By Minda Chaikin
CHES hosted Yoni Buckman, Associate Educator from Unpacked for Educators in mid-May for two days of intense educational activities.
The workshops were part of the pilot project that Unpacked, in cooperation with CHES, has provided for Ottawa teachers and administration over the past year.
The day-long, four-session workshop at Sir Robert Borden High School, entitled “How to Have Courageous Conversations” was specifically designed for students, including a special session dedicated to Jewish students. Topics discussed included “mindsets”, “skill sets”, and “creating norms of conversation for your school community”. While teaching students to aim for understanding rather than convincing, Yoni asked them to think about the need to engage in difficult conversations, and why we sometimes try to avoid them.
75 students representing different groups in the school chose to participate. Yoni met separately with each of the 3 groups first, with all 75 students joining together at the end of the day to reflect on the previous session.
Students were deeply engaged with the new concepts introduced during the workshop. Brian Kom, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board’s Jewish Equity Coach, and Hertha Muhammad, of Racial Student Support, also attended the workshop. It was clear to all that the Jewish students are traumatised and need more support.
At Holy Trinity High School, a community of 2000 students, Yoni delivered a workshop for teachers and administrators. He stressed the importance of modelling listening and the importance of reflective listening in a conversation. Teachers were given time to practise those skills and engaged in creating conversational norms for the whole school.
CHES invited JPOSA (Parents of Jewish Students in the Public System) to a workshop on “Israel and Zionism”. Eighteen parents of Grade Six students and up engaged in an important, stimulating, and meaningful conversation on the topic. Yoni acknowledged the different parenting styles and his message to parents included the fact that the media has changed the world, and their children are growing up in a very different environment from theirs. He noted that Israel education, which teaches history and culture, has a very long shelf life while Israel advocacy changes constantly to meet current needs. He encouraged the parents to use Israel education over Israel advocacy with their children. The parents stayed after the scheduled time to continue the conversation with Yoni.
Unpacked for Educators is producing a new and exciting educational video program about combating antisemitism for North American non-Jewish schools. This initiative is based on their work with CHES in the past three years and the resources and pilot project we presented in three local high schools during this academic year. The new program will be launched in the fall.
Minda Chaikin is the lead on CHES’ Education Committee.