What is BASIS

What is BASIS?

BASIS is a major initiative to change and enhance Israel education and engagement in Bay area day schools. BASIS is an acronym in both English and Hebrew:

Bay Area Schools Israel Synergy

BAtei Sefer Israel San Francisco

BASIS emerged out of the Israel Education Initiative (IEI) – a joint project between BJE, the Jewish Community Federation’s Israel Center and the Jewish Agency's Makom. IEI’s goal is to promote Israel learning and connection throughout the Bay Area educational community.

BASIS also promotes Israel learning and connection, but it is focused solely on Northern California day schools. It has been generously supported by the Jim Joseph Foundation.

IEI and BASIS are intended to imbue among our youth a stronger connection to and understanding of Israel, enhancing their own sense of Jewish peoplehood and identity.

BASIS aims to make Israel a core part of each school’s academic program and its culture.

Recognizing that each school is different, BASIS supports a “customized” approach, working with each school to establish its own vision for Israel education and engagement within its school community, and helping each school to realize that vision. Core components of BASIS include:

• Funding for each school to retain an “Israel education coordinator” to lead the school’s activities;

• A leadership team in each school, composed of faculty, administration, board and parents to guide and help implement the school's Israel education plan;

• Funding for each school to pursue its Israel education objectives;

• A "community of practice" for all the Israel education coordinators to regularly meet and learn together;

• Expertise in curriculum development, professional development for educators, and other strategies to promote Israel education, including school twinning, arts and culture, and technology;

• A series of learning events, including an intensive week-long Summer Forum in Israel (happening now);

These educational services are provided by the BASIS staff at BJE, led by BASIS Director, Michal Morris Kamil. Working with Michal during just concluded Year One have been BJE Associate Director Renee Ghert-Zand, and IEI Director Ilan Vitemberg, and educational specialist Vavi Toran. Educational support is also provided by various consultants offering specific expertise of value to the schools.

The Summer Forum, which kicks off today, culminates the first year of BASIS. More than 70 representatives of the 11 day schools are gathering for a week-long seminar. Two key areas of focus of the Summer Forum are to help participants:

• develop an appreciation of the conceptual alternatives of Israel education and select models that fit their schools;

• deepen and broaden their knowledge and insight of Israel and its place in Jewish life and the world of their students.

Our goal for the forum is that each of the teams from the schools (and we have about 6-7 people from each school) will be equipped to return to their schools and teach Israel, with all its complexity, more effectively.