LINK officially launched in the fall of 2017 in 68 schools of various denominations and settings. Two years later, LINK is in 170 schools, and roughly 3,600 students have engaged with the program.

Kansas City’s own Matt Rissien, who joined LINK last month in a new position as the first Midwest associate director, plans to expand LINK throughout his region, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kansas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Kentucky, Nebraska and Missouri.

StandWithUs has a new initiative for middle school. “LINK: Discovering Your Israel Connection” is a 6-lesson unit that allows students to explore the historic Jewish roots to Israel while discovering their own personal, modern connection. After a successful pilot program, LINK is now in 122 schools nationwide. Director of Community Engagement at StandWithUs, Mina Rush, is making Arizona a priority for 2019.

StandWithUs curriculum connects middle school students with Israel.

A new middle school curriculum from StandWithUs, an international Israel education organization, is now available for Jewish day schools and Jewish supplementary schools nationwide, including those in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

The Hasten Hebrew Academy of Indianapolis is the first to implement a new middle school curriculum – and has already reregistered for next year. LINK – Discovering Your Israel Connection is a 6- lesson unit that allows students to explore the historic Jewish roots to Israel while discovering their own personal, modern connection.

A pilot program has just been completed of a middle school curriculum designed to help Jewish students explore their roots and connect to historic and modern-day Israel.

A new middle school curriculum, “LINK: Discovering Your Israel Connection” is now available nationwide. The 6-lesson unit allows students to explore the historic Jewish roots to Israel while discovering their own personal, modern connection.

A new middle school curriculum, LINK — Discovering Your Israel Connection — is now available nationwide. The 6-lesson unit allows students to explore the historic Jewish roots to Israel while discovering their own personal, modern connection.

New middle school curriculum offers students a way to connect to Israel and their Jewish roots

Mina Rush, director of Middle School Education and Programming at StandWithUs, is spearheading the initiative, whose “main goal is to reinforce the history of Israel and the Jewish nation through the lens of Jewish continuity,” she said. Following two years of development, the curriculum is currently in its pilot phase, undergoing testing by 600 students from 20 schools that cross all denominational lines.

Earlier this year, Barry Chazan, professor emeritus of education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, penned an op-ed for the New York Jewish Week in which he discussed the 21st-century shift toward personalization and customization.