Teaching Israel at Camp Webinar Series - Foundation for Jewish Camp

This series of webinars is designed to support educators in designing and implementing high quality, age-appropriate Israel programming at camp in the summer of 2025. All webinars will be recorded.

Upcoming Webinars

Practicing Machloket: Recovering the Lost Art of Conversations across Difference with Jonah Canner

Wednesday, May 28, 2025 | 12:00pm - 1:30pm ET

The Israeli-Palestinian Reality in Jewish Education with Encounter

Thursday, June 5, 2025 | 12:00pm - 1:30pm ET

This session will explore how Jewish camps might approach educating about the Israeli-Palestinian reality in all its complexity, from a place of deep loyalty and in-group care for Israel and the Jewish people, alongside a commitment to dignity and security for all. Encounter believes that Jewish education must embrace, not avoid, the most pressing and contentious discussions shaping Jewish society today. Instead of ceding these conversations to activists and extremists, Jewish educators should support young people to explore multiple perspectives, analyze competing claims, and grapple with difficult realities — and offer them structured opportunities to think through their own conclusions.

Yona Shem-Tov is CEO of Encounter Programs. Yona has worked as a Jewish educator for over 20 years. Prior to joining Encounter in 2011, Yona pursued graduate studies at The Hebrew University and doctoral research in Education and Jewish Studies at New York University as a Wexner Graduate Fellow. While at NYU, she co-founded a national program linking scholars and practitioners of Jewish History Education, and helped launch the Ariane de Rothschild Fellowship — an initiative of the Edmond de Rothschild Foundation linking Muslim and Jewish social entrepreneurs from France, the U.K. and the U.S.

Leah Solomon is Chief Education Officer at Encounter. She has worked since 1997 in the field of experiential pluralistic Jewish education, including as Associate Director of the Nesiya Institute and prior to that at Gann Academy in Boston. Leah holds a degree from Harvard University, completed advanced studies at the Conservative Yeshiva, Pardes, and the Hartman Institute, and is a Schusterman Senior Fellow. She serves as Chair of the Board of Zion: An Eretz Yisraeli Community. Leah writes about the Israeli-Palestinian reality for outlets such as the Times of Israel, JTA, and Sources Journal, and is editor and publisher of the Anim Zemirot bencher. An L.A native, she moved to Jerusalem in 1999 where she lives with her family.

About Encounter:
Encounter is a nonpartisan, educational organization cultivating more informed and resilient Jewish leadership on the Israeli-Palestinian reality. Founded in 2005, we seek to foster a widespread culture shift recognizing that the Israeli-Palestinian reality is one of, if not the most, consequential issues facing Israel and the Jewish people in our lifetimes, and as such it cannot and should not be ignored or “managed” indefinitely. Our programs invite leaders and decision makers to reassess long-held beliefs and attitudes, to integrate new and sometimes challenging data points, and to reorder their leadership priorities to more fully contend with these urgent realities in service of a better future.

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Previous Webinars

BRINGING HEBREW TO LIFE AT CAMP: FUN, MEANINGFUL, AND ENGAGING STRATEGIES WITH HEBREW AT THE CENTER

Hebrew isn’t just a language—it’s a bridge to Jewish identity, Israel, and the unique magic of camp. In this interactive webinar with Amy Ben-Dov from Hebrew at the Center, we explore what Hebrew infusion really means (hint: it’s not about a limmud or a shiur or memorization!). Walk away with concrete, easy-to-implement ideas to seamlessly weave Hebrew into daily camp life—whether through games, creative programming, or upgrading the classic “Hebrew word of the day” into something meaningful and fun.

BEST PRACTICES FOR THE SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION OF SHLICHIM AND ISRAELI CAMPERS WITH SHALOM ORZACH

In this session, a conversation between Shalom Orzach and FJC Senior Director Julie Finkelstein, we discuss best practices to be employed during orientation/staff week for successfully integrating shlichim and Israeli campers this summer. Focus is given both to the moments when your camp convenes as a whole community, Shabbat, flag pole, prayer, meals etc, as well as rituals and program ideas for on-going engagement with Israel and Israelis.

IMMERSIVE ISRAEL EXPERIENCES FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE SUMMER WITH THE ICENTER

Max Pivo of the iCenter joins us for a highly experiential session dedicated to discovering the iCenter’s valuable resources for camp. This conversation will provide you with the tools, strategies, and raw materials to create immersive experiences for counselors and campers alike. But we won’t just discuss how to use different cultural media to open the door to thoughtful, nuanced conversation—we’ll live it!

Resources

Mad-Libs
Slang
Mood Posters
Israel Resource Cards
Amazing Israel Race
Camp Resources Quick Guide

UNPACKING ISRAEL RESOURCES FOR THE SUMMER WITH UNPACKED FOR EDUCATORS

Unpacked for Educators presents an engaging tour of tools and resources you can use at camp. In this session, Unpacked educator and long-time Jewish camp professional Alex Harris shares interactive educational resources that can be used to spark conversations, frame activities, and deepen campers’ knowledge. Alex discusses resources related to Zionism, Jewish History, and Israel.

TALKING WITH CAMPERS ABOUT ISRAEL WITH SIVAN ZAKAI

What are some best practices for listening to and speaking with children about Israel during this difficult time? Award-winning scholar and author, Sivan Zakai, will share some of her extensive knowledge about how children of different ages understand Israel and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and will discuss developmentally appropriate camp practices to engage learners of all ages in meaningful conversations about Israel and its role in North American Jewish life. There will be ample time for Q and A.

