The Israeli education system already has organizational consultants. Now the Mandel Leadership Institute offers a new workshop:  
“Philosophical-Educational Facilitation in Israeli Education”

Why philosophical-educational facilitators?

Education in Israel is provided in an extremely complex environment. In Israeli society, when addressing education, there is no basic consensus regarding the subject matter and values or on the tasks that have to be accomplished within the educational system and educational practice. Hence, the essence of the positive content of what it means to be Israeli is at times shrouded in fog. Although this has not prevented tremendous educational achievements from being made in various fields ranging from high-tech to culture and the arts, many Israeli educators are worried that, under the surface, the “for what?” is becoming quite hazy.

Educators in Israel sometimes express frustration with the idea that unless a bold attempt is made to cultivate an Israeli ethos, they may be preparing their graduates for self-fulfillment in a career abroad. Furthermore, in the absence of an educational ethos, Israeli society is running the risk of loss of the basis for solidarity, erosion of the rule of law, weakening of the ability to have dialogue between the different segments of society, and alienation among the youth and intellectual elites.

Based on several years of work in the educational arena, the Visions of Jewish Education Project (VJEP) staff is contending with these challenges and offering a “Philosophical-Educational Facilitation” workshop catered for educational leaders, institutions, and educational networks and organizations.

This ongoing workshop is intended to improve the educational activity of participating organizations and institutions, while cultivating Israeli pupil's understanding of what it means "to be Israeli" and encouraging them to delve more deeply into Hebrew culture and social action. This is a pioneering attempt to contend with the lack of an Israeli educational ethos.
 
In planning the workshop, a conscious, deliberate attempt was made to include heterogeneous institutions and organizations in terms of their commitments, subject matter, and working methods so as to make possible study and cross-fertilization on all sides.

The opening of the “Philosophical-Educational Facilitation in Israeli Education" workshops took place at the Mandel Leadership Institute (September 24th 2007).

For more information about “Philosophical-Educational Facilitation in Israeli Education" please contact us by e-mail (patiach@mli.org.il) or telephone (+972-2-568-8838).

To learn more about the Visions of Jewish Education Project click here