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Dear Rabbi Berger,
Firstly, kudos on starting this stimulating list.
Secondly, Rabbi Kramer's request brought to mind a brief brainstorming
session I had on a recent cross-country flight. If it seems that it would
further the discussion, please send it to the list. I'd appreciate
comments, as there is an albeit distant chance that at some point something
like it will be tried here.
I do think, by the way, that his issues are or should be burning for
almost all of us. My only quibble with the presentation is the failure to
relate to the ideological component - is the issue of how to teach Talmud
in Centrist schools only one of time and student interest, or are there
ways in which a "Centrist" curriculum would differ from the "traditional"
even granted unlimited time and prior passionate commitment? This relates
to both method and content. And along the way we should presumably discuss
whether a universal Talmudic focus is ideal, and whether we should
implement an abstractly ideal curriculum or take into account the need to
create a community that is intellectually competitive in Torah with the
rest of the Orthodox community.
Aryeh Klapper
Maimonides School
617-868-5704</HTML>
