Being Jewish with Jonah Platt Unpacking Better Israel Education with OpenDor Media’s Dr. Noam Weissman
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Oct 9, 2025 Dr. Noam Weissman, Executive Vice President of OpenDor Media and host of Unpacking Israeli History, discusses transformative approaches to Jewish education. He argues that Israel learning should focus on curiosity rather than just advocacy, and highlights the dangers of portraying an idealized version of Israel. Noam introduces the concept of 'goosebumps with complexity' to blend emotional connection with intellectual honesty. He emphasizes the vital role of Jewish camps and schools in cultivating a more informed generation of Jews passionate about their identity.
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Teach Israel To Cultivate Identity
- Young people reject being lied to and crave a full breadth of perspectives about Israel.
- Israel education should cultivate identity, not function solely as advocacy or analysis.
Make Israel Central, Not Peripheral
- Israel was often peripheral in Jewish schooling and reduced to holidays or war stories.
- Teaching core history, sociology, and institutions builds meaningful literacy about Israel.
Reject Both Extremes In History Teaching
- Neither blind patriotism nor total self-flagellation teaches history well.
- Balanced teaching accepts complexity without erasing emotional attachment.