Growing up, American Jews spend hours learning about their Israeli counterparts. They descend on the Jewish state in droves, where they kiss the ground (and sometimes the soldiers). But – until recently – Israeli schools have given little attention to their country’s biggest fans.

That’s about to change.

As part of a new effort to educate young Israelis about Jewish life outside the Jewish state, plans are now underway to incorporate lessons on the American Jewry into Israel’s official high school curriculum. The new unit – reported today by JTA – is scheduled to begin in Israeli public schools in fall 2012 and will likely include teachings about the Conservative and Reform movements and Jews in the Diaspora.

“We in Israel, by not learning how American Jews think, lose in our capacity to engage in deep dialogue with them,” Rabbi Ed Rettig, acting director of the American Jewish Committee in Israel, told JTA. “We are smacking around the people who love us most.”

Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief

You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.

And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.

That’s where you come in. Gifts of any size keep the Forward free and accessible to everyone and ensure we have the resources we need to power the Forward at this critical time for American Jews.

Don't just read the Forward - invest in it. Will you support our work today?

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$120 $180 $360 OTHER AMOUNT