Hand/wrist disorders among sign language communicators

The study assessed the frequency of self-reported hand/wrist problems among sign language communicators, including interpreters, deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals, and educators. Comparisons were also made between sign language communicators and the general population regarding the frequency of medically diagnosed carpal tunnel syndrome. A survey was mailed to attendees of a national conference that focused on the quality of postsecondary educational opportunities for students with hearing deficits. Fifty-nine percent of 184 respondents reported experiencing hand/wrist problems. Twenty-six percent reported experiencing hand/wrist problems severe enough to limit the ability to work, and 18% reported a medical diagnosis of wrist tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, or both. The frequency of self-reported, medically diagnosed carpal tunnel syndrome for the surveyed sign language communicators was five times the rate experienced by working Americans between ages 18 and 60 years (Tanaka, Wild, Seigman, Halperin, Behrens, & Putz-Anderson, 1995). The study supports increased emphasis on and availability of hand/wrist disorder risk reduction programs for sign language users.     

Learning From a Mussar-Based Initiative in a Community Day School

Mussar, an approach to character growth emerging as a movement in the 18th century, has increasingly been incorporated into contemporary Jewish education. The purpose of mussar—the cultivation of character—is consistent with the goals of Jewish day schools and other settings. This article examines the implementation of a mussar-based program in a Jewish community high school. Particular attention is given to questions raised by the introduction of this program into a pluralistic school setting. Implications are discussed in terms of the broader goals of Jewish education.     

Experiential Jewish Education Has Arrived! Now What?

Experiential Jewish education has been experiencing a time of growth, during which theory development, research, and practice have established a strong voice for the construct. Much of the focus to this point has been on definitions (particularly the distinction between experiential and informal Jewish education) and on outcomes of settings often associated with an experiential Jewish education (EJE) approach. Along with increased understanding of EJE comes the potential to explore a more nuanced set of questions about the nature of educational experiences. This point of development of the field also raises question of the relationship of EJE and the broader field of Jewish education.