Jewish Pupils’ Perspectives on Religious Education and the Expectations of a Religious Community

Abstract

This chapter presents a case study of the Jewish High School in Berlin — the only Jewish secondary school in contemporary Germany. The focus is on the re-establishment of this school in 1993 and the associated hopes of the religious community, on the one hand, and the religious self-understanding and expectations of the pupils regarding religious education, on the other hand. The chapter begins by setting out current developments in the Jewish educational system in Germany and the hopes that Jewish parents and religious communities have of it. It then gives an account of the re-establishment of the Berlin Jewish High School and its Jewish profile. Next, the chapter presents quantitative data that provide an insight into the religious self-understanding of the young Jews in the school. The analysis focuses on the similarities and differences between young Jewish people from German and Soviet backgrounds. Afterward, a qualitative analysis of the expectations and desires of the pupils in relation to their religious education is provided. Finally, the chapter discusses what, realistically, might be the outcomes of an approach to Jewish religious education that embraces a student community so diverse in religious, cultural, and social terms.