WRITING GOOD ISRAEL PROGRAMS: EMPATHY, ALIGNMENT AND DESIGN WITH JILL STEPAK

Great camp programs can be educational, joyful, memorable and meaningful– it just takes some thoughtful planning. Together we explore how to use our campers’ existing knowledge and experience about Israel to design camp programs that are relevant and authentic to your camp. We define clear goals for camp programming and discover how to align the best educational content to meet those goals. This is a workshop specifically designed to help envision your Israel learning at camp and to launch your planning for the summer.

Jill Stepak is a skilled educator, instructional designer, musician, artist, and a proud Camp Interlaken JCC alum. Jill is a lifelong camp enthusiast and has served as a staff member, unit educator, songleader, and Jewish life faculty at several Jewish camps. She is currently an educational consultant and is working on several projects around authentic dialogue and relationship to Israel for learners of all ages. For the past twenty years, Jill has worked in synagogues, camps, schools, and for-profits. She specializes in turning complex concepts into accessible, engaging, and memorable learning experiences that are relevant and meaningful to each unique audience. Jill has an M.A. in Jewish Educational Leadership from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, and a B.A. in Jewish Education and Modern Hebrew from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She currently lives in Bethesda, MD with her husband, two daughters and two dogs.

CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES: HOW OCTOBER 7TH SHAPED THE JEWISH SUMMER CAMP EXPERIENCE

Nila Rosen and Matt Reingold, co-authors of Cross-Cultural Perspectives: How October 7th Shaped the Jewish Summer Camp Experience in 2024 (report to be released in April), share key findings, insights, and best practices from last summer. This presentation highlights diverse perspectives from thousands of North American and Israeli staff, campers, parents, and camp leaders, exploring the critical role Jewish camps play in Israel education and fostering intercultural connections.

TEACHING ABOUT ISRAEL THROUGH PICTURE BOOKS

How could we use picture books about Israel to explore Israeli diversity, art, history, and culture and help campers feel a connection to Israel? In this webinar with author Susan Kusel, we learned how to lead successful story times, offered activities and discussions using picture books, and found out how to select the best picture books to share with campers. Susan Kusel is a children’s and Judaic book advocate and consultant. She has worked as a synagogue librarian, a children’s bookstore buyer, and a camp counselor for Jewish and secular day and overnight camps. She was a member of the 2015 Caldecott Medal committee and the former chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee. She was the recipient of the 2023 American Library Association Equality Award and was named as a Library Journal Mover & Shaker. Her debut picture book, The Passover Guest was illustrated by Sean Rubin, published by Neal Porter Books/Holiday House and won the Sydney Taylor Book Award.

Talking with Younger Campers About Israel with Sivan Zakai

What are some best practices for listening to and speaking with younger children about Israel and the events of the moment during this difficult time? Award-winning scholar and author, Sivan Zakai, in conversation with Anna Hartman, Associate Vice President, JUF Education at the Jewish United Fund, share some of their extensive knowledge about how children in America think and talk about Israel. This session is especially for staff who work with campers up to age 11 and/or support the staff who work with campers up to age 11. Dr. Sivan Zakai is a thought leader in Israel education. The Sara S. Lee Associate Professor of Jewish Education at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, her experience includes directing the Children’s Learning About Israel Project at Brandeis University and serving as Co-Director of Project ORLIE. Her most recent book, My Second Favorite Country: How American Jewish Children Think About Israel, received the 2022 National Jewish Book Award in Education and Jewish Identity.

Israel at Camp in a Post 10/7 World

In our fraught post 10/7 world, conversations about and programming around Israel at camp require a great deal of thought. In this webinar, Laura Shaw Frank, Director of American Jewish Committee’s William Petschek Contemporary Jewish Life Department, discusses tools for holding conversations about Israel, Palestinians, and the ongoing conflict with nuance, empathy, and moral clarity—while centering Jewish identity. This session will include CART captioning and be recorded.

Israel: Inclusivity and Its Limits This Summer (Part One)

Recognizing that staff hold a diversity of viewpoints regarding Israel, this seminar provides questions to ask and a framework to consider how to be inclusive while setting clear boundaries. What will welcoming a diverse array of views look like—and where are its limits? How can camps balance pluralism and Zionism, both central to their mission? These questions are explored with Joshua Ladon, Director of Education at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America.

War-Time Arguments: How to Talk About Israel at Camp

Watch Robbie Gringras, co-director and co-author of For the Sake of Argument, as he presents a workshop on healthy war-time arguments. As you prepare for summer camp, this 90-minute session offers frameworks for managing disagreements about Israel and develops skills for engaging in constructive dialogue. Although this webinar was not recorded, a detailed introduction to their approach is available here.

Israel: Inclusivity and Its Limits This Summer (Part Two): A Conversation with Camp Leaders

Directors from camps in FJC’s network discuss strategies for addressing inclusivity, its limits, and Israel education in a post 10/7 context. This session features a panel conversation followed by breakout rooms. Panelists include Amy Smyler McFarland (URJ Camp Coleman), Ariella Moss Peterseil (Camp Ramah in California), Helene Drobenare (Camp Young Judea Sprout Lake), and Rabbi Isaac Saposnik (Camp Havaya). Click here for an MP3 file of the audio from this recording. To request a transcript, email Amy Meltzer at amy.meltzer@jewishcamp.org.

The Climate on College Campuses: A Conversation with Hillel Professionals

A panel of North American campus professionals shares insights on the experiences of Jewish young adults and discusses strategies for supporting college-age students amid rising antisemitism and conflict. Panelists include Dan Gold (Hillel at UCLA), Jonah Zinn (University of Florida Hillel), Shana Zionts (Columbia Barnard Hillel), and Rachel Hillman (Northwestern Hillel).

Please contact Amy Meltzer, Director, Programs, with any questions. (amy.meltzer@jewishcamp.org)