Jewish Culture

Mid-Westchester, Lois Green of the JCC on the Hudson, and Irene Lustgarten of the Board of Jewish Education traveled to Israel in

May 2006 to begin discussions on guidelines for the “twinning” process between Jewish educators in Israel and Westchester. In

December 2006, a delegation made up of teachers from synagogues, JCC schools and camp directors, along with the JCC of Mid-Westchester, JCC on the Hudson and BJE administrators, went to Jerusalem for a week-long conference. They met their “twins,” visited Israeli schools and developed parallel courses/lessons for their students. They expanded the understanding and knowledge of each other through this very successful conference.

In December of 2007 an Israeli delegation of teachers came to Westchester for a conference which included visiting their twin schools and other Jewish schools in Westchester. The Israeli and American teachers also had learning sessions at the Board of Jewish Education and the Jewish Theological Seminary.

In December of 2008, delegates from the JCC of Mid- Westchester and JCC on the Hudson will travel to Israel for a week long conference celebrating Jewish educators and education and to construct a joint Israel/American curriculum.

Inspiration Israel 2006

The JCC Mid Westchester and the JCC on the Hudson and Ginot HA'ir, a community center in Jerusalem, have been working together for 5 years on various projects funded by a grant from UJA New York and the Jewish Agency for Israel helping to build bridges between America and Israel. The new community tract of the grant, called Inspiration Israel, will engage Jewish day schools, synagogue schools and JCC’s to teach parallel courses to their students and to expand the understanding and knowledge of each other.

Sheila Sturmer, Jewish Programming Director, Julie Dorfman, Early Childhood Director, Deirdre Altman, Early Childhood Assistant Director and Lisa Schissel, Camp Director, all from the JCC of Mid-Westchester, along with the Director of the Westchester Board of Jewish Education, staff from the JCC on the Hudson, and a number of synagogue educators/camp directors left for Israel on December 2, 2006 for a week-long visit as part of this year's 'Inspiration Israel" project.

In Israel, they will meet with teachers and camp directors in Jerusalem and staff of Ginot Ha'ir to develop a curriculum about Israel and the US to be used with their "twinned" schools/community centers/camps. In 2007 the Israeli participants will come to Westchester to continue the project mission.