The Israel Education Travel Alliance this week launched its inaugural “Tour Educator (‘Morei Derech’) Training Seminar” for educational tour operators in Israel, bringing together 65 participants in Jerusalem. 

The focus of the two-day gathering, done in partnership with the Jewish Agency for Israel, was to equip tour educators with practical tools and fresh perspectives to meet the changing needs of North American participants 

 
"The events of the last 19 months have had profound changes on both Israel and the North American Jewish community, and it's so important to understand those changes in order to keep our communities united,” said Anna Langer, Jewish Federations of North America’s Vice President, North American Israel Strategy.  

 
“This seminar is an exciting step in ensuring that we can continue revitalizing North American educational trips to Israel, both to strengthen our bonds and help revitalize Israel's economy," she continued. 
 

While the Israel educational travel sector focused on solidarity missions in the immediate aftermath of the October 7th attacks, the industry is now shifting to broader educational journeys that include more traditional destinations. The Morei Derech seminar reintroduced Jewish heritage sites, integrated diverse Israeli narratives, and provided educators with skills and knowledge that they need to be thoughtful facilitators of transformative experiences and prepare for a return of educational travel at scale. 
  

For example, one standout session, “Reintroducing North American Audiences,” explored the gap between Israeli tour educators and the perspectives of North American participants post-10/7 and included video testimonials and new research.  
 

The seminar also included a day of visits to stops that were largely removed from itineraries over the past 16 months: Jewish heritage sites (Kotel, Old City), sites of commemoration (Yad Vashem, Har Herzl), and encounters with non-Jewish Israeli communities, inviting conversations about how to reframe these experiences in the post-10/7 world.