In order to effectively convey Yesodot’s messages to students, educators must themselves identify with the notion that the Torah way of life supports democratic values.
Principals and School Leadership Teams
Yesodot runs seminars to encourage principals, school rabbis and senior educators from religious schools to value democratic citizenship as an important Torah educational goal. In this program Yesodot shows participants that Torah and democratic values are compatible, and explains the benefits of bringing Yesodot programming into the schools.
Knesset Conference
Yesodot co-sponsored a conference with Knesset Member Rabbi Yitzhak Levy to mark the Knesset's 60th year. The topic of the conference was"Education for Religious Values and for Democratic Values -Mission Impossible?" and the keynote speaker was Professor Irwin Cotler, former Justice Minister of Canada. He spoke about "Jewish Values, Human Rights and the Pursuit of Justice." His presentation was followed by personal stories of human rights violations in Israel and a discussion by a panel of legal and religious experts on whether Judaism and the Torah recognize the concept of human rights. To conclude the conference, several elementary school students who utilized Yesodot's curriculum described their experience.
Click here to download a copy of the Knesset conference program.
School Intervention Program for Elementary and High Schools
Yesodot runs in-service training courses for teachers in religious elementary and high schools throughout Israel. This one-year course is designed to help change teachers’ attitudes toward democratic values, prepare them to teach Yesodot's curricular programs, and influence the informal messages they pass on to students. Topics examined include human dignity, equality, tolerance, autonomy, and the rule of law. In addition to demonstrating the anchorage of these values in the halachic tradition, the course also raises for discussion concrete issues that arise in the classroom as well as those that are on the public agenda. Following the one-year course, educators commence two or more years of supported use of Yesodot’s specially designed curricular materials. |
