskowitz, a middle school Judaics teacher at Hillel Academy. The seminar aimed to strengthen classroom instruction by offering educators firsthand experience of Israel's history, culture, and post-Oct. 7 reality, including visits to Kibbutz Be’eri and the Nova music festival site. CWB Founder and Executive Director Tsipy Gur emphasized the importance of teachers understanding current events in Israel to provide students with accurate information, stating, "Teachers need to understand what’s happening in Israel. They need to provide students with real information."