Do your children know about the land of Israel? I remember in public school, what we learned about Israel amounted to the 6-Day War. I didn’t know about Israel’s War for Independence until I watched the movie based on the book by Leon Uris, Exodus.
So, when I started homeschooling I wanted my son to know more about the land that gave us the Bible, that gave us Jesus. I believe teaching our children about Israel and God’s love for the people of Israel is important. The nation of Israel has a special place in the plans and purposes of God. It is paramount that we and our children understand its importance in His Story.
Israel in History
You can truly study the history of Israel using your Bible. We did a lot of that, with the help of Greenleaf Press Guides. Remember those? Most Bibles come with maps of the ancient lands, and to my surprise, my Bible (Precepts Study Bible), also has a brief history of modern Israel in the back.
The Jewish people gave us the Bible, the foundations of our Christian faith, and are our extended family in a way. Every writer of the Bible was a Jewish man, living a Jewish life. This is not something to take lightly. The Lord is still working in the land of Israel to this very day. So many end-time prophesies involve this land. And I don’t think the Bible is speaking allegorically, but about the actual nation of Israel.
Knowing and understanding God’s promises to the land of Israel is important to understanding what His promises mean to us. We learn that He is a God that keeps His promises. He did then, and he does today. He always will.
Israel as a Friend
Throughout the modern history of the United States, Israel has been a friend to the United States. While, sadly, our Presidents haven’t always recognized the nation of Israel, they are our ally against terrorism and a bastion of Western Civilization in the Middle East.
Surely, Israel is a testimony to God’s faithfulness.
Israel as a Homeschool Study
With all of this in mind, I wanted to share a way you can incorporate a study of Israel, its land and people into your homeschool. And in doing so, I think you’ll discover a land rich with His Story, and the most important benefit –growing closer to the Lord.
Below you’ll find a plethora of resources you can use for the whole family to learn more about Israel. I’ve divided the book basket into grade level categories, but for the most part, all of these resources can be used for the whole family. For really young kids, you’ll want to pre-read and pre-watch suggestions to make sure they are appropriate for your family. Some book suggestion may be out of print but perhaps available from your local library or a 3rd party seller (Amazon, used book store, etc.)
All About Israel Homeschool Resources
Book Basket for Studying Israel
Elementary
The Crafts and Culture of the Ancient Hebrews (Crafts of the Ancient World)
Good Night Little Lambs – Jewish Bedtime Stories
Buba Leah and Her Paper Children
The Kingfisher Treasury of Jewish Stories
The Mystery of the Dead Sea Scrolls
Middle School
The Story of the Jews: A 4,000 Year Adventure
The Jewish Fact-Finder: A Bookful of Important Jewish Facts and Handy Information
Junior Judaica: Encyclopedia Judaica for Youth
Ancient Israelites and Their Neighbors
High School
Holocaust Series – Forever Outsiders
Video Vault for Studying Israel
Note: Parents, please use discretion when choosing movies. You may want to preview before watching with your students.
In Our Hands- The Battle for Jerusalem
Wars Involving Israel (appropriate for high school research)
Websites where a high school student could research and record the military history of Israel.
Recommended Homeschool Courses
Expedition Israel from Unit Studies by Amanda Bennett (grades K-5)
Greenleaf Press Guides – Old Testament History, Ancient Egypt, Famous Men of Greece, Famous Men of Rome
The Jewish Children’s Learning Network
Miscellaneous Interesting and Fun Resources
Embassy of Israel to the United States
Jewish Children’s Learning Network
The Language of Israel- Hebrew
Why Study Hebrew
-
- Hebrew is a fascinating Language. No other language ceased to be spoken for over 2000 years then came back as a country’s official language and today it is spoken by over 10 million people around the world!
- You will deepen your knowledge of the Bible. 73% of the Bible was written in Hebrew and having worked with Bible translation for 2 years, we lose so much with translations not having the proper words to translate to in English or having no knowledge of the Hebrew culture and idioms.
- You will grow in your faith!! Learning Hebrew is an amazing way to dive deeper into the Scriptures like never before!
Hebrew for Homeschoolers Course Starting September 3!
Raise your hand if you find your kids answer “Jesus” for every question in Bible class. While they are so right– Jesus IS the answer for every question–wouldn’t it be great if they went deeper? What if you could go deeper as a family? That’s why I love this live 10-week class Hebrew for Homeschoolers. Ana will take your entire family on a Hebrew adventure that will have them excited to learn more about the Hebrew Language and their Christian Faith. The Bible has so much to teach us, and we don’t want to miss out on any of it!
Right now you can save $20 by signing up during the early bird special, plus friends of Ben and Me can get an extra $5 off through August 3 at 11:55pm ET! This means you can read and write Hebrew in just 10 weeks for $52 or $5.20 per class! For the entire family! If you miss the live offerings, you can watch the recordings! They will be available for you forever, for review or to make up for a live classes you missed. Just use the code: BENANDME5EXTRA.
Visit Hebrew for Homeschoolers for more details and to sign up.
