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TI Trio Off to Israel for Educators Institute.........posted Feb 7, 2006

Veteran Tikvat Israel teacher Harvey T. Kaplan will spend 10 days in Israel as the congregation's representative in a year-long professional educators' institute.

The Israel trip in March is just one segment of a year-long educators institute, designed to infuse Israeli affairs in synagogues' religious and cultural programming. The institute is being conducted in the Washington area for the first time in 2005-06. It is coordinated by the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning in the Washington, D.C., area, sponsored by the Jewish Agency for Israel and the United Jewish Communities. The latter created the North American Commission for Israel Engagement, and locally it is known as Israel in D.C.

Two other TI congregants also will participate in the Israel trip. Naomi Kaplan, Harvey's spouse, will represent the Hebrew Day Institute in Wheaton, where she is a full-time teacher of 4th and 5th graders. She also teaches 4th grade in TI's Religious School.

In addition, Arlene Berger is participating in the institute as the principal of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Jewish Community Group.

Harvey was selected last October by then-TI President Shelly Goldin to represent the synagogue in the Israel Educators Institute. His selection was affirmed by Rabbi Gorin, Executive Director Susan W. Newman, Education Director Sandy Levine and the TI Education Committee. The program will allow Harvey to expand his knowledge and expertise in developing and implementing Israel education and awareness for the entire spectrum of TI's educational program from the Early Childhood Center, the Religious School, youth and teen programs to adult education efforts related to Israel.

Joining TI in the program are 18 other Washington-area congregations.

Harvey has been attending monthly full-day programs since October. The seminars continue through June, supplemented by the 10-day educational mission to Israel and a range of community-based Israel-related activities. The latter include special sessions at the Israeli Embassy and Hillel headquarters in Washington, D.C. TI hosted a full-day Yom Iyyun on Dec. 19 in the new education wing. Rabbi Gorin and Education Director Sandy Levine welcomed participants, and Cantor Helzner joined the group for a buffet lunch. In addition, Aileen Friedman, director of the early childhood center, conducted a tour of the ECC classes focusing on Israel education appropriate to the age levels of her students. (Naomi and Harvey have two grandsons enrolled in the ECC, Aaron Bear and Jacob Ari Kaplan.)

Harvey has been teaching TI's 5th grade students three times each week for the past eight years. The 5th grade curriculum has a full-year unit on the land of Israel, from prehistoric times up to the present. He also is a member of the synagogue's Holocaust Committee, having edited two distinct editions of a government publication titled "Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust: A Department of Defense Guide for Annual Commemorative Observances."