Vision
The Zehavit Gross Research and Intervention Laboratory envisions education as a transformative civic space — where conflict is engaged rather than silenced, memory is approached with moral depth, and emerging technologies are harnessed to cultivate human dignity, democratic culture, and sustainable peace in the next generation.
Founder and Directr
Zehavit Gross Research and Intervention Laboratory
UNESCO Chair in Education for Human Values, Tolerance and Peace
Former Dean, Faculty of Education, Bar-Ilan University
Prof. Gross is an internationally recognized scholar in religious education, peace education, Holocaust pedagogy, and interfaith dialogue. Her work integrates philosophical inquiry, empirical research, and advanced immersive technologies to develop innovative educational interventions for adolescents and university students in diverse and conflict-affected societies. She has published extensively in leading international journals and serves as a global advisor on values education, social cohesion, and democratic citizenship.
Doctoral and Postdoctoral Researchers
The laboratory hosts MA students , doctoral candidates and postdoctoral scholars conducting interdisciplinary research in:
• Religious pluralism and identity formation
• Religious bullying in multicultural educational systems
• Interfaith dialogue and simulation-based pedagogy
• Holocaust memory and difficult knowledge
• VR and AI in ethical and civic education
The lab fosters a collaborative, international research environment committed to methodological rigor, theoretical depth, and societal impact.
International Collaborators
The laboratory collaborates with leading scholars and institutions in Europe, Australia, and North America, advancing comparative research and cross-cultural intervention models in
Funding & Partnerships
The Zehavit Gross Research and Intervention Laboratory operates at the intersection of academic excellence, technological innovation, and public impact. Its research and intervention programs are supported by competitive national and international funding bodies committed to advancing educational excellence and social cohesion.
The laboratory’s work has been funded by:
• The Ministry of Education, Israel
• The Israel Science Foundation (ISF)
• The Trump Foundation (Israel)
• The Pratt Foundation, supporting research initiatives in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region
These grants have enabled large-scale empirical studies, intervention-based research, the development of immersive VR and AI educational platforms, and cross-national comparative projects addressing religious education, peace education, Holocaust pedagogy, and religious bullying.
The laboratory also collaborates with universities, policy-makers, UNESCO-affiliated initiatives, and international educational networks across Israel, Australia, Europe, and North America.
Through strategic partnerships and philanthropic engagement, the laboratory advances scalable educational models that strengthen democratic culture, intercultural competence, and ethical leadership among adolescents and university students.
People
Director- Professor Zehavit Gross
Founder and Director, Zehavit Gross Research and Intervention Laboratory
UNESCO Chair in Education for Human Values, Tolerance and Peace
Former Dean, Faculty of Education, Bar-Ilan University
Prof. Gross is an internationally recognized scholar in religious education, peace education, Holocaust pedagogy, and interfaith dialogue. Her work integrates philosophical inquiry, empirical research, and advanced immersive technologies to develop innovative educational interventions for adolescents and university students in diverse and conflict-affected societies. She has published extensively in leading international journals and serves as a global advisor on values education, social cohesion, and democratic citizenship.
Doctoral and Postdoctoral Researchers
The laboratory hosts MA Students and doctoral candidates and postdoctoral scholars conducting interdisciplinary research in religious pluralism and identity formation; religious bullying in multicultural educational systems; interfaith dialogue and simulation-based pedagogy; Holocaust memory and difficult knowledge; and the use of Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in ethical and civic education. The lab fosters a collaborative, international research environment committed to methodological rigor, theoretical depth, and societal impact.
Our Research Team