The term teiku represents a profound acceptance of ambiguity in Jewish learning. It teaches that multiple paths to truth are essential in education and faith. This article reflects on the author’s journey with teiku and its implications for teaching Torah today.
Problems and objections notwithstanding, Anzovin and her videos are highly entertaining and memorable. More important, they not only reach those who are familiar with Talmud, they also reach audiences that were previously unaware of, uninterested in, or even turned off from Jewish learning. For that alone, we as Jewish educators have what to learn from.
In my roles as a Tanakh teacher and an instructional coach, my goal is to inspire Tanakh students to become engaged, proud, and even passionate Jews, fluent in Jewish literacy and deeply committed to the future of Jewish education and community. This goal is daunting under the best of circumstances; when teaching Tanakh to weaker students, it becomes more so. In this article I will outline some of the most ubiquitous challenges that arise from teaching Tanakh to weaker students and offer suggestions for navigating them based on my own experience as well as conversations with other educators and research from the field. I believe that navigating these challenges requires both modifications in practice and shifts in mindset, and I will outline each of them.
When we learn parshanut in school, we often focus on what the text says, what the commentary says, or how the commentary addresses a particular problem or issue in the text. If we take the time to learn and think about who these people were and how their work reflects their biographies and historical contexts, we gain a deeper understanding of and appreciation for them and their work.
As educators, we have an incredible opportunity to use this moment to deepen our students’ understanding of Tehillim. Rather than just mumbling words by rote, we can help our students understand what the words they recite actually mean. Rather than mindless repetition, we can help our students connect to the spiritual and emotional responses the words are meant to evoke.
Recently, a teacher asked me for some guidance. What did I think would be both the best content and methodology not only for teaching skills but also for conveying fundamental values and fostering a love for and connection to Judaism?
