The National Teachers Center for the Study of Judaism, Humanities and, Society

1. The National Teachers Center for the Study of Judaism, Humanities and, Society • In 1994, The Center for Teachers Professional Education in Judaic Studies was at Bet Yatziv in Beer Sheva. • The Center was established as a significant suggestion of the Shenhar Commission. The purpose was to develop in depth programs of specific areas of Jewish heritage, culture and tradition for the educational personnel in the government sponsored school system (mamlachti) in Israel. • In 1996, our Center also became the site of the Kremnitzer Commission program, (Being Citizens) in order to teach issues of education and democracy within Israeli society. • In 2005, the Center became an official extension with academic sponsorship, of Kaye Academic College, in Beer Sheva.

2. Audiences Government Education Chirkasian and Bedouin sectors Arab Sector Druze Sector Government –Religious Education Ultra- Orthodox Community Early childhood Elementary middle school high school Educational leadership: Supervisors, Principals Counselors, Advisors Coordinators Of the formal and non-formal educational systems Teachers of the seminaries and colleges

3. The development of specializes focused training programs (during two years) • A. Teachers of these subject areas: • Bible, Jewish Thought, Geography, • Communications, Children’s Rights, • The Jewish People in Israel and in the Diaspora Citizenship. • B. Teachers who work with specifically challenged populations with special needs.

4. Programs and subjects of the workshops and seminars • History • Zionism • Literature • Bible • Art • Geography • Archeology • Oral Torah • Citizenship and democracy • Jewish education • Jewish culture and heritage • Jewish thought • Jews of the Diaspora • Land of Israel studies • Communications • Social Sciences • Israel as a Jewish and Democratic State. • Israeli Society of the Melting Pot. • Multi-Cultural, • Social Problems. • The Israeli Educational System • National security and democracy, • Participatory Citizenship and cultural survivability • Communications in the 21st century • Jewish Heritage and Identity, • Gender Studies • School vision • The School and classroom “Climate” • Current events • Ethical Dilemmas • Social Education

5. Methodologies and Pedagogy at the Center: Workshops Research activities Out –of-class learning Collegial learning Learning from the sources: Jewish and universal texts General lectures for professional enrichment Appropriate uses of computer mediated learning Discussions about Dilemmas Evaluation strategies