Building Bridges: Hausner Welcomes Israeli Sister School

This spring, Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School proudly welcomed 8th-grade students from our Israeli sister school, the Leo Baeck Education Center in Haifa. This exchange program—the only one of its kind in the Bay Area—connects five local Jewish institutions: Camp Newman, Urban Adamah, Congregation Beth Am, Stanford Hillel, and Hausner.

Months of Zoom conversations laid the foundation for friendships that came alive during the visit. Together, students celebrated Shabbat at Congregation Beth Am, explored sustainability at Urban Adamah, hiked through the redwoods, danced at a school social, and shared joyful Jewish learning side by side.

The exchange gave Leo Baeck students a glimpse into the vibrant expressions of Jewish life in the U.S., while Hausner students gained new perspectives on Israeli life—especially as conversations touched on growing up in Israel today.

In May, the journey continued when a group of Hausner’s 8th graders traveled to Israel, joining their new friends for Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut and embarking on our signature 8th Grade Israel Trip. This transformative journey blends history, culture, memory, and connection—preparing our students to take their place as part of the next generation of our Jewish community.