THE ROLE OF HEROES IN JEWISH EDUCATION

Rosenak has shown that contemporary Jewish education must negotiate the tension between relevance and authenticity. For those who embrace authenticity as a goal, education is often mediated through heroes--who are ideal cultural types. Such education is hampered by the diminution of heroes in contemporary culture: The hero has been replaced by the role model, and the aspiration to be like the hero has been replaced by individualism. This article explores the idea of heroes in education both in the philosophic literature (Taylor, McIntyre, Rosenak) and in various aspects of Jewish education in the United States, including a look at wider American Jewish culture in this regard. A brief comparison to Israeli Jewish education is also included, where similar tensions and dilemmas are found.     

JEWISH EDUCATION IN IRAN

Introduction

Historically, two periods are discernible in the development of the system of extra-curricular activities in the Israeli schools — the first period, from the founding of the first Israeli high school around the beginning of the twentieth century to the establishment of the State of Israel (1948), and the second period, from 1948 to the present. The main difference between the two stages lies in the degree of local autonomy in the administration of the activity program.     

SURVEY OF JEWISH EDUCATION IN NEW YORK CITY

This case study examines the contours of culturally relevant pedagogy in an undergraduate preservice teacher education program for Jewish women. The case describes how the assigned reading of Albarelli’s (2000) narrative of teaching in a Hasidic Jewish school, Teacha! Stories from a Yeshiva, disrupts the classroom community, diminishes student engagement with the course, and undermines student confidence in the instructor. This research explores what happens when “respect for” challenges “reflection about.” The study finds that differential cultural understandings surrounding the concept of “respect” mediate the discourse. The author raises questions about the ethics of social justice in religious teacher education, probes the poverty of educational reform in a landscape of nondiscussables, and offers strategies for navigating this tender terrain.     

NEEDED INVESTIGATIONS IN JEWISH EDUCATION

This article takes up categories from literature on political and civic engagement to help make sense of data collected from interviews with 40 American Jewish day high school students about what they think and feel about Israel. Viewed through a set of lenses that distinguish between the manifestations and motivations of political and civic engagement, the article helps clarify why young Jews, even when actively and positively engaged with Israel, are uncomfortable labeling themselves as Zionists. The analysis points to an important distinction between the concepts of Israel as “home” and “homeland.” The article also raises important questions about what is presumed to be an increasing distance or alienation from Israel among young American Jews.     

THE TANGIBLES OF JEWISH EDUCATION

As a Rule, when discussing Jewish existence, we use the term survival. Actually, continuity is more accurate. Certainly it is more dynamic. Continuity indicates the state or quality of being continuous. It denotes the fact that Jewish life is an uninterrupted succession of Jewish people and events. Continuity is an absolute condition. Survival, however, indicates an act of surviving or merely lasting longer than others. Survival is something that continues to exist after the cessation of something else. As such, survival is a relative phenomenon. Moreover, continuity implies creative growth; survival connotes bare existence, even decline.     

GIFTED EDUCATION IN JEWISH DAY SCHOOLS

Although there are many Jewish day schools within the United States, relatively few offer gifted programs. The schools that do offer programs differ from each other, offering various forms of enrichment. We discuss the exemplary standards for gifted programs established by the National Association for Gifted Children and illustrate how the standards could be applied to Jewish day schools. The information provided can be useful for decision making, implementing and improving gifted programs in Jewish day schools.