How to Use the Site: Adults

What can I learn?

Just about anything you’d like to know about Zionism, modern Israel, the Arab-Israeli conflict and peace processes, U.S.-Israel relations, and the millennia-long connection between Jewish peoplehood and the Land of Israel. We have arranged the content into more than 60 Topics; see the full list here. CIE experts with decades of experience researching and teaching about these Topics have built the website’s content, supplemented with contributions from scholars, former government officials and others from around the world. Some areas are more comprehensive than others, but we’re always adding and expanding.

And if you can’t find something you think should be on our website, let us know by emailing Michael Jacobs at michael@israeled.org.

How can I learn?

How do you want to learn? Hover over Explore & Learn, then click on All Types to see your options:

Bibliographies — Peruse annotated lists of books and articles to learn more about specific topics.
Biographies — Meet people who have made Zionist and Israeli history, arranged alphabetically.
Contemporary Readings — Find a selection of the latest articles available online, including the CIE website, addressing Israel and related topics. Updated with a new list each month.
Curriculum — Search through the resources needed to teach students or learn with peers, broken into clear, convenient categories.
Slide Shows — View PowerPoint-style presentations on various topics. This is a subcategory of Curriculum.
Documents and Sources — Find an unmatched collection of primary sources, arranged by four eras of Zionist/Israeli history. CIE continually adds documents, both by digitizing historical sources and by monitoring current events. Many of the documents have extensive introductions offering context and analysis.
Historiography — See how Israeli history has been assessed and reassessed over time.
Images — Browse photos, artwork and graphics that illuminate the story of Israel and Jewish peoplehood.
Issues and Analyses — Move beyond the sources to gain insights from CIE experts and others on the details and the big picture.
Explainer Articles — Read short articles to gain a foundational understanding of core topics, such as the meaning of Zionism.
Ken’s Blog — Learn directly from CIE President Ken Stein through analyses, compilations and excerpts from sources.
Maps — Study the geography to enhance understanding of strategic land purchases, events, treaties, peace proposals and more.
On-Demand Israel Courses — Purchase these multimedia courses, each designed to be completed in about an hour, to learn about specific aspects of modern Israel at your convenience. This is its own category and appears as a subcategory of Video and Audio.
Publications — Buy e-books and other materials in our store for use on your own or with a class.
Timelines — See history unfold, event by event, through the millennia, whether with our master timeline or with more focused topics, such as Jerusalem or the 2023-2025 Hamas-Israel war.
Today in Israeli History — Follow key events in Zionist and Israeli history day by day.
Transcripts — Read through transcripts of interviews, conferences, webinars and more.
Conference Proceedings — See what experts said at conferences focused on events such as the 1978 Camp David summit. This is a subcategory of Transcripts.
Interviews — Gain insights from interviews conducted with the people who made history, including dozens of interviews CIE President Ken Stein conducted for his book about the 1970s peace process, Heroic Diplomacy. This is a subcategory of Transcripts.
Video and Audio — Learn by watching and listening rather than reading with our growing collection of videos, most of which offer audio-only versions for occasions when you might listen to a podcast or the radio.
Explainer Videos — Watch or listen to these short videos to gain understanding about specific topics within a few minutes. This is a subcategory of Video and Audio.
In-Depth Presentations and Webinars — These longer-form videos, most with audio-only versions, present panel discussions and individual presentations from live and online events. This is a subcategory of Video and Audio.

Note that if you search a Type with subcategories, you will see all of the subcategories as well as items categorized with the main Type. So, for example, you’ll find all the Explainer Videos and In-Depth Presentations and Webinars if your Type selection is Video and Audio.

Can you offer more guidance?

Of course. We recommend checking out the On-Demand Courses first to see whether one or more of them address your area of interest. Unlike most of the site, they aren’t free, but they are inexpensive and offer the fastest, most direct, most comprehensive way to learn about those specific subjects.

If you want a quick summary of a subject without the formality or cost of a course, try Explainer Articles for written overviews or Explainer Videos for audiovisual overviews. Explainers of either Type direct you to other resources for deeper exploration.

When you have some knowledge about a subject and want to delve deeper, the best approach is to select the Topic that most closely matches your subject. Hover over Explore & Learn to open the drop-down menus. If the five listed Topics aren’t what you want, click on All Topics to open the full list, then click on your choice. The “How to Use the Site” guidance above explains how to hone your search, what to expect with curated essentials for some Topics, and how to combine Topic and Type searches.

