Field Of Jewish Education Research Articles

A Pedagogical Approach to Teaching Biblical Hebrew in American Day Schools

ABSTRACT This conceptual paper lays out an approach to teaching biblical Hebrew in American day schools. This paper builds on extant work in the field of Jewish education on teaching biblical Hebrew and offers day school educators a theory of language instruction for teaching biblical Hebrew.

Kabbalah, education, and prayer: Jewish learning in the seventeenth century

In the seventeenth century, the Jewish mystical tradition which is known as Kabbalah was integrated into the curriculum of studying the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud. Kabbalah became popular in these times in the wake of the dissemination of Isaac Luria’s teachings, in particular within the Jewish communities in Prague and Amsterdam, where members of the Horowitz family took a leading role. Kabbalistic psychology was applied to the whole Jewish lifestyle then, and to the understanding of Jewish tradition. Kabbalistic intentions of prayer intensified the expectation of redemption, and during the messianic movement initiated by Shabtai Zvi, the kabbalistic meaning of repentance was also adapted in prayer books composed for so-called Conversos, who had to familiarize themselves with Jewish tradition. The article exemplifies this process by a Spanish anthology of prayers, Libro entitulado ensenha à pecadores, and shows the historical impact of Kabbalah in the field of Jewish education.

The New Journal of Jewish Education at Ten: An Appraisal

This article documents the Journal of Jewish Education’s acquisition by the Network for Research in Jewish Education, in 2004, and evaluates the contribution of the re-launched Journal to the field of Jewish education. I explore how the Journal contributed over the past decade in three discrete yet often overlapping areas, thereby realizing its editors’ vision. First, the Journal of Jewish Education became the venue for conversations between researchers, practitioners and funders about the direction of Jewish education research and policy; second, it became an outlet for the sharing of research and other Jewish education scholarship; and third, it became a venue where scholars introduced research and theoretical constructs from the field of general education and sought to demonstrate their relevance to Jewish education. Finally, I suggest some reasons why the editors had less success in realizing a fourth goal for the Journal; that is, making it a forum for new ideas and the charting of new directions in research and practice.

American Jews in Text and Context: Jacob Behrman and the Rise of a Publishing Dynasty

This article explores the career of Jacob Behrman (1921–2012) and the growth of Behrman House from a small Jewish bookseller to the leading publisher of Jewish religious school textbooks. Behrman’s success owed in part to his ability to appeal to the vast center, to gauge correctly his consumers’ needs and reflect their outlook and values, to eschew partisanship and play down ideological differences, and to swim with the tide. In addition, I make the case that Behrman House elevated the field of Jewish education by raising the quality of Jewish textbooks, and that through its ascendency played a role in redefining the goals of Jewish education and its undergirding ideological thrust. Behrman was not driven by a single model of Jewish education or a monolithic vision for the Jewish community, but rather, by business exigencies and a connection to Jewish peoplehood and culture.

The Midwife: Portrait of a Congregational Rabbi as a Teacher of Adults

Almost no literature in the academic field of Jewish education exists that studies congregational rabbis as teachers of adults. This article seeks to contribute to filling the gap in the extant literature base. Using portraiture, the study describes and analyzes the aims of rabbinic teaching of adults in a synagogue setting. The findings suggest that regularly facilitating learners' intellectual and religious development, democratically guiding their communities' evolution through an emphasis on learning, and collaboratively joining their congregants in shaping the construction of personal and communal Jewish narratives are central aims of congregational rabbinic teaching of adults.

Is This the Paradigm Shift We Need?

Dr. Woocher's essay is seminal in the field of Jewish education. It proposes a new paradigm for Jewish education in North America. This proposed paradigm is supported by a comprehensive multi-disci...

Catching the Wave: Next Steps in Advancing the Vision-in-Practice Agenda

Building on insights of Seymour Fox, I explore the often-decisive role of “good timing” in the introduction of potentially powerful innovations (ideas, practices, etc.) into practical domains like education. After examining key readiness conditions that make for good timing, I argue that the field of Jewish education is in many ways now ready to take on an important reform agenda associated with becoming more vision guided, but that the leadership of educating institutions will need significant help if they are to succeed in this effort and not grow either cynical or demoralized. Within the article, I emphasize the critical need to make available to them in a timely way the human and other resources that can provide this help at a high level of quality.

WHAT IS THE PHILOSOPHY OF JEWISH EDUCATION? A REVIEW ESSAY

(1999). WHAT IS THE PHILOSOPHY OF JEWISH EDUCATION? A REVIEW ESSAY. Religious Education: Vol. 94, No. 1, pp. 126-132.

TWO TEACHER TRAINING MODELS

Many Jewish communities are in the midst of an educational crisis. Simply stated, there are not enough qualified teachers in our schools and adult education programs. In his paper, “The Preparation of Jewish Educators in America: A Research Study,” Aryeh Davidson observes that in 1989 only 358 people in North America were being trained to become Jewish teachers. We believe three critical factors are responsible for such a sobering statistic. Young Jews are discouraged from entering the field of Jewish education because (1) it lacks the professional standing, and social status attributed to the more glamorous fields of business, science, law, etc., (2) there are not enough opportunities for career advancement, and (3) salaries are not competitive.

The Mystique of the Day School Movement

My entry into the field of Jewish education began during my teen years. Basically, it took the form of group work. Some of my friends and I organized a Boys' Club in one of the larger synagogues of Brownsville. We were students at Yeshivat Rabbi Chaim Berlin and wanted to share our spiritual values and ideals with others. Besides Sabbath and Holiday services, we conducted a series of classes in Hebrew, Tanach, and history. On special occasions — especially Simchat Torah — we were able to attract hundreds of boys. Many of them became observant Jews throughout their lives.