Understanding and Improving the Divided Educational System in Israel with former World Bank expert and Temple Sinai member Laurence Wolff

Wednesday, January 28, 2015 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Bet Am

Mr. Wolff will discuss the following topics and take questions on how the K-12 education system operates in Israel and how it might be improved.

1. The impact and challenges of a divided education system  (“secular” Jewish, religious Jewish, ultra-orthodox, and Arab).
2. The reasons for the relatively mediocre performance of Israel’s K-12 education system.
3. Efforts by NGOs as well as the Government of Israel to  increase learning achievement, especially of  disadvantaged groups, and to  strengthen the concept of a shared society.
4. How the Reform movement in Israel is working in the secular  education system to build a deeper understanding of Jewish culture, religion and belief.

Mr. Wolff worked 24 years at the World Bank as an education projects officer in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.  He has consulted for UNESCO, USAID, the Inter-American Development Bank, and others, and published numerous papers and reports on education policy issues around the world.  Mr. Wolff has a doctorate  (Ed.D.)  from Harvard Graduate School of Education in education planning and administration.

You can find two of the papers he has written at the web site of the Israel Studies Center at the University of Maryland at www.israelstudies.umd.edu.

 Please join us for this most interesting presentation, Q&A discussion and light refreshments. Advance registration is encouraged, but not required.

Programming by Temple Sinai’s Israel Affairs Committee reflects and respects diverse perspectives.