Beth Avner's Assessment Paper

Beth Avner

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Teach each child according to his own way – Proverbs 22 

Organization: North American Federation of Temple Youth – NFTY 
Website of Organization: www.nfty.org

Favorite Place in Israel: Ein Uvdat 

How has Israel played a part in your personal Jewish identity? 
I have always been fascinated by the amount of history, peoplehood and spirit that is connected to Israel. Each time I have visited, I have been continually inspired by the stories and connection that people have with each corner of the land. I grew up at OSRUI overnight camp in Wisconsin and Hebrew and Israel education were a core part of the curriculum. Through the formal and informal lessons each summer, Israel has become an integral part of my Jewish identity. 

Who was the educator who most influenced your path to Jewish education? Describe the effect that they had on you. 
My high school youth advisor was one of the biggest influences in my life during my teen years, and continues to be a trusted friend and mentor. He modeled the setting of high standards by working with us, as students, to set high goals for ourselves and push ourselves to achieve more than we believed we could. 

If you had the ability to build the landscape of Jewish education, what would it look like? - in 140 characters or less. 
A quiet forest with multitudes of cleared spaces for groups of all sizes to learn together while being free to explore their individual relationship with the world around them. 

What are you looking forward to most in the InCiTE Fellowship? 
I’m excited to meet youth workers from various movements of Judaism and sharing best practices so that we can all create the best experiences possible for our teens.

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