CIE Professional Development Workshops

*Please note: in July 2008, the CIE inherited the Emory Institute for the Study of Modern Israel's prestigious decade of experience, including its nationally renowned professional development workshops.

Participant Comments

"It was a privilege being taught by “the best in the field.” As a veteran teacher and winner of the Grinspoon-Steinhardt award for excellence in teaching, I was not expecting to learn as much as I did from the pedagogic sessions, which only goes to show there is always something new to learn! I am…looking forward to going back to school to share my experience and the wealth of resources with my colleagues.”

“[The] lectures on pedagogy, culture, and so much more have left me inspired, excited, and so eager to get back into the classroom and put all of this into practice. I will be spending most of my summer creating curriculum for my 6th and 8th graders, and if they are ¼ as excited as I am, I will have succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.”

“The caliber of the speakers was outstanding and helped raised Jewish education to great heights and potential. As serious educators, having such an exceptional encounter allowed us all to leave Emory with the professional respect that we all seek.

"…as an Israeli, prior to coming, I was wondering how much such a conference would benefit me. My sense of curiosity overruled and I decided to attend. I was so pleased to find out that each lecture and each speaker had so much to offer, beyond anything that I would have imagined.”

“The materials the workshop instructors have come up with is the highlight of the conference. These are teachers’ teachers…Unlike a lot of conferences, I’m coming home with a suitcase full of ideas!”

“I learned a great amount and was very impressed with the high caliber of the presenters and quality of materials [and] resources. It's unfortunate that more American citizens don't have the opportunity to hear the perspectives shared in order to form more well founded and reasoned opinions related to Israel.”

“I teach at both a Jewish Day School and a synagogue afternoon school, but have never been to Israel and my knowledge about the country was woefully limited.  I know that I can go back to my students now feeling much more confident in relating to them what I have been taught.  I am sure that the informational resources that you have provided, the opportunity to learn from such magnificent people and the possibility of continuing a network with new peer friends, will continue to influence my teaching methods for many years.”

“This past week in Atlanta was an important week in my life as an educator, as an Israeli, as a Jewish American, and as a mom to Jewish children because I got to study with bright, wonderful people, listen to some of the best minds sharing valuable knowledge, eat yummy food ALL DAY, enjoy all that was offered to us, but mostly because of the way that I was inspired all over again…I have been an educator for a very long time, and believe that our job is meaningful, and critical in the days in which we live, however, it is also very easy to get lost in the daily tasks that we need to complete.  A week with ISMI made me pause, take a deep breath, and remember what our job is really all about.”

“Thanks for re-inspiring me about the importance of educating about modern Israel. Now that we are home, I hope that we can come up with as many ways as possible to infuse it into life at our temple and beyond.”

"I have been in education for 15 years, and this course is by far the best teacher’s course I have ever attended. The content was stimulating, the speakers were excellent and overall organization was top notch! Thank you for enriching my life!"

"This was the most academic and well organized Jewish professional development opportunity in which I have participated—amazing presenters, lovely accommodations, and engaged learners."

"It was well organized—the staff was helpful and knowledgeable. I will greatly benefit from the workshop. My students will thank you."

"I leave this conference with a clear perspective of my role/place in history."

"I enjoyed this workshop. I am now more easily able to advocate for the land of Israel. I enjoyed the fascinating and knowledgeable colleagues in attendance. I would be willing to come to an alumni conference. Thanks so much for this opportunity."

"Nothing else like it [ISMI workshop] available—so important to have educational/ instructional/ motivational training for teachers on Israel—so important."

"Everything was exceptional—well-organized, attention to students, great registration, tremendous amount of reading and related references."

“...your workshop was phenomenal. It was inspiring and I learned so much. We had our school staff meeting today and I suggested numerous ideas that can be incorporated into the school’s culture, across the board at all grade levels to help connect the students to Israel. Thank you for an enlightening educational experience.”

“The 2005 workshop surpassed the standard of excellence established in the 2003 workshop in scope and content. Ken Stein is a visionary, a bench-mark, brilliant scholar, a dynamic and inspiring lecturer, who reaches out to anyone who wishes to learn on any level about Zionism, Israel, and education, I applaud the Avi Chai Foundation for funding his endeavors...the workshops are precious gems among so much unfortunate mediocrity in the area of Jewish education.”

“What a wonderful experience I had last week. I thought everything was exceptionally organized and that the speakers were phenomenal. And the materials - you have given me such great materials...I now have a vast repertoire from which to draw lesson plans. You have helped me to become a better teacher, and I and my students are indebted to you. I can think of no better way to begin my career–you and your colleagues have left me inspired and excited to begin my teaching of modern Israel and Jewish history in general.”

"...let me again congratulate you on a terrific ISMI seminar, with its consistently very high caliber presenters, well thought out and orchestrated logistics, excellent resource materials, wonderful choice of accommodations, and the overall high value of the ISMI program."

"I want to let you know what a phenomenal time I had. I was seriously floored by the quality of the staff and speakers!!! I have gained even more insight on the issues I care most about."

"...wanted to say once again it was an incredible week... You are doing a mitzvah with the work you are doing. You are helping us get back to some of the next generation from forgetting about our connection to Israel."

"First let me extend my heartfelt gratitude for one of the best professional/personal experience I have had in a while... The clarity and organized mode of most presenters were real assets for me... Not only were we honored by the best and brightest in the field of Israel study, but we were treated royally. The mutual respect and kavod had to get all of us lots of those old "Mitzvah Points." Seriously, all presenters modeled the type of behavior WE must show OUR students."

