ots@ohrtorahstone.org.il

A community learning program for secular men and women, infused with Jewish content by a “Jewish renewal facilitator” from the OTS Yachad program, has inspired the addition of Jewish programming to the public elementary school curriculum in the Golan Heights town of Katzrin. 
Like Yachad facilitators across Israel, Shai Yannai is developing and carrying out appealing, accessible and relevant programming aimed at attracting Israelis of all ages and encouraging them to build a personal connection with Judaism. “One of my programs, Kehilla Lomedet (the Learning Community), is based on the study of Jewish topics and exploration of Jewish values that relate to issues we encounter in contemporary life,” Yannai reports. “At one point, the group was joined by four new women, all of whom were teachers in the local secular public schools,” Yannai continues. “They had heard about the initiative and thought it would be interesting. One of them in particular became so inspired by our bi-monthly meetings that she decided as a result to introduce Jewish programming into her fifth grade class.”
What began as a discussion about Rosh Hashana for fifth graders soon led to a successful 5 a.m. slichot experience for both the students and their parents. Since then, Jewish programming has evolved to include activities that reach students of all ages, including a bar/bat mitzvah curriculum and pre-holiday preparation, all taught by Sherut Leumi volunteers in the school. 
“There is tremendous curiosity about Judaism and a thirst for knowledge in many secular and non-affiliated Israelis,” Yannai says. “But often they are hesitant to explore their heritage because they’ve been taught to believe that religion is the sole domain of the Orthodox, or that if they start to research then they’ll have to become completely Torah-observant. When we shatter the old stereotypes, break through the cynicism or alienation and enable people to approach Jewish learning and tradition in a supportive environment, they are happy to let Judaism into their lives. In this case, the result is a new generation of children being brought up in the knowledge that Judaism belongs to them and is an integral part of their identity.”

< Back