Twelve Jewish educators from schools across the United States and Canada arrived in Israel last week as the inaugural cohort of the Zionist Education Initiative (ZEI) Fellowship, a new program launched by Nefesh B'Nefesh to strengthen Israel and Zionism education in North American Jewish schools.
The educators, representing schools in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Texas, Maryland, Washington State and Toronto, are participating in a yearlong fellowship that began with a five-day intensive program in Israel. The initiative combines classroom learning, site visits, curriculum development and professional coaching, with participants expected to begin implementing a new Zionism curriculum in their schools in the fall of 2026.
The fellowship builds on the work of Nefesh B'Nefesh's Zionist Education Initiative, which the organization says has taught Zionism classes to more than 50,000 gap-year students. It has also developed a Zionism curriculum for Diaspora high schools that has been piloted in more than 10 schools across North America.
Nefesh B'Nefesh is also partnering with Koren Publishers to develop what it describes as the first high school textbook on Zionism designed specifically for students in the Diaspora.
The fellows include department chairs, school administrators, classroom teachers and other educational leaders who collectively teach thousands of Jewish students each year.
During the summer intensive, participants visited sites including the National Library of Israel, the Bible Lands Museum and the City of David, while taking part in workshops on Zionist history, Jewish peoplehood, archaeology, Israeli society and curriculum design.
"When we invest in educators, we invest in the next generation of Jewish identity," said Rabbi Josh Spodek, director of the Zionist Education Initiative.
"The ZEI Fellowship brings together exceptional teachers who will carry what they experience here in Israel... back to hundreds of students across North America," he said.
The fellowship was developed in partnership with Kadima Coaching and Unpacked for Educators. Following the Israel program, participants will continue meeting throughout the year through monthly cohort sessions, individualized coaching, curriculum development and professional collaboration before concluding with a Celebration of Learning in New York.
Tikvah Wiener, founder and CEO of Kadima Coaching, said the fellowship is intended to help educators respond to growing challenges surrounding Israel education.
"At a time when young Jews are facing growing challenges around Israel and Jewish identity, this Fellowship aims to equip educators with the knowledge, tools, and inspiration to teach with depth, nuance, and confidence," she said.
According to Nefesh B'Nefesh, the fellowship is based on the premise that teaching Israel and Zionism involves helping students understand Jewish identity, history, peoplehood and destiny, while strengthening the educators responsible for that work.
The inaugural cohort includes Heather Benjamin (Yeshiva University High School for Boys, New York), Idit Cohen (David Posnack Jewish Day School, Florida), Nina Cohen (The Frisch School, New Jersey), Sylvia Fallas (Yeshivah of Flatbush, New York), Amy Horowitz (Katz Yeshiva High School of South Florida), Miriam Kazlow (North Shore Hebrew Academy High School, New York), Miriam Krupka Berger (Ramaz School, New York), Rabbi Shaanan Scherer (TanenbaumCHAT, Toronto), Shira Schiowitz (SAR High School, New York), Jay Schreiber (Northwest Yeshiva High School, Washington), Michal Shapiro (Akiba Yavneh Academy, Texas), and Rabbi Moshe Shields (Yeshiva of Greater Washington, Maryland).
The Zionist Education Initiative operates under Nefesh B'Nefesh, which works in partnership with Israel's Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, The Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and Jewish National Fund-USA.
Written in collaboration with NBN