Makom Israel » Makom in Depth

Video – Yonatan Ariel laying out Makom’s overall approach

Makom — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:12:17 +0000

Yonatan Ariel, Executive Director of Makom, spoke engagingly and entertainingly at the General Assembly of 2011. On this panel, Yonatan plays out what Israel education must become. (Starts at 11:16)

The panel, entitled “Israel: A New Narrative”, was chaired and introduced by John Ruskay, Executive Vice-President and CEO, UJA-Federation of New York, and Yonatan Ariel shared the panel with Yehuda Kurtzer, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America (7:52), and with Elizabeth Wolfe, Chair of UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.

Yonatan Ariel focuses on the Hatikvah Vision: To Be A Free People In Our Land, Yehuda Kurtzer explores the latest work of the Hartman Institute in Israel engagement, and Elizabeth Wolfe speaks of the experiences of Toronto in working with us (26:00).

Engaging Israel through Conversations

Esti Moskovitz-Kalman & Alex Sinclair — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:11:47 +0000

Click here to download the printable pdf.

The Philosophers’ Retreat

Jonathan Boyd & Esti Moskovitz-Kalman — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:06:19 +0000

The Philosophers’ Retreat (2003) was an attempt to capture and make widely available an assessment of the state of the field of Israel engagement. This document has been used in schools, synagogues and in leadership training programs.

Click here for the downloadable pdf.

Beyond Hugging and Wrestling

Yonatan Ariel, Robbie Gringras & Esti Moskovitz-Kalman — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 07:58:49 +0000

This piece appeared in the Autumn 2011 edition of Contact, the journal of the Steinhardt Center for Jewish Life.

Windy Places

Yonatan Ariel — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 21:16:30 +0000

Jewish Travel to Israel has a long and potent history. “Windy Places” makes the case for a burst of creativity to be brought to bear on the field to ensure that the itineraries and experiences are appropriate for both Israel and Jewish identity as they have emerged in today’s complex world. This article appeared in “MASA – Time for a Journey” (JAFI 2006).

Click here for downloadable pdf.

Herzl to Herzliya

Yonatan Ariel — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 21:14:09 +0000

“From Herzl to Herzliya” seeks to analyze the need for a new direction in Israel Education. It suggests that there is a profound shift in the Jewish People’s circumstances brought about by some remarkable successes in the last two generations. It argues that Israel education should be built as a sub-field of Jewish education, with significant possibilities for engagement that we have yet to explore.

Click here for downloadable pdf.

Hugging and Wrestling

Robbie Gringras — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 21:03:52 +0000

Hugging and Wrestling advocates for the value of criticism in a committed relationship between the Diaspora and Israel, and suggests educational strategies to accompany this alternative paradigm. In particular we draw attention to the riches of Israeli arts, whose multi-dimensional form allows for inspiration as well as critique.

Click here for the downloadable pdf.

Creativity in Coalition

Yonatan Ariel — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 21:01:49 +0000

Creativity in Coalition suggests that to build momentum for change in Israel education requires bringing diverse people with varied strengths together. It advocates the kinds of skills and attributes useful for the coalition to succeed and highlights the emotional challenge of change in this arena. This presentation was originally given at a MAKOM network meeting.

Click here for the downloadable pdf.

Sleeping with One Eye Open

Scott Copeland — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 20:59:10 +0000

“Sleeping with One Eye Open” traces the development of Jewish independence and assesses the challenges that still face sovereign Israel. One might view those challenges as a curse, but this article asserts that they may carry much of the meaning of Zionism, as a collective act of responsibility. The article appeared in the October 2007 Zeek magazine.

Click here for the downloadable pdf.