Evaluation of the Boston-Haifa Connection Jewish Identity and Education School Pilot, First year report

Abstract

School twinning initiatives have emerged as a key paradigm for fostering personal and meaningful Israel-Diaspora connections. The Boston-Haifa Connection, a nearly two decades old partnership between the Boston Jewish community and Haifa, created the Jewish Identity and Education School Pilot (JIESP). The goal is to infuse school communities in Boston and Haifa—students, parents, and educators—with programs that explore Jewish identity and transnational connection. JIESP is also intended to create models of school-to-school collaboration that are effective and suitable for replication. Two partnerships comprised the JIESP; Kehilot Nifgashot included Gann Academy and Ironi Hey and Pirkei Dorot involved Prozdor and the Hebrew Reali School. Both partnerships involved in-person and virtual encounters as part of their program. This report describes the findings of the first year of evaluation of JIESP and examines the development, implementation, and impact of the initiative on students, collaborating teams of educators, and the broader school communities.