Pay particular attention to the Types that set the CIE website apart from anything else you’ll find online: the Documents and Sources collection, organized by era and contextualized with introductions; the transcripts of Interviews, most of which were conducted by CIE President Ken Stein, often with diplomats and other ex-officials who never gave other such in-depth interviews; the Issues and Analyses, which not only provide CIE’s own expertise, but also offer access to outside articles that might not be available without expensive journal subscriptions; and the Timelines. Those elements reinforce one another to develop a full picture of modern Israel.

Also, don’t pass up the chance to click on links within articles and follow your curiosity wherever it may lead across our site. Sometimes you’ll uncover connections you never would have thought to seek out.

Frequently Asked questions

For whom are these courses designed?

We are seeking to provide greater levels of knowledge. Whether you’re already well versed or just starting your journey, CIE units present the context, history, facts and examples you want to know. You will also find bountiful resources to help you become an expert in your own right.

How long are the courses?

It varies with each unit and each user. Courses can be “completed” in around an hour, but it’s your choice to spend as much time as you wish.

Those who want to dive deeper into these and ancillary topics, will find accompanying sources can keep you learning for hours on end.

Are your courses available for groups?

Absolutely!

All courses are available for purchase by organizations and other groups such as those preparing to travel to Israel, and for academic use.
Academic editions are designed with specific checkpoints to ensure mastery of each section and can be tailored to your learning levels and needs.

Save at least 20% when you purchase at least 10 copies of a course. For details, contact Debbie Sasson at debbie.sasson@israeled.org.

Can I change the appearance of the pages with search results?

Yes. Just above the left side of the posts on pages using Latest display (shown next to the search magnifying glass), you’ll find an option to switch between Cards and List. Cards mode includes an image with the headline and summary for each post; List mode omits the image.

By default, each page shows 24 posts, but you can change it to 48 or 96 at the bottom of the page.

Any time you see a caret pointing down next to a headline, click on the caret or the headline to reveal more posts. Click again to hide the list.

Can I purchase multiple courses? Do you offer discounts?

We admire your commitment and we’re here to make it easier! You can buy as many courses as you’d like by adding them to your shopping cart.

Save 10% when you buy two courses
Save 15% when you buy three
Get all six for the price of five

Can I purchase this as a gift for my ____?

CIE courses make great gifts for b’nai mitzvah, high school and college students, and lifelong learners. You can purchase a gift card for one to six courses, and we will send redemption instructions to the recipient. Click here to make your gift card purchase.

How do I find what I want?

The best way to access the bulk of the rich CIE content is to select a Type or Topic. For some of our richest Types and Topics, we’ve offered a helping hand by highlighting the most important posts. Each of these custom arrangements fits a particular Topic or Type, but usually, what you’ll find for Topics are the following:

A description of the Topic, with buttons that will take you directly to all posts on the Topic or to all Documents and Sources related to the Topic. (We base our work on original sources, so our Documents and Sources collection deserves special attention.)
Four to 12 posts that are the most vital for the topic, which we call the Key Curated Essentials.
A section called More Curated Essentials. Click on the title or the caret to its left to open the curated list.

To skip the customized presentation for a Topic, click on the Explore All Posts button for the Topic, or switch from Featured to Latest in the Order Posts By box next to the magnifying glass above the Topic description.

Some Types also have custom arrangements. Again, if you don’t want this curated presentation, switch from Featured to Latest in the Order Posts By box.

Documents and Sources, for example, are organized from oldest to newest within the four Eras, which themselves provide thousands of years of the continuous history of the Jewish connection to the Land of Israel. Within the Eras articles are links offering deeper understanding.

Other custom arrangements for Types include Biographies, which are alphabetized, and Curriculum, which emphasizes appropriateness for certain ages and settings to meet any educator’s needs.

How do I know which way to search?

The site offers discovery about Zionism and Israel, regardless of your background and knowledge. You don’t have to know where you are headed. You can deepen your learning on a subject you know about, or you can explore something new or unexpected. The exploration process is flexible enough to meet your needs as they change. Experiment with what you can unfold with different combinations of Topic, Type, Language and keyword searches, along with Eras and Featured items. You can always retrace your steps or return to the homepage.

Topic? Type? What are those?

Topics are content subjects. Many broad Topics have subtopics. For example, if you are interested in Arab-Israeli negotiations, you can click on that Topic, or you can choose one of the seven subtopics covering various eras. Clicking on the main Topic provides access to all subtopics, so don’t worry if you’re not sure whether the Arab Peace Initiative, for example, falls under “1992-1999: Oslo Accords, Jordan Treaty” or “2000-2019: Post-Oslo.” Click on “Arab-Israeli Negotiations,” and you’ll have access.

