How do Australian schools offer an Israel education without the trips?

SHARON BERGER: Travel bans have forced schools to think outside the box, including trips to interstate Jewish communities and bringing Israeli-based youth leaders to Australia

WHILE A HANDFUL of Australian teens have travelled to Israel this year on longer-term programs, Covid travel restrictions have meant the vast majority have missed out, for the second year, on what has become a seminal part of their Israel and Jewish education.

For many high schoolers, the multi-week Year 10 trip to Israel has become the highlight of their school experience - travelling overseas with their peers, learning about ancient and modern Israel and strengthening their connection to their Judaism. Needless to say, there are many disappointed Year 10s and 11s.

However, schools and institutions have used this derailment to rethink how to capture the core successful elements of their Israel program. “We can’t recreate Israel here. Instead, we have focused on Jewish identity as something that you take with you, wherever you go geographically and wherever you live,” says Yoel Benn, coordinator of Jewish Experiential Education at Melbourne’s King David School.

Earlier this year the school took its Year 11 students – who missed their 2020 trip to Israel - to Tasmania, to explore the story of Jewish convicts who were transported there from England.

“We are still creating a peak experience for the group and an opportunity for the kids to develop resilience and independence,” Benn says. The students were able to replicate many key elements of the Israel trip including travel, group bonding, nature, hiking and developing Jewish identity.

The school hopes restrictions will be lifted by late November/early December so a planned two-week trip to Tasmania for Year 10 students can go ahead.  There is also hope that this year’s Year 10s will be able to travel on some sort of Israel program next year, which was echoed by most of the schools I contacted.