NBN Welcomes Inaugural Cohort of ZEI Fellows To Israel
This week, Nefesh B’Nefesh’s Zionist Education Initiative (ZEI) welcomed the inaugural cohort of its ZEI Fellowship to Israel, bringing together twelve accomplished Jewish educators from leading schools across North America for an immersive learning experience designed to help shape the future of Israel education.
Nefesh B’Nefesh’s Zionist Education Initiative has already taught Zionism classes to over 50,000 gap year students, and is now extending that impact deeper into the Diaspora school system. Nefesh B’Nefesh has developed a dedicated Zionism curriculum for high schools abroad, which has already been taught and tested in more than 10 schools across North America. Building on that foundation, the organization is now working in partnership with Koren Publishers to create the first-ever textbook on Zionism designed specifically for high school students in the Diaspora. To bring this curriculum to scale, Nefesh B’Nefesh launched its first Fellowship this summer, bringing together representatives from 12 high schools across North America that will begin implementing the curriculum in their classrooms starting Fall 2026.
Representing Jewish day schools and educational institutions from New York, New Jersey, Florida, Texas, Maryland, Washington State, and Toronto, the fellows include department chairs, school administrators, veteran classroom teachers, and educational leaders who collectively influence thousands of Jewish students each year.
Beginning today, the educators will embark on a five-day immersive Summer Intensive in Israel, combining rigorous classroom learning with experiential education across some of Israel’s most significant historical, cultural, and educational sites. Throughout the week, fellows will explore foundational moments in Zionist history, Jewish peoplehood, archaeology, Israeli society, and contemporary Israel education while engaging in workshops focused on curriculum design, student-centered learning, and meaningful classroom engagement.
“When we invest in educators, we invest in the next generation of Jewish identity,” said Rabbi Josh Spodek, Director of the Zionist Education Initiative. “The ZEI Fellowship brings together exceptional teachers who will carry what they experience here in Israel and throughout the year, back to hundreds of students across North America, and that ripple effect is exactly what the Jewish people need right now.”
The intensive will take participants from the National Library of Israel, where they will work with primary historical sources, to the Bible Lands Museum and the City of David, where they will engage directly with the historical and archaeological foundations of the Jewish connection to the Land of Israel. Fellows will also learn from leading educators, historians, archaeologists, and pedagogical experts while developing practical tools and classroom resources they can immediately bring back to their schools.
The fellowship, developed in partnership with Kadima Coaching and Unpacked for Educators, reflects a growing recognition that the future of Israel education depends on investing deeply in the educators themselves. The Summer Intensive serves as the launch of a year-long fellowship experience that combines monthly cohort learning, individualized coaching, curriculum development, and professional collaboration, strengthening their ability to teach Israel, Zionism, Jewish history, and Jewish identity. The fellowship will culminate in a Celebration of Learning in New York, where fellows will present their work and educational innovations to educators, communal leaders, and stakeholders from across North America.
“We are excited to welcome an extraordinary cohort of educators to Israel for the ZEI Fellowship, where over the coming days in Jerusalem they will immerse themselves in the history, archaeology, texts, and ideas that have shaped the Jewish story while exploring innovative, student-centered ways to bring Israel education to life in their classrooms,” said Tikvah Wiener, Founder and CEO of Kadima Coaching. “At a time when young Jews are facing growing challenges around Israel and Jewish identity, this Fellowship aims to equip educators with the knowledge, tools, and inspiration to teach with depth, nuance, and confidence. Kadima Coaching is honored to be partnering with Nefesh B’Nefesh on this important initiative.”
The fellowship is guided by a central premise, teaching Israel and Zionism is not simply about conveying information, but about helping students understand Jewish identity, history, peoplehood, and destiny. By strengthening the educators at the center of that work, the initiative aims to create lasting impact in Jewish classrooms and communities across North America.
The inaugural cohort includes Heather Benjamin (Yeshiva University High School for Boys, New York), Idit Cohen (David Posnack Jewish Day School, Florida), Nina Cohen (The Frisch School, New Jersey), Sylvia Fallas (Yeshivah of Flatbush, New York), Amy Horowitz (Katz Yeshiva High School of South Florida), Miriam Kazlow (North Shore Hebrew Academy High School, New York), Miriam Krupka Berger (Ramaz School, New York), Rabbi Shaanan Scherer (TanenbaumCHAT, Toronto), Shira Schiowitz (SAR High School, New York), Jay Schreiber (Northwest Yeshiva High School, Washington), Michal Shapiro (Akiba Yavneh Academy, Texas), and Rabbi Moshe Shields (Yeshiva of Greater Washington, Maryland).
The Zionist Education Initiative operates under the broader framework of Nefesh B’Nefesh, which works in partnership with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, The Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, and Jewish National Fund-USA to strengthen Jewish connection to Israel and support the future of Zionist engagement worldwide.
