Jewish Educational Leadership invites articles for the Fall 2023 issue focusing on

Teaching Mishna/Talmud/Gemara/Rabbinics

 

Regardless of what we call it, Torah SheBe`al Peh is likely the richest source of Jewish practice and values, both in its content and its dialogic style. For more than a millennium it has been the central corpus of advanced Jewish study. Teaching it, however, has presented significant challenges, whether in more traditional yeshiva settings or in contemporary day schools across the denominational spectrum, frustrating teachers and students alike. With mastery during the K-12 years nearly unattainable, defining the goals and identifying appropriate pedagogical strategies remains elusive for many. This issue of Jewish Educational Leadership seeks articles which address questions including, but not limited to:

  • What should the overarching goals be in a Torah SheBe`al Peh program?
  • What can a successful Mishna/Talmud/Gemara/Rabbinics program in a day school realistically achieve?
  • What are realistic skills goals and how do we balance those with content goals and motivational needs?
  • How do we make the study of Torah SheBe`al Peh accessible to 21st century students?
  • How do we make the study of Mishna/Talmud/Gemara/Rabbinics attractive to 21st century students?
  • What pedagogies are most effective in helping students overcome the complexities of the study of Gemara-Talmud?
  • What criteria should we use in selecting which sections to study?
  • What should be the balance between teaching the halakhic and the aggadic sections?
  • To what extent should Mishna/Talmud/Gemara/Rabbinics be a mandatory subject?

Articles should be 1000-2000 words in length, with no footnotes or academic references.

The journal is intended for teachers, educational leaders, and interested laypeople across a range of Jewish educational settings. Proposals should be 100-200 words and briefly share the focus of the proposed article and the key points the article will present. Please send proposals or queries for all submissions to the Editor-in-Chief by May 7, 2023. Deadline for the full articles will be August 10, 2023.