Why Should We Care about the Future of Jewish Education?
This is the critical question of our time.
Caring about anything begins with thinking about it. And we’ve been thinking about Jewish education and why it should matter for as long as we’ve been involved in Jewish education.
Between us founders, that’s almost 80 years!
Besides writing the document you can download below, Dan has also published extensively about Jewish education. He has written over two-dozen curricula, articles in scholarly journals and hot-takes in the popular press. His doctoral research applied the lessons of the kitchen and dining room in the Jewish classroom. In 2012, he explored the role and importance of Jewish education in light of 5,000 years of Jewish history. (SPOILERS: It “ends” well.)
Why Should We Care About the Future of Jewish Education is as much a call to arms as it is a statement of belief for the founders of
But don’t take our word for it. The thought-leaders below are equally passionate about the future of Jewish learning and why it matters.
Once the communal stepchild, Jewish education has moved from the periphery of consciousness to a position of centrality where many influential leaders look to educational institutions to remedy much of what is sapping the vitality of American Jewish life. It is a tall order, but educators and their allies must rise to the challenge. The future of American Jewish life is riding on their ability to adapt to the new environment and educate the next generation.
In the past 50 years, ways to express one’s Jewishness have expanded beyond the more conventional options that predominated in the mid-20th century. Jewish life then was centered on the synagogue with the rabbi, the Hebrew school, the sisterhood, the UJA campaign and Israel. Today, the opportunities for connecting are both more varied and more decentralized.
The element that matters first and foremost in Jewish education today
By looking at the history of Jewish education, we can better understand the problem we need to solve. Once you’ve read Why Should We Care About the Future of Jewish Education? we’d love to hear what you think!
Please share your impressions and thoughts at our Facebook page, or send us an email for a more direct exchange at info@adraba.ca.
ADRABA offers 21st century learning using a combination of teacher and technology. We designed and built our school to ensure success for every type of learner. But not only do we want to engage your child as a learner, we want to inspire them to new levels of Jewish literacy and involvement in our community. Together, we can secure the Jewish future.