On Wednesday, September 16 2026, our 8th graders traveled to Wornick Jewish Day School in Foster City for a wonderful Model Knesset Day of Learning. They came together with 8th graders from six different Jewish schools across the Bay Area.
The students were divided into mixed-school groups and spent the day exploring the question “Who is a Jew?,” what happened when the State of Israel, established as the state of the Jewish people, had to define a Jew in the “Law of Return” in order to grant Israeli citizenship to Jews, and the fascinating and unique story of Brother Daniel that challenged the definitions of the State of Israel.
Here are some of the things the children shared about the day:
- “It was interesting to learn about the Law of Return and who is allowed to get Israeli citizenship”
- “It’s really cool that we had the chance to meet kids from other schools.”
- “The story of Brother Daniel was really interesting. He was a Christian but viewed himself as an ethnic Jew, and the question is whether he is a Jew and whether Israel considers him one. We had a deep and fascinating discussion about it.”
The Shinshinim from each school also joined us. Teachers and Shinshinim were placed with different groups to help guide the conversations and support the students throughout the day.
It was wonderful to watch the students share their beliefs and opinions, listen to different points of view, and respectfully challenge one another. They learned that it is okay to disagree and that these difficult questions do not always have simple answers. It was also a great opportunity for our students to meet and make connections with Jewish students their own age from other Bay Area schools.
This was the beginning of a yearlong program that will continue in Jewish Studies throughout the school year.