Types are the various formats in which Topics are presented. If you’re more interested in the how than the what of our content, you can sort the site to meet your needs. Perhaps you’re a visual learner or want to listen to something educational while commuting or walking the dog; Video and Audio is the Type for you. Maybe you’re looking for insights on how and why things have happened; try Issues and Analyses. Maybe you prefer to go straight to primary sources with only an introduction that offers context; choose Documents and Sources. Like to explore history through personalities? Click Biographies. Prefer to wander along the twisted paths of history? Follow along with half a dozen Timelines.

If you choose a Type, you can filter it by a Topic; if you choose a Topic, you can filter it by a Type.

What about the other content and navigation options?

Under Courses & Curriculum, find materials of particular value to teachers in formal and experiential education. On-Demand Israel Courses each take about an hour to complete. Publications and Readers are e-books and other teaching materials available in the Store. Curriculum, also a Type under Explore & Learn, delivers paid and free, age-appropriate items for the full range of educational settings. The downloadable Maps of Israel and its region through history offer visual context to the stories that unfold through our extensive Timelines.

Through Programs, explore special learning opportunities for specific audiences. Find upcoming events for Teens, Adults, and Educators & Clergy; details on past programming; and contacts for conversations about bringing a CIE program to your group.

Under About, learn more about CIE, including our team, board, partners and history. You can subscribe to our two weekly newsletters, The Chalk and Today in Israeli History, and view past issues, as well as reach out to us for media interviews and any other reason.

Scroll down the homepage to see four posts from Featured Topics and four from Featured Types.

And don’t forget the green Donate box on the top right, between Español and Search. CIE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and we appreciate your tax-deductible support to continue our work.

What about the rest of Explore & Learn?

By Language offers a significant numbers of posts in languages other than English, particularly Spanish and Hebrew. Click on a Language (Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Italian or German, listed by their names in those Languages) from the top drop-down menu or on the right of any Topic or Type search page to see all the posts in that language. Choosing a Language clears other filters, but in some cases you can add a Type and/or a Topic from the menu on the right. Also, as in English, you can click on the magnifying glass to add a keyword search.

You also can reach the Spanish page by clicking on the magenta Español box on the top right of every page.

Featured offers a changing lineup of timely items. These could be Topics, Types, events or things for sale in the Store. Click on one, such as The Chalk newsletter, to learn more.

Eras are rich, link-loaded overviews of specific historical periods. Era I covers biblical times through 1897, the year of the First Zionist Congress. Era II continues the story from 1898 through Israeli independence in 1948. Click on an Era to scroll through that history, see the availability of the text in other languages, and find links to resources for further learning. Eras also provide access to our Timelines.

What if I can’t choose between Topic and Type?

Then do both. Choose a Topic and a Type to create a list of your subject area of interest with the format you prefer. Let’s use Topic as an example, but the process is the same for Type. (Just switch Topic and Type in the following steps.) Clicking on a Topic takes you to a page that reads “Home>Explore & Learn” above your Topic name. Below that blue field, “FILTERED BY:” appears next to your Topic, all in maroon. To the right are boxes under the heading “Explore & Learn in three ways.” Click on a Type to further filter your Topic results. The page header then reads “Home>Explore & Learn>Topic” above the Type, and both the Topic and the Type appear next to “FILTERED BY.”

If you change your mind, click on a different Topic or Type in the list on the right to instantly swap that filter. Or click on the X in the name of the Topic or Type next to “FILTERED BY:” to remove it. Choose a replacement on the right, or stick with only a Topic or a Type. Or click on the CIE logo or “Home” to return to the homepage and start over.

Because the CIE site has more than 3,000 posts (and adding all the time), you might need to refine your results with a keyword search. To the right of “FILTERED BY:” and the Type and/or Topic you’ve chosen, click on the magnifying glass, and enter any term or terms of interest. The site searches for the keyword(s) within only the Type and/or Topic you previously chose.

To be highly specific in your keyword search, connect two or more words with the word AND (example: Ben-Gurion AND land AND Negev). For a wider search using alternatives, try OR (example: Ben-Gurion OR Sharett OR Weizmann). Add NOT to avoid unwanted results (example: Sharett OR Weizmann OR Ben-Gurion NOT airport). You can combine those terms as well. For more insights into Boolean keyword searches, click here.

What if I have more questions?

We’re educators, we love questions! Please get in touch using our contact form, or by emailing info@israeled.org.