September 2, 2010 / 23 Elul 5770

Winners of the prestigious 'Teacher of the State' competition spent a day of training at the Jewish Agency's offices in Jerusalem in preparation for their upcoming trip to  North America in October 2010.

Six outstanding teachers from throughout Israel were recently selected out of a pool of thousands of nominees as winners of the second annual "Teacher of the State" competition. 

The project is managed by Yediot Ahronot newspaper. Its partners are Gitam advertising and marketing firm, "Mifal Hapayis," (the legal gambling monopoly in Israel), El Al Airlines, which donated free plane tickets to the teachers, and the Jewish Agency.
 
A panel of well-known public figures in Israel selected the winners, including the Jewish Agency's Director General Alan Hoffmann. 

The prize is a trip to North America to select cities to observe a Jewish school and spend time in the communities. 

This year's winners who will be visiting North America include: Yehudit Lewkowicz, a science teacher at the Avivit Bar Lev school in Kfar Saba, Ruth Raveh, who teaches history and art at the Branco Weiss school in Ramleh, Kidusha Roitman-Bamnolker, who teaches first and second grade at the Nisuyi Gavim school in Beer Sheva, and Rafi Sulam, who teaches industrial mechanics at the ORT Adivi school in Ashkelon.

The teachers will visit the following communities in North America: Baltimore, Maryland; Columbus, Ohio; Metrowest, New Jersey; and Montreal, Canada. 

"I am so proud of our educators in Israel because our country is producing so many  excellent teachers," said Kidusha Roitman-Bamnolker during a break from the Jewish Agency-sponsored day of training.

Roitman-Bamnolker has been teaching for the past 26 years. She will be visiting Montreal.

"I want to know how they teach Hebrew in their school," she said, adding that she also "hopes to contribute something in return" during her visit.