"...thank you for the wonderful experience that I had this past summer... It was empowering for me. I have spoken about it often in the community..."

"I was privileged to attend the Emory Institute for the Study of Modern Israel Workshop at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles last week. It was the most intense and high-quality workshop I have ever attended... we learned from superior professors... Each of them shared their expertise with us and taught us about Israeli politics, government, culture and history. They presented the material in a professional and understandable way. Best of all, they inspired us to incorporate more Israel education into our American Jewish Religious Schools."

"From the first morning's program it was apparent that you run a class act. In organizing the program, from logistical details to the order of the sessions, you left nothing to chance. Everything was carefully thought out and meticulously planned. You selected presenters who were not only experts in their fields, but dynamic and inspiring speakers, as well."

"As someone who lived in Israel for 11 years, and having spent considerable time reading and studying about Israel, I came to the workshop with a solid base of knowledge about Israel. I came away from the workshop with a much wider base of knowledge, many creative ideas for teaching about Israel and an incredible gift of fantastic teaching resources."

"I am still reeling from all of the information presented at last week's Israel seminar for Jewish educators. I can't begin to tell you how much I learned not only about Israel, but about being a teacher and a learner... Designing the workshop with an eye to both learning and doing enabled each of us to come away with information and practical suggestions for its implementation. This generally does not happen. Seminars for educators usually focus on one or the other, not both. Mazal tov!"

"At the conference, a group of us put together a curriculum on teaching the modern state based on Proclamation of the State of Israel. We discussed how to bring the document 'alive' for the children by using maps, games, play-acting and discussion. I'm looking forward to developing this idea into a year long course."

"Invaluable was the booklet of documents you provided, as was the entire binder of resource materials. The dialogue, both stimulating and provocative, among participants and speakers, integrated throughout the workshops, was useful in helping us internalize the complex concepts set forth."

"I never imagined that the last week would make such a difference both for our school and for me personally. I was exposed to more brilliant experts in their field in one week than during my entire undergraduate and graduate careers."

"I arrived in Atlanta as a teacher already committed to trying my personal best to build a bridge between my students and their Jewish connection to Israel. When I left the course, Friday, June 27, 2003, not only was I strengthened in my commitment to work even harder to help these young people build their bridge, I found myself vastly better prepared."

"I enjoyed the intensity and passion that surrounded the entire duration of the workshop. I have visited Israel through the eyes of a tourist. I am now very motivated to travel there as a teacher."

"You have made it so easy for me to share primary source materials with my students and have given them an opportunity to use higher level thinking skills to analyze, evaluate, and draw conclusions about events of one hundred years ago and apply them to situations now and make inferences about the future... I will no longer go into a state of panic when my principal asks me to teach about Israeli elections or Israeli government! My life has been so enriched..."

"I must declare that the Pre-Collegiate Teacher Workshop on the History, Culture and Politics of Modern Israel was by far the most enriching and important educational workshop I have attended as a Jewish and Israeli educator in the last decade... The workshop's distinctive quality was obvious from its inception up to its completion... I invested so little money in something that gave me back so much in return..."

"The week spent filled a massive void in the material we are normally instructed to use... It is absolutely necessary to teach the students of modern Israel for them to continue to show an interest in the survivability and the continuation of Israel as they mature into adults. The future support of Israel by future generations is absolutely essential..."

"Those six days transported me to a higher level of thinking and raised my awareness of the world around me... I have brought home with me a deeper respect for the history and culture of Israel and an understanding of the politics which I did not have prior to this experience. I feel empowered to share my knowledge with my students and colleagues..."

"This six day course has changed my approach to the study of Israel for my 7th graders. Having such exceptional educators share their knowledge and teaching philosophies has motivated me to prepare a year long course incorporating so much more than I have in the past... As a religious school teacher at Temple Beth Tikvah, a docent at the William Bremen Jewish Museum and a volunteer at Jewish Family Services, I plan to strongly encourage my fellow faculty, public school educators and other religious school educators to take part in this program... The time is long overdue for all teachers to give a comprehensive and accurate account of Israel's history to all students..."

"This workshop has provided me with insights and knowledge, which are critical in making good and appropriate decisions for shaping our school's curriculum... I have complete 33 years in school settings, both public and now religious. I cannot identify any other course, which has had such an impact on me..."

"This was definitely one of the finest conferences I have ever attended in my 30 years of being a Jewish educator... The fact that we walked away with an incredible collection of usable materials was an added bonus. I returned to my community feeling enlightened and excited by my experience at Emory..."

"This past week at Emory was an amazing educational experience. I found the conference to be well organized with truly outstanding presenters.... My staff is in awe of the materials that I brought home. We will be integrating them into our curriculum at the 5th and 10th grade levels where we concentrate on Israel and throughout the school where appropriate."

"The caliber of presenters was outstanding and the subjects/materials were informative and useful. The joint focus on content and teaching methods was rare and very pragmatic.... An added bonus to the workshop is the group of colleagues with whom I can continue to network to help in my teaching."

"On a personal note, the workshop experience re-energized my commitment to Jewish education."

"The workshop was undoubtedly one of the richest learning experiences that I can remember."

"The formal sessions provided us with an opportunity to explore Israeli history, politics, and culture on a high level while constantly considering how we can translate this material for our students...The informal gatherings in the hotel lobby enabled us to learn about the work of our colleagues in different areas of the country."