In this article we explore how we as teacher educators translate a new vision of Israel education into curricular practice in the preparation of emerging Jewish educators. Using a practitioner inquiry mode of research, we reflect on our existential vision of Israel education and its translation into practice as creators and directors of a semester…

Woocher's vision for Reinventing Jewish Education for the 21st Century is clear, compelling, and convincing. The author agrees with Woocher's overarching analysis and deeply believes that profound change is necessary. At the same time, he wants to call for a note of caution related to Woocher's emphasis on the learner at the center. Within the…

This essay reviews the Vision and Practice section of the "International Handbook of Jewish Education" published in 2011. Gathered in this section, 24 Jewish educators (spread across 18 chapters) offer theoretical reflections on the state of Jewish education in the contemporary moment. These chapters seem, on first reading, a rather eclectic…

For millions of American Jews, the words "Jewish education" most likely conjure images of days spent in synagogue classrooms decoding Hebrew, reciting prayers, learning holiday customs, and reading about biblical figures. This is the past, but (we hope) not the future of congregational education. This form of part-time, mostly afterschool and/or…

The emerging field of educational visioning is full of challenges and phenomena worthy of careful analysis and documentation. A relatively neglected phenomenon is the learning curve of the leaders (often lay leaders) involved in the visioning process. This article documents a range of experiences of the author serving as a vision coach to five…

The following is a translation of the introduction to "Medabrim Chazon" (Jerusalem: Keter, 2006), the Hebrew translation of "Visions of Jewish Education," edited by Seymour Fox, Israel Scheffler, and Daniel Marom (Cambridge, 2003). "Visions of Jewish Education" is an effort by leading scholars to improve the quality of Jewish education through…

This series of articles explores the history of Jewish Education magazine, later known as the Journal of Jewish Education, with a particular emphasis on its intersection with the history of American Jewish education and, more generally, American Jewish life. Major themes and issues that preoccupied the magazine's editors and writers are isolated…

Tzipora Jochsberger (1920-) educator, composer, and musicologist, dreamed of using the arts to introduce Jews to the richness of their heritage. The founder and director of the Hebrew Arts School in New York (1952-1986), Jochsberger's contributions deserve the attention of Jewish educators and artists who are looking to the arts to address the…

If an institutional vision aims to inspire and enliven the reality of a school, it is not enough to craft its declaration once at the time of its establishment and then never again. In a dynamic institution, envisioning is the neverending project of clarifying purposes, looking at current practice, reflecting on what is seen, and aspiring to…

Jon Levisohn's perceptive study of the Fox, Scheffler, and Marom "Visions of Jewish Education" volume manages both to pay tribute to the book's enormous contribution and to raise a number of serious intellectual issues that call for further reflection and analysis. His clear writing and educational insight are to be applauded. By raising questions…

In this article, the author talks about Jon Levisohn's discussion of "Visions of Jewish Education," which includes at least four valuable contributions. First, Levisohn offers an illuminating account of what a reader of the important book will find. Second, Levisohn draws attention to the ways in which the book will significantly enrich discourse…

In this article, the author talks about a vision of the congregants at Congregation Beth Am, which informs their educational decision making and allows for authentic educational evaluation and assessment. Creating this vision in partnership with lay leaders has been a wonderful experience for the professionals of the synagogue. Their current…

In this series of articles, I explore the history of "Jewish Education" magazine with particular emphasis on its intersection with the history of American Jewish education and American Jewish life more generally. I isolate major themes and issues that preoccupied the magazine's editors and writers, and analyze how their discourse sheds light on…