Jewish Schools spend a significant amount of time on the teaching of Halakha--Jewish Law, custom, and ritual. The practice is most prevalent in Orthodox schools, although in truth all Jewish schools spend some time on the instruction of this discipline. Schools differ widely as to the approach they take in the teaching of Halakha, and this…

This study explores the perspective of day school parents as they engage with questions of race with their children and in the context of their day school choice. We convened a book group in summer 2020. Nine White mothers of school-aged children met over four ninety minute sessions to discuss Margaret Hagermans' (2018) White Kids: Growing up with…

The recent war in Europe, the Ukraine-Russia war, has had a huge impact in the lives of millions of people in the European continent--in the lives of both those who have fled the conflict and of those who have welcomed them with open arms. In this paper, we conduct a philosophical investigation into the issue of hospitality to others, to…

The contrast between student-centred and knowledge-centred teaching is explored through a qualitative case study exploration of the pedagogies (Bruner's 'folk pedagogies') of six teachers of Jewish studies. These teachers, based in orthodox Jewish schools in the UK and Australia, discussed their roles as teachers in the context of their…

Through culturally sustaining teaching, teachers can transform practice and pedagogy to challenge inequities and create a space for affirming students' diverse religious backgrounds. Teacher educators and teachers must develop this pedagogy to understand diverse student populations and facilitate students becoming citizens who accept and empathize…

The current study delves into the professional identity of elementary school rabbis within the national-religious education system in Israel, focusing on the perspectives of the rabbis themselves and examining how their professional identity impacts their work. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 rabbis who were selected using a convenience…

Controversy surrounding the teaching of secular education (SE) has fomented recurrent conflicts between liberal states and religious enclave communities (ECs). The current study explored Haredi (Jewish ultra-Orthodox) community-based activism aiming to promote SE in New York Hasidic schools for boys. It sheds light on how Haredi activists'…

In this essay, I explore Jewish composer/singer/liturgist Debbie Friedman and her time in Houston (1978-1984) as a crucial moment in the history of Jewish education. Working as a music educator in two area synagogues, Friedman negotiated a changing environment as cantorial training rose to become a mark of communal musical authority. She…

Purpose: Recognizing that hate crimes and antisemitic attacks are increasing, the purpose of this article is to discuss ways "The Assignment" by Liza Wiemer, a contemporary young adult novel that depicts curriculum violence and its effects on students, acts as a "disruptor" in young adult literature. The authors present a…

Research on Jewish day schools has long focused on the challenges they face in managing the tension between the "Jewish" and "general" components of their "dual curriculum." Interviews with 34 graduating seniors of a private, community Jewish high school found that students experienced another dual curriculum within…

The study's aim was to identify the entrepreneurial process ten Jewish immigrant religious educators utilized when establishing innovative educational institutions, thereby affecting the Israeli religious education system. We utilized a social innovation approach to education entrepreneurship applying a qualitative analysis of life story…

This study examines the perceptions of students in the Israeli public education system regarding secular interpretations of Judaism. The study analyzes a curriculum unit that was taught to Israeli high school students, which engaged the students with textual study of biblical, rabbinic and secular-"h?alutzic" sources. Applying…

The research literature on leisure indicates that it is perceived differently by sector and culture. In Israel, one's affiliation with religious or non-religious groups affects one's perception of leisure and its legitimacy. The common activities of religious and secular people include studies in general, and Torah study in particular, as…

Although Talmud study is central to rabbinical school curriculums, rabbinical students' experiences with Talmud study remain understudied. This article draws on interviews with students from five seminaries to argue that students describe Talmud study as a process of acquiring both knowledge and authenticity. These two goals intersect with a…

This qualitative study investigated the perceptions of masculinity and fatherhood of male school leaders and their perceptions associated with leadership practice. We used purposive sampling to recruit male Israeli school leaders for participation in the study. We collected the data by semi-structured interviews, which we then subjected to…