The Big Tent of Diaspora Israel Education: Hands-On and Heart-First
What profound symbolism our choice of home base in Jerusalem this year turned out to be! Our 26 eighth-grade students from Krieger Schechter Day School (KSDS) were staying at the Spirit of Herzl Hotel, a spot physically nestled between Shamai and Hillel Streets in the heart of the city. For anyone steeped in Jewish classical texts, the geography is profound: here we were, living between two ancient Sages whose schools of thought disagreed on practically everything. In Jewish tradition, we usually follow Hillel, not Shamai—yet our literature preserves the views of both sages. Similarly, in contemporary Jerusalem, both streets serve as vital arteries of the same bustling neighborhood. Both are part of the “big tent” of Israeli life.
That hotel intersection is exactly how we do Israel education for the diaspora. It is pluralistic, complex, and above all, deeply hands-on.
As the Head of School of a pluralistic day school in the United States, my primary role is not to promote Aliyah—even though we are proud of the many KSDS alumni we met during our travels who have made Israel their permanent home or are currently serving as lone soldiers. Our mandate is something more foundational for the future of the Jewish people: to cultivate a deep, meaningful, nuanced, and loving relationship with Israel.
Admittedly, doing this today is a massive challenge. We are living in a time when many perceive travel to the region as dangerous and when creating a meaningful connection to Israel from afar feels increasingly difficult given the media landscape. One cannot fall in love with a caricature or a headline; our students have to experience the reality on the ground. This year, they became the first of only three separate diaspora eighth-grade trips (as of 5/15/26) to travel at this challenging time and see that reality firsthand.
What does this “big tent,” hands-on education look like in practice? It looks like our students actively engaging across the entire spectrum of Israeli society:
Bridging Communities: We visited the Omanuyot School in Ashkelon as part of the Shevet Achim program, building direct, peer-to-peer relationships between American and Israeli teenagers.
A Shared Pluralistic Awakening: Perhaps the most profound connection happened within our own staff. Our Israeli madricha (counselor), grew up in a completely secular home in Petach Tikvah. When our school held an egalitarian minyan at the Ezrat Yisrael (the Egalitarian Kotel), she took an aliyah—effectively celebrating her Bat Mitzvah for the very first time. Reflecting on it at the end of the trip, she told our students it was the most moving moment of her Jewish life to date. Coming from a society where identity is often strictly bifurcated, our madricha shared that she had never truly understood or experienced Judaism outside the rigid box of State-run Orthodoxy. Through our students, she discovered the power and beauty of Jewish ritual that was accessible to her.
Action-Driven Empathy and Supporting the Frontlines: Our students didn’t just sightsee; they rolled up their sleeves and became part of the country’s support system.
- We partnered with Pantry Packers to help feed vulnerable Israeli families and visited the Magen David Adom (MDA) National Blood Bank in Ramle to see how the country sustains life for all her citizens in times of crisis.
- At Citrus & Salt, our students spent the afternoon preparing, cooking, and packaging meals for active-duty soldiers, and at Boots for Israel, they met with IDF reservists while sorting essential gear for those on the front lines.
- In a particularly moving visit to Schneider Children’s Hospital, the class delivered their own tzedakah collection to support sick children from all backgrounds and faiths, embodying the Jewish value of V’rapo Yerape (complete healing) through direct action.
Cultural Diplomacy Through the Arts: Beyond service, we shared our own culture with the people of Israel. Our eighth graders performed their all-Hebrew production of Frozen to a massive, appreciative audience in Jerusalem—demonstrating that the Hebrew language is not just a subject to be studied at Krieger Schechter, but a living, breathing tie to our homeland and its history.
Leadership and Growth: We traveled south to meet with the Mayor of Arad, learning firsthand about the city’s strategic growth and the challenges of managing a developing municipality, including its Bedouin neighbors. These moments showed our students that Israel is not just a place of history, but a dynamic, religiously and culturally diverse society that they can help shape.
This is how we cut through the noise of social media. We don’t simply hand our students a textbook; we let them experience the intersection of Hillel and Shamai. We show them a country that is resilient, multicultural , and deeply connected to their own identity. By the time our 26 students boarded the flight back home, they didn’t just know about Israel—they felt a piece of it belonged to them, and that they belonged to it.
Rabbi Moshe Schwartz is in his 11th year as Head of School at Krieger Schechter Day School in Baltimore, Maryland and has been leading day school trips to Israel for twenty years. Rabbi Moshe hopes to meet you one day at his favorite Jerusalem food spot, Golden Burger, appropriately located on Hillel St.