SIR2023-24

SIR 1: BENJI DAVIS

(OCTOBER 29-31, 2023)

Benji Davis is an educator, speaker, and researcher specializing in Israel education. The founding director of IMPACT Israel Education, he and his team are experts in developing Israel education content and providing seminars, courses, and tours for short- and long-term Israel educational travel programs. Benji is also a doctoral student in Education at the University of Haifa researching the pedagogy of Israel education in Jewish high schools. His recent article co-authored with Dr. Hanan Alexander, Israel Education: A Philosophical Analysis, is the featured piece of a special issue of the Journal of Jewish Education devoted to the philosophies of Israel education. Benji holds a BA in Middle East Studies & History (Summa Cum Laude & Phi Beta Kappa) from the George Washington University and an MA in Jewish Education from the Hebrew University. Originally from Los Angeles, Benji made Aliyah in 2009 and lives in Jerusalem with his wife Rachel and daughters Maia, Ella, and Lia.

GAZA WAR 2023 SESSION OFFERINGS

Navigating the Noise: How to have clarity when there’s so much misinformation

We’re inundated with so much content, but yet, it seems so hard to have a grasp on the source of knowledge of facts. This session will help participants navigate the noise on all various forms of media to be able to develop their own sense of clarity on the situation.

Paradigm Shifts: Middle East, Israel, & the Jewish World

Everything changed on October 7^th. We are experiencing paradigm shifts that will impact us for generations. This session will provide insights into the paradigm shifts happening in the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World happening right at this moment.

What’s Complex and what’s not Complex in this Current Conflict

People love to say, “the Conflict is complex”. Some use it as an excuse to get to a real understanding of the truth. While it’s true, there are certain elements that are and will always remain complex, but there are other aspects that are actually quite simple. This session will help participants differentiate between what is actually complex, and what is not, even when so many want to just use the excuse of complexity as a way to avoid moral clarity and taking a stance in support of Israel and the Jewish people.

The Who, What, Where, Why and When: How did we get here?

How did we get to where we are today? This session will be a geopolitical introduction to the situation.

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SIR 2 PAMELA RAE SCHULLER

(November 30-December 4, 2023)

As a teen, Pamela had the worst-diagnosed case of Tourettes in the country, a touch of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and a whole lot of pent-up anger. She spent years depressed, suicidal, and wishing her differences away. Over time, she started looking at her life differently and turned her obstacles and challenges into the very fuel that propels her.Now an internationally known disability and mental health advocate and professional stand-up comedian, Pamela’s stories of growing up in a body she had no control over are engaging, powerful, a little bit heart-wrenching, and unapologetically funny. Pamela will work with students on mental wellness issues.

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SIR 3 DINA GOLDSTEIN

(TBD)

Dina is a multi-disciplinary artist living and working in Tel Aviv. Her works include live animation performances, collage, video, and dance. On the verge between performance, visual art and toy theater, the works strive to evoke surreal fantasy worlds, deriving from her yearning for the wondrous and the desire to bring the magical into the mundane. Dina will be working with our students in Cleveland creating reflective animated collages on the topic of each students’ personal connection to Israel.

Dina Goldstein_Portfolio

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SIR 4 HADAS KALDARON

(March 3-8, 2024)

Hadas Kalderon - Actress and Playwright (March 3-8, 2024). Hadas is currently serving as the artistic director of the National Youth Theatre. She is the granddaughter of renowned poet Avrom Sutzkever and she has been on a journey to keep her grandfather’s memory alive. To do this, Hadas had been involved in three projects: as the associate producer of the award-winning documentary Black Honey, the Life and Poetry of Avraham Sutzkever; as the producer and main character in the new film “Who Will Remain” and as the producer of the play “The Witness.” Hadas will perform and work with students in the area of Holocaust remembrance and education.