Joseph Reimer uses his experience and talent as an ethnographer to bring to life the drama of one synagogue’s struggle to make Jewish education work. Reimer spent more than two years as an observer within the synagogue, studying the afternoon religious education programs for children, families, and adults. As a result of his observations and discussions with rabbis, teachers, and parents, Reimer came away with the important insights into what makes Jewish education succeed, which form the basis for this book.

Maristella Botticini and Zvi Eckstein show that, contrary to previous explanations, this transformation was driven not by anti-Jewish persecution and legal restrictions, but rather by changes within Judaism itself after 70 CE--most importantly, the rise of a new norm that required every Jewish male to read and study the Torah and to send his sons to school. Over the next six centuries, those Jews who found the norms of Judaism too costly to obey converted to other religions, making world Jewry shrink. Later, when urbanization and commercial expansion in the newly established Muslim Caliphates increased the demand for occupations in which literacy was an advantage, the Jews found themselves literate in a world of almost universal illiteracy. From then forward, almost all Jews entered crafts and trade, and many of them began moving in search of business opportunities, creating a worldwide Diaspora in the process.

John Dewy wrote Experience and Education in 1938. It created the foundations of Experiential Education. Now, David Bryfman has edited Experience and Jewish Education and thereby founded the field of Jewish Experiential Education.

Jerusalem's Mercaz L'Mida Dati Learning Center (¿Meled¿) has been transforming lives of youths and restoring families for over twenty years. Not At Risk tells its story in the words of its founders, and details groundbreaking educational work, sharing not only experiences and insights of faculty members and parents, but heartwarming, and at times deeply painful, personal stories of former students. In addition to his professional experience in child development, Dr. Menachem Gottesman drew upon three main sources to create a healing educational environment for youth labelled ¿at risk¿: A.S. Neill's philosophy of education, the therapeutic method developed by Dr. Milton H. Erickson, and the spiritual outlook of Rabbi Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik.Not At Risk shares the secret of Meled's success. Open-minded educators, professionals working with adolescents, and concerned parents will find this book an invaluable resource.

With truly startling statistics and a wealth of anecdotes, Silbiger reveals the cultural principles that form the bedrock of Jewish success in America.

Portraits of Jewish Learning brings together colorful accounts of the ways that Jewish students today are having meaningful learning experiences in day school classrooms, Hebrew programs, synagogue-based schools, and high school and college courses that push students out of their comfort zone. Whether the students are second graders engaged in text analysis, sixth graders solving complex “mystery puzzles” about Jewish values, or teens encountering “counter-narratives” about Israel’s history, these stories—informed by careful and disciplined inquiry—prompt readers to reflect on questions of what Jewish learning is, what we can discover by studying experiences of learning at close range and over time, and how Jewish education can respond to the needs and interests of Jewish learners who seek a Judaism that is relevant in today’s world. The work of researchers and practitioners who are changing the landscape of contemporary Jewish education, these portraits are designed to encourage critical discussion among educational leaders, clergy, policymakers, philanthropists, and parents, as well as teachers and those aspiring to work in Jewish education. They invite us to think about the many ways that today’s Jewish education can be enriched by experimentation and innovation.

The Jewish intellectual tradition has a long and complex history that has resulted in significant and influential works of scholarship. In this book, the authors suggest that there is a series of common principles that can be extracted from the Jewish intellectual tradition that have broad, even life-changing, implications for individual and societal achievement. These principles include respect for tradition while encouraging independent, often disruptive thinking; a precise system of logical reasoning in pursuit of the truth; universal education continuing through adulthood; and living a purposeful life. The main objective of this book is to understand the historical development of these principles and to demonstrate how applying them judiciously can lead to greater intellectual productivity, a more fulfilling existence, and a more advanced society.