Scholars in the field of Jewish education Sydney offer research-based methods and techniques to help improve the instruction at Jewish day schools.
Scholars in the field of Jewish education Sydney offer research-based methods and techniques to help improve the instruction at Jewish day schools. Jewish learning is not as strong as it could be with the necessary steps. Jewish schools should adopt a more serious and rigorous approach to teaching and learning.
Here are some recommendations for improving Jewish schools and making education in Jewish schools better.
Go back to the original texts
A lot of Jewish schools prefer textbooks over texts. Some professionals have come out to say that this is one of the main things that are hindering better education in the Jewish type of education. By engaging with the Midrash, Torah, and Talmud among other texts, students will learn to easily interpret hard works, argue and discuss the issues with peers and even explain and reflect on their reasoning.
Borrow useful techniques from the ultra-orthodox
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem spent a lot of time interviewing and observing learners at ultra-orthodox yeshivas and came out impressed. Rather than indoctrination or memorization, he found out that students engaged in heated and lively discussions over the meaning of the Talmud, Midrash, Torah and other sacred texts. Leaners worked in groups resulting in a sense of independence, autonomy and pride in their results.
He also found a lot of things to admire in the embrace of learning of ultra-orthodox students. The value of studying Torah stems from the contribution to human improvement. It is also seen as the natural way of promoting human perfection and development.
Do not forget spirituality
Jewish education should benefit the whole person. This means exploring emotional and social elements of Jewish history and texts, encouraging Tikkun loam activities and offering education in informal settings. Kress and Noam also stress the benefit of prayer, which they say can allow the participants moments of reflection as well as shared experiences.
Teach the holocaust of the full complexity
Teaching the Shoah as a moral certainty is not recommended. Learning about the genocide should not foster an us-versus-them mentality. It is also recommended to teach kids to have a historical approach to the Holocaust, where moral judgments are made after careful considerations and a full understanding of events.
Teach Judaism in the same way you teach sciences
While it may seem counterintuitive, but Christian Schunn and Rena Dorph at the University of California and University of Pittsburgh believe science education can be a great model for Jewish learning.
They explain that teachers want science students to be fascinated with natural phenomena and know the benefits of science and appreciate it. Similarly, in Jewish learning settings, it is important for instructors to focus on the goal of helping their students become fascinated by Jewish tradition, culture and practice.
Boston College’s Janet Kolodner, in another chapter, discusses how children come to see themselves as engineers and scientists. It is not just about learning skills and facts but also altering the way students see themselves in their environment and the world at large. Jewish education Sydney should inspire students to think differently about why they truly are.
