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.     

Nelson,Brian C & Erlandson,Benjamin E (2012) Design for learning in virtual worlds Routledge (New York & London) isbn 978‐0‐415‐88640‐6 215 pp £24.99 http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415886406/

Nelson and Erlandson have collated a summary of the work of early designers and researchers into virtual worlds for learning and assessment. While it is confined to those experiences already well known in the literature, it does provide a basic introduction for undergraduates. If it seems that this book could be relevant to you, I advise that you will probably find only parts of it of interest or use. John G Hedberg     

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.