A little bit of education goes a long way in fostering connections to Israel
Since Oct. 7, Jewish communities around the world have grappled with enormous and previously unthinkable events: the massacre of 1,200 Israelis, a global surge in antisemitism and, most recently, Hamas’s brutal execution of six hostages.
With each tragic step along the way, our educators here in North America have recognized the need to pivot and adapt their approaches to teaching in this environment. But they need guidance to do so.
For teachers, schools and community organizations to meet this moment, they must have access to the best available data and insights on how Oct. 7 — and the terrifying and heartbreaking events since then — have impacted individuals’ connections to Israel and their Jewish identity. Armed with that knowledge, they can even more effectively prepare young Jews to maintain those connections today, tomorrow and into the future.
To nurture this understanding, our think tank, Boundless Israel, in partnership with research firm BSG, conducted a national survey of Jewish 18-to 40-year-olds this summer. We spoke with more than 1,000 regionally, ideologically and religiously diverse individuals, exploring their perspectives, connections and how they were impacted by Oct. 7 and the months that followed.
We learned that an overwhelming majority of Jewish young adults (85%) believe in Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, but most also feel challenged by Israel and morally conflicted. This group seeks to deepen their knowledge through textured conversations about Israel, Palestinians and the conflict so they can better understand the history, context and narratives.
The survey findings highlighted that nuanced, balanced and ongoing opportunities for Israel education are the foundation for sustained connections. Based on our findings, we see three guiding principles for Jewish education.
1.) Connections drive connections
Our study showed that the more Israel is a part of someone’s past, the more likely it will be a part of their life in the long term.
About two-thirds (66%) of young adults who feel connected to Israel feel even more connected since Oct. 7. We also found that travel to Israel continues to be one of the strongest drivers of ongoing connections.
The key takeaways are that Israel education must begin earlier and that it really does “take a village.” It’s essential for that village — parents, grandparents, friends — to feel equipped to engage around issues related to Israel.
Various studies, including ours, have shown that family members are among the most trusted sources of information to help make sense of what’s happening in Israel. Indeed, 48% of 18-40-year-old Jews and 56% of Jewish college students say they’re talking about Israel more often with Jewish friends and family since Oct. 7.
2.) Even a small dose of education about Zionism can have a powerful impact.
Many terms and concepts have been co-opted and hijacked by Israel’s critics for their own political and ideological gains. The result is that people who don’t have a strong foundation in Israel education are more susceptible to believing the rhetoric that equates Zionism with violence and white Jewish supremacy. But education can combat this trend.
For example, we found that when you ask young Jewish adults if they would describe themselves as a Zionist, 31% say they would. When you take a moment to explain what Zionism actually is — “a movement that supports the Jewish people having a state in their ancestral homeland, Israel” is the language we use in our survey — that number jumps to 53%.
A swing of this magnitude — 22 percentage points — indicates just how little information young American Jews have about the term Zionism and how much of a difference even a little bit of education can make in reclaiming ideas that are vital to understanding the Middle East. Educators should embrace such high-impact, teachable moments.
3.) A fair and balanced education is key to forging lifelong connections to Israel.
Our findings showed that a fair and balanced education drives stronger and deeper connections to Israel. 84% of those who perceived their own Israel education to be “fair and balanced” (by their own definition) feel connected to Israel as young adults, compared to only 68% who say they were taught only one perspective about Israel growing up.
In addition, 77% of young American Jews want more opportunities to learn about Israel, and they’re seeking multiple viewpoints: 81% want to connect with Israelis to learn about their experiences and 78% want to connect with Palestinians to learn about their experiences.
This makes clear that Jewish and Israel educators must embrace complexity; share multiple narratives about Palestinians and Arab Israelis; and teach critical thinking so young adults are prepared to have conversations about difficult issues.
This is not a mandate for curricula to be split 50-50 between the “Israeli perspective” and the “Palestinian perspective,” but rather for creating a holistic and comprehensive set of perspectives. To accomplish this, Jewish organizations — even those that don’t see themselves as “Israel-focused” — must empower educators with the knowledge, context and skills to navigate hard conversations.
Content, resources and curricula exist. Now, we must ensure teachers and community leaders can access them and feel confident using them.
Guided by these three data-informed principles, the Jewish community can strengthen students’ connections to Israel and Jewish identity into the future. Education must start at a younger age. It must be multidimensional and woven into everyday life. Family members should feel confident to start these conversations and not hope they will simply happen. And of course, we must ensure our educators, both formal and informal, feel equipped and confident to teach in meaningful ways.
We don’t know what the coming months and years will bring for Israel and the Jewish people. But guided by these principles, we can prepare our students and young adults for what is to come.
Aviva Klompas and Rachel Fish are the co-founders of Boundless Israel.