Education was so much a part of Jewish thought and way of life that it was often taken for granted, e.g., the early sages never wrote an articulated plan for education principles and practices. The introduction to this overview of traditional Jewish education discusses the basic concepts of belief in the efficacy of education, the integration of learning and action, and education as a continual process, training for work, and encompassing the teaching of history. The paper's first section presents an historical overview, examining the Biblical period, the period of the Geonim, the Middle Ages, and Jewish education in Eastern Europe following the Middle Ages. The second and major portion of the paper explores the course of study in Jewish schools and the role of Jewish texts in the educational process. The beliefs and folklore connected with education are discussed, alphabet instruction in the kheder (Jewish school for children aged six to thirteen) is examined, the course of study over the life cycle is illustrated, and the philosophical underpinnings of the educational system are described. (RM)