Feeling at home in North London
Feeling at home in North LondonReuters

In light of growing anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist sentiments across the United Kingdom correlating with the increasing popularity of Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, 23 school principals from Israel embarked on an educational journey to the United Kingdom (UK) to learn how the Jewish community’s leaders and educational heads operate with such threats in the background. During their visit, the Israeli school principals were exposed to the challenges of the Jewish communities and educational systems in the UK, which function as being part of a collective ethnic minority fending off bigotry.

The first its kind, the educational trip was organized by Israel's Ministry of Education in an effort aimed at training Israeli principals to not just connect with and become more aware of Jewry in the Diaspora but also to take responsibility in helping world Jewry combat such challenges. The trip was arranged in partnership with the Division for Jewish Education in the Diaspora, which is operated by Gesher, an organization that works to promote understanding between Jews in Israel and those in the Diaspora. A delegation from the ministry brought the school principals to visit various educational institutions in the UK, including those associated with moderate streams of Judaism to those identifying with the ultra-Orthodox community where core subjects are typically not taught. At each institution and school, the Israeli school principals learned of not only the challenges they face in educating but also of their unique methods used in teaching.

In addition to hearing from representatives and leaders of Jewish communities across the UK who spoke of contemporary challenges in their respective localities, the Israeli school principals also met with Israeli ambassador to the UK, Mark Regev; Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and Limmud’s CEO, Eli Ovits. The principals represented a combination of over 20-25 thousand students from a variety of schools across Israel, including local schools and those mixed with both secular and religious students, located in the central and peripheral regions, in kibbutzim and cities alike.

In its efforts to enhance the level of understanding between Jews in Israel and those in the Diaspora, Gesher also works to cultivate and train Israeli leaders to create a connection and understanding of their own with the Diaspora.