During the 2021-2022 school year, Irvine Hebrew Day School (IHDS) launched its Yetzira program, a program of extended Jewish studies in our Middle School designed to be a creative and formative learning experience whose name is based on the kabbalistic concepts of creation and/or formation.
For many, a Jewish day school is the epicenter that shapes the Jewish identity and experience of its students. However, it cannot do so in isolation and must be in partnership with families. Schools, an extended Jewish community, are impacted by the diverse experiences and perspectives of their student body. Schools afford students the opportunity to explore and celebrate their Jewish identity, culture, and religious practices, and to learn from one another.
The process through which we assimilate information, process it, analyze it, and then draw conclusions is staggering in its complexity. For our purposes, we will focus on the learning of Jewish studies that takes place in a school setting—the teacher presents material and the learners come home with whatever they were presented in class. One of the challenges is that there are often discrepancies between the home practices and those introduced by the school. This is inevitable, as even though parents choose the “best fit” option of schools for their children, there is rarely a perfect fit.
If you were to ask your students to describe the process of teshuvah, my hunch is that most would echo some version of Rambam’s Hilchot Teshuvah: regret and renounce the sin, resolve not to do it again, and when the opportunity to sin occurs again, take a pass…
Three incidents stand out when I think of the staffing issue. One: A student beginning a graduate program in Jewish education asked its leadership how one could support a family on the salary of a Jewish studies teacher. The Director responded, “That’s why people go into administration.” Two: A key executive of a Jewish university was asked about a group of Jewish high school teachers’ response to a policy decision with communal repercussions. The executive responded, “Who cares what high school teachers have to say.” Three. A national Jewish organization which was concerned with attracting and retaining Jewish studies faculty was asked to address…
Recruiting and retaining Jewish day school educators has always been a tremendous challenge, especially in smaller Jewish communities. COVID compounded this challenge, creating a national teacher shortage crisis in all communities. Increasing pay and benefits would go a long way toward attracting and retaining teachers. In addition, providing positive work environments and support contribute to keeping teachers fulfilled professionally, increasing their commitment to staying in the field long-term.
If you were to ask your students to describe the process of teshuvah, my hunch is that most would echo some version of Rambam’s Hilchot Teshuvah: regret and renounce the sin, resolve not to do it again, and when the opportunity to sin occurs again, take a pass…
The Jewish educational community in South Africa, like much of the Jewish world, has been grappling with finding Jewish studies staff. The lack of educators is rapidly approaching a point of crisis. This article outlines some of the innovate initiatives we have taken to address this.
In the UK, to become a qualified teacher, graduates need to train as part of a government accredited program. LSJS (the London School of Jewish Studies) runs such programs with a number of different training routes across primary and secondary sectors. Over the last 15 years, LSJS has frequently received anecdotal evidence from graduates of its training programs of feeling undervalued in their school environments. They often express frustration with their status, their pay, and their lack of leadership prospects in school, in contrast to the relatively high status of those teaching general subjects.
Excerpted (with permission) from a June 2022 report, After Covid: The Future of Jewish Education in the UK, A Community Project. The very existence of such a project, in which a community-based non-denominational organization (UJIA) joined with a denominational institution for adult Jewish learning (LSJS), marks significant forward-thinking. The report itself contains numerous innovative ideas for planning the future of Jewish education in the UK, and serves as another example of how being prepared to re-examine the basics can open doors to new starts.
