If I forget thee, O Jerusalem,
Let my right hand wither.
Let my tongue stick to my palate if
I cease to think of you. (Psalms 137:5-6)

Our connection to and love for Israel is at the core of a Jewish identity. Our relationship with Israel connects us to Jews all over the world. We strive to instill in young children a feeling of belonging to Israel because Israel gives us so much: a sense of pride, a connection to our history, a gathering place for all Jews, and a place to feel holy and close to God. While the concept of "country" is very difficult for young children to grasp, the concept of "home" is not. Israel is our Jewish home. We want children to love Israel, even if they don't understand just how far away it is.

Both of my children went to Israel in-utero, and we took my eldest daughter there when she was a year and a half old. Too young for her to remember the trip, surely. But later, at four years old, she knew that she had been in Israel, saw the pictures of herself standing in front of the Kotel (Western Wall), and felt connected to the place that her parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents have visited many times. She knows she will go there again, although she told her best friend Marc that while they can go to Israel to visit our friends David and Hadas, they can't live there, since it's too far from her parents.

Bringing even very young children to Israel is the best way to begin to build a strong foundation of love for Israel. Schools that have organized trips to Israel for families and teachers together have achieved incredible outcomes. But as with any destination, the more you know before you go, the more powerful the trip will be. And even with no visit to Israel on the horizon, we are bound in the early childhood classroom to immerse children in Israel, to begin to build a foundation of love and connection to Israel. The more children feel connected to the land and people of Israel before they ever make the trip there, the more meaningful the actual trip will be, and the more long-lasting the experience and the connection to Israel.

Establishing a relationship between Israel and our children is a first step toward implanting a feeling of peoplehood within them as Jews. At a World Zionist Organization Early Childhood Conference, Dr. Ruth Pinkenson-Feldman discussed thematic approaches to teaching about Torah and the land of Torah: Israel. She said that the child in the Diaspora is born into an Israel of the imagination. Unless (or until) children go to Israel, they can only imagine what it might be like. Children worldwide need to be welcomed into a relationship with Israel.

Children have the ability to connect to Israel in different ways at different ages. Below are a few concepts to consider for each age group. The concepts of each younger group apply for older groups as well.


Infants to 24 months 

1. Blue and white are the colors of Israel. 
2. I hear lots of Hebrew music. 
3. There is a Mogan David (Jewish Star) on the Israeli flag.

Two Years 

1. I live in (name your town). 
2. Other people live in other places.

Three Years 

1. We live in (name your country, city, town). 
2. Other people live in other countries. 
3. One of those other countries is Israel. 
4. Israel is far away. We travel on an airplane to get there. 
5. People who live in Israel speak Hebrew (and Arabic and English and many other languages) 
6. I can say lots of words and sing songs in Hebrew. 
7. Israel is a Jewish country; many Jews live in Israel. Arabs also live in Israel. We call Israel the Jewish Homeland. Jews come from all over the world to live in Israel. 
8. We care about Israel and feel connected to it. Israel is our Jewish Home.

Four years 

1. Israel is a very old place. Jews in the Torah lived in Israel (or were trying to get to Israel). Israel is a part of many of our Jewish holidays. 
2. Archeologists dig to find out about people who lived in Israel long ago. 
3. Israel is a new place. The modern State of Israel is younger than many of our grandparents. 
4. In Israel there are mountains, deserts, oceans, rivers, lakes, cities, and trees which Jewish people from all around the world have helped to plant. 
5. Seasons are different in Israel than in (name your city). 
6. I can recognize the shape of Israel on a map. Israel is very small. 
7. We pray for peace and no more wars in Israel. We pray that all the people in Israel can be friends.

To help children build a relationship with Israel, Israel needs to be an underlying theme the entire school year, integrated into everything else happening in the classroom. Israel must be a part of the classroom beyond the weeks surrounding TuB’Shevat and Yom HaAtzma’ut. The concept of Israel, a far-away country which, during the year, is discussed in both ancient and modern terms, is very difficult for pre-school children to actually grasp. During a child’s years in preschool, a goal is to plant seeds of recognition and desire toward Israel. Every child should think of Israel as their own Jewish Homeland.

