Academics

Israel Education

Israel Education Vision

Israel is an essential component of Jewish identity, Jewish existence, and Judaism. In turn, Israel education must be a central area of study within Jewish education. Israel education plays an important role at VBS Day School and in our curriculum.

We define the purpose of Israel education as building a relationship between the student and Israel, and creating a sensibility that Israel in its varied aspects figures centrally in the experience of being a Jew.

Our Israel Education

  • Students should develop a strong personal and ongoing relationship with Israel, its people and its culture.
  • Israel education should be based on a paradigm of Jewish peoplehood where Israel is seen as a center of Jewish life and essential to Jewish identity in the modern world.
  • Students should understand Israel as a varied, multifaceted, and complex nation. This includes knowledge and understanding of Israel’s history, culture, people, and geography.
  • Students’ connection to and understanding of Israel should be related to and strengthen their own personal Jewish identity.
  • Hebrew language learning is a significant aspect of connection and relationship to Israel and can serve as an entry to better understanding the modern State of Israel.
  • The Jewish people have a historic and sacred liturgical and textual relationship to the Land of Israel.
  • Israel is taught across the curriculum and not isolated in one subject area or grade level.