MARBLEHEAD —   Cohen Hillel Academy was chosen as one of only eight schools nationwide to participate in a $1 million grant awarded by the Jim Joseph Foundation to Facing History and Ourselves. Four Jewish day schools in the Boston area, and four schools in Los Angeles, will participate in a three-year project to implement a new curriculum. Hillel teachers will enhance existing curriculum and develop new lessons to strengthen Jewish identity, as well as students’ understanding of history and their responsibility to make moral choices as citizens.

Four Hillel teachers, Pamela Aranov, Tali Marotz, Shira Karpo and Karen Madorsky, recently returned from an intensive seminar in Brookline with their counterparts from the seven other schools to plan the innovations that will begin when school opens in September. They heard from outstanding experts about introducing cutting-edge educational strategies, and participated in many interactive pedagogical experiences. At the end of the process, Hillel’s team devised an action plan that will be implemented with Hillel’s upper school students, faculty and parents.

Cohen Hillel Academy has also been chosen to pilot Facing History lessons that will integrate Judaic texts with history and moral choices. Aranov and Marotz will work with Facing History on this endeavor. Madorsky will serve as the liaison between Facing History and CHA.

Reflecting on the weeklong training and its implications for programming throughout the next three years, Madorsky said, “The seminar was one of the most exciting pedagogical and spiritual events I have experienced. I believe that this initiative will help Cohen Hillel students reinforce the connection between the teaching of Jewish values and the lessons of humanities and Judaic studies. This will be a model of educational and moral best practices.”