There are many ways Israel can be integrated throughout the curriculum. The first, of course, is Hebrew. Eliezar Ben Yehudah, born in 1858, contributed greatly to the character of the modern State of Israel. He is credited for making Hebrew a living and vibrant language, after two thousand years of not being spoken. Eliezer Ben Yehuda worked diligently to bring his dream to life: to transform Hebrew from a language used only by Rabbis and scholars to discuss ancient texts to a language used by children playing in the streets. When Ben Yehuda was married in 1881, he made one stipulation for the marriage: the only language that his wife would be allowed to speak to their forth coming children would be Hebrew. He made her promise that their children should hear no "foreign" languages - only Hebrew, and she agreed. Biblical and scholarly Hebrew lacked the richness of a modern language. Ben Yehuda recognized that he needed new words in Hebrew to describe everyday needs that became common with modern living. He published a newspaper, the Zvi, which introduced new Hebrew words and integrated them into daily life. Ben Yehuda’s ultimate project was the creation of a modern Hebrew dictionary. Ben Yehuda, the Father of the modern Hebrew language, truly shaped the culture of the modern State of Israel. Without modern Hebrew, the country would be engulfed in a struggle for language supremacy and unable to unite, possibly to this day. If Deborah, Ben Yehuda’s wife, could agree to speak to her children only in a language which was being growing alongside them, then surely every teacher can learn a few basic phrases in Hebrew to use with her children on a regular basis, such as Boker Tov (good morning), Todah (thank you), and Z’man l’sa-dair (time to clean up). Obviously, native Hebrew speakers can do much more, such as conducting snack time all in Hebrew. Hebrew words and sentences can be added to each thematic unit. Songs and music are wonderful ways to bring Hebrew into the classrooms anytime. Having such classics as David Broza and Achinoam Nini, or Israeli children’s CDs, playing in the background during free play or center time is a great way to expose children to authentic Israeli music. One thing to watch out for is mixing languages – substituting a few Hebrew words into a familiar song. In English, a common example is “The Itsy Bitsy Ackavish”. This mixture can cause linguistic confusion, not giving children appropriate exposure to either language. A better choice would be to completely translate a familiar song into sing-able Hebrew, or better yet, learn some classic Israel’s children’s songs and sing those with your children. A great resource for these songs is a collection called 100 Shirim Rishonim (100 First Songs). There are two volumes, and each volume has a CD, video and song book. (These resources can be readily found on the internet).

If a child is to acquire a genuine appreciation and understanding of the value of the two cultures which are his heritage, he should be given an opportunity, early in his life, to live richly in both. Israel must be made familiar, on a daily basis. The physical environment of your classroom can include Israeli flags and perhaps a poster of children in Israel, and in older classrooms, a map of Israel. A poster of the Kotel can be strategically placed in the block corner, encouraging the children to integrate Israel into their block play. Books about Israel, or books in Hebrew, on your children’s bookshelf encourages children to connect to Israel whenever they sit down to read. If you take time to look at the weather with your children, you can also talk about the current weather in your sister city in Israel, or in Jerusalem. It only takes a moment in the morning to check the Israel weather on the internet. No matter what the theme or project currently going on in your classroom, you can create a connection with Israel. Studying transportation? Add a few Egged busses to your room. Studying colors? Don’t forget Yerushalayim Shel Zahav (Jerusalem of Gold) or the colors of the Israeli flag (blue and white). When you celebrate birthdays in your class, sing Happy Birthday the Israeli way. (You can see a video of kids singing the Israeli birthday song to their Savta Vicky (Grandma Vicky) at http://youtube.com/watch?v=wf8Rc3z7ECU).

Kol Yisrael Aravim Zeh Lazeh - All of Israel is responsible for one another. When Israel celebrates a 60th birthday, we all celebrate. When Israel loses students in a yeshiva or families eating pizza to the terrorist’s fire, we all mourn. When Israeli soldiers are kidnapped, we all pray for their safe return. Translate this value to an active concept in your classroom. Consider sending some of the tzedakah money you collect during the year to an organization in Israel. Anything your children might be interested in using their Tzedakah money for – helping children, animals, the environment, hungry people, whatever – can be supported in Israel. And of course, planting a tree in Israel is always a good option. In one class, their study of trees on Tu B’Shevat led to counting their Tzedakah money and planting 2 trees in Israel. Then they studied the map of Israel to locate their trees.

As our children develop into a community in the classroom, we can extend this understanding of community to the unity of the whole community of the Jewish people. Building a pen pal relationship with a class in Israel is a wonderful way to show your class that there are children in Israel who do many of the same things they do, with some interesting differences. Sometimes the time delay between letters can be frustrating, but this can be alleviated in some cases through email. You can find a class to partner with through your local Federation, a personal connection, or the early childhood department of the Jewish Agency for Israel .

Many classes take an imaginary trip to Israel sometime during the year. This trip can only be meaningful to the children if Israel is already a part of their every day classroom experience. As Israel is turning 60, you can find ways to connect children, and families, to Israel. Consider assigning children the task of finding someone they know well who is 60 years old (give or take 1-2 years). Then have children find someone they know well who is significantly older than 60 (70+) and ask that person to tell them what they remember about Israel becoming a state.

In surroundings infused with the values and particulars of Israel, Jewish children can be drawn into a relationship with Israel. Teachers need to do everything in their power to help flesh out each child's imagination of Israel so that each child begins to form a connection to and love for this home so far away.