The Jewish world in the age of coronavirus – A special Israel Hayom project
Part I: Can the pandemic make Jewish education more accessible?
The emergence of the coronavirus has forced Jewish communities around the world to embrace Zoom as the new platform to spread knowledge and educate the younger community on Zionist values.
But this has also made the job much harder and means that the efforts to instill Jewish values and strengthen Jewish identity has been hurt around the world, as Jewish federations struggle to adapt.
But there is a silver lining.
Now that online education has become the norm, the high expenses that come along with sending children to Jewish schools and ensuring they take part in the community may come down substantially, resulting in more people being exposed to Jewish content. The overall effect may be a plus for Israel and the Jewish communities.
This in turn can help ensure Jews stay part of the community, thereby reducing assimilation.
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Currently, in Florida, where sixth of US Jews live, only 3% of children get a formal Jewish education and 12% get "complementary Jewish education." That means that about 80% are not involved in a Jewish educational setting.
"The challenge now is to marshal support to make sure the connection to Israel and the strengthening of Jewish identity continues," says the Jewish National Fund emissary in the state, Zohar Vloski.
"Israel is the national home of the Jewish people and this is particularly true during times of crisis. We are duty-bound to help our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora, especially when it comes to Jewish education, to promote online content and to make sure more emissaries come to the community to bolster the bond with Israel," he said.
To put this vision into practice, World Zionist Organization Vice Chairman Yaakov Hagoel, has stepped up to the plate.
"Vision is one of the most important things when you have to get out of a crisis, it gives psychological hope and helps deal with a changing reality," Hagoel told Israel Hayom. Hagoel believes the current crisis can be a catalyst for aliyah to Israel.
"The option of living in Israel has become more realistic than before ... this is a great opportunity to unite around a plan for aliyah," he continued, noting that many Jews around the world always have a yearning to immigrate or at least are contemplating moving to Israel.
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