The Talmud describes the extraordinary innovation of R. Yehoshua ben Gamla, who began teaching fatherless children or those whose fathers were unable to teach them. We would have thought that he would receive accolades from all sides, yet the Talmud’s response is, “however, we still recognize the good that he did.” This backhanded compliment suggests that starting the first yeshiva to teach children was a cause for concern, and perhaps that concern was that the parents were being replaced as the primary educators for their children.
From the Editor📄
Six months ago, when we first began planning this issue, we were focused on resilience of individuals, particularly in educational setting. The original introduction included a story about a thirteen- year-old who had a bad morning and didn’t want to go to school, who ultimately pulled herself together and had a fabulous day. The articles we looked for included personal stories about resilience, educational strategies for building resilience, and whether resilience can be taught. Little did we, or anyone, understand then just how critical this topic would become in such a short period of time.
From the Editor: Winter 2020
When the open classroom was introduced in the 1960s it did not gain significant traction in the broader educational community and it was rare to find Jewish day schools adopting it. By contrast, 21st century learning, propelled by dramatic advances in technology and revolutionary changes in the workplace, has gained a foothold to some degree in nearly every Jewish day school.
Letter from the editor
Models of healthy, open, frank conversation in public or private discourse are all too rare. In public discourse, what little evidence of listening that we do hear is primarily in the service of stockpiling rhetorical…
Creating Mutually Beneficial Dialogue Between Different Groups of Educators
I recall that in my early teaching years, as a high school teacher I yearned to be able to learn from a variety of pedagogical techniques from elementary and middle school teachers. At the same time, in conversations with some elementary and middle school teachers, I repeatedly heard them seeking high school teachers who could enrich and deepen their content. Since making Aliyah, part of my work has taken me to visit many schools, from elementary to high schools. Although there have been exceptions, it seems like the generalizations I experienced years ago are, for the most part, still valid.And I wonder how we can create the kind of mutually beneficial dialogue between different groups of educators – those who have strong pedagogy and those who have deep and broad content knowledge – to create more meaningful, substantive, and pedagogically sound educational encounters for our students.
Can We Talk?
It is easy to get the sense that in today’s public sphere so much of our discourse happens at each other as opposed to with each other. Sound bites and 140-character messages do little to help others understand our positions, and the louder we shout the less we are heard….
From The Editor Fall 2017
Ever since the institution of formalized prayer there has been anxiety about the impact of that decision. “When one makes his prayer fixed it is no longer a supplication” (Mishnah Berakhot 4:4). The implications are educational as well as theological. Educating to the...
From the Editor Winter 2016
We invest a great deal in our students, pedagogically and personally, both inside and outside of the classroom. We teach them knowledge, research skills, thinking skills, and who knows what else. Our formal educational programs are supplemented by an array of...
From the Editor Winter 2015
Ethical challenges confront each and every one of us in our daily lives. How honest should we be with our co-workers? To whom do we owe our greatest loyalty? How do we balance between our responsibility to family, community, profession, and self? The famous Mishnaic...
Letter from the Editor
Technological advances have given us unparalleled control over our environment and have helped us conquer space. The world is a global village; we can physically travel to places unthinkable previously and digital communication enables instantaneous communication...