An interesting question to ask when walking through a school is this: What are the "artifacts" in the environment and what story do they tell about the school? This question can be posed about various categories of artifacts that reflect different things. If we tour the Day School looking for "Israel artifacts," we discover that there is an Israel presence throughout. There are maps and flags of Israel in classrooms. There is Hebrew throughout the building on hall and class bulletin boards. There are pictures of students in Israel in our Partnership 2000 city of Kiryat Gat. As we walk through the halls, there are art works created to capture the essence of the eighth grade "Tiyul to Israel." Working in different media - photography, ceramics, fabric, tiles, and a 'cow on parade' - the trips come alive for those who pause to explore the story each art work tells.

In addition to the Israel artifacts, there is conscious Israel education. Some of it is experiential and some academic. On Yom HaAtzmaut, the entire school celebrates with a mini-Israel experience within the four walls of the school. A reenactment of Ben Gurion's reading of the Declaration of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, followed by the singing of "HaTikvah," a community lunch featuring felafel and other Israeli treats, and then a mini shuk--market to haggle in and to buy things with "shekels," a Kotel to put notes in, singing and Israeli dancing on the field, a hands-on archeology activity. These are some of the elements that make up the school celebration.

Some of the highlights of Israel curriculum are:

• Senior Kindergarten holiday units have a layer of learning that concerns how children in Israel celebrate each holiday

• Second graders study pioneer life in the U.S. in social studies, and learn about halutzim--pioneers in Israel

• Third graders do a major unit on Israel, learning about different places, events and people who are important to the history of the modern state

• In Middle School tefila--prayer services, students learn the "Prayer for the State of Israel" which reflects our connection to the land and to the people

• Eighth graders participate in a "Mifgash" with israeli students who come from Kiryat Gat in Israel to the Day School, and live and learn with us for a week.

• Eighth graders also learn about contemporary issues, as they prepare for their trip to Israel where they will celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut. (Click here to see a sample from our 2007 8th grader's Tiyul video blog).