Jewish Education Change Network

Reinventing Jewish Education Dialogue

Recently, on e-Jewish Philanthropy Jonathan Woocher discussed his views on Reinventing Jewish Education and the necessary paradigm shifts that must take place for real change to occur. Then, Yossi Prager questions a need for new goals in Jewish education. James Hyman then responded with his ideas on attending to the infrastructure and community before shifting paradigms.

Thoughts?

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Permalink Reply by Erica Korman on August 24, 2011 at 3:00pm

The latest discussions in innovation have all be hyper-focused on methods of educating and administration of ideas, concepts, and facts. After reading these three articles, I wonder if we've been myopically focused on educating and engaging learners. We've come to neglect the subject itself. The thread woven throughout all of this effort and energy, the reason we're all here, is Judaism. Our love, adoration, interest - etc. It's our lives and shared destiny. Yes, we need to teach it properly and effectively. However, I think we're neglecting that first true love that brought us all here in the first place. Are we hurting ourselves by focusing too much on how to teach it and not on knowing, living, engaging, breathing, speaking of it [Judaism] directly? We often talk about "authentic Judaism." I don't think authentic Judaism is something that is carefully calculated and created at a desk into a curriculum to be transmitted. Transmission happens when Judaism simply is. It's alive in us. It's brought to life by us. Perhaps the reinvention starts with us too.

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Permalink Reply by Andrea RC Kasper on September 2, 2011 at 6:34am

This is a challenging conversation and as I read Jonathan Woocher's words I am convinced and then as I read Yossi's words I am convinced again. Partly, I think it is because they may not actually disagree but perhaps this is about stages of religious and spiritual growth. Jonathan Woocher echos Viktor Frankl's ideas that humans need to find meaning in their lives (from the large to the mundane). Although I hear Yossi and his call for responsibility and people hood, for a commitment to a religion and tradition that is not centered on the individual, I would still argue that in order to get to a place where one can find those concepts meaningful that for many students they need to see/feel/live how Judaism instills deeper meaning in their lives. Certainly believing that God/people hood, etc is at the core of Judaism also serves the individuals who hold those values dear. Yossi speaks about shifting how we communicate the message and I think in many ways that is what Jonathan is talking about, expanding how we view the tradition. Without a doubt the evolution of the tradition/religion has been constant and on going, and to pretend that there is some ground 0, some "authentic" beginning I think is misguided.