B’Kitzur- briefly
I am very excited to be co-chairing the next conference for NATE (the National Association of Temple Educators) to be held in Seattle next year. The focus for our learning will be the intersection of Judaism, education, and technology captured by the title, “Imagineering Jewish Education for the 21st Century.” One of the most invigorating parts of this for me has been the opportunity to engage with leading scholars in these fields and to hear some of the questions that are being asked as we embrace the online age in which we live.
One of the questions, which I find incredibly poignant, that was offered was: If we are no longer necessary to provide content to students (because it is easily accessible to anyone), then what is the role of an educator – and specifically a Jewish educator?
There are many different ways to answer this question – and certainly divergent thinking. But I would like to share my answer. As educators, I think our job has been redefined so that we are not providing answers to “what,” but we are providing answers to “how.” Students (and all of us) are assaulted by so much information every day that the best gift we can provide are the skills to navigate through the information. These are not skills like how to use Google, or even how to use AskMoses, rather they are the critical thinking skills that will allow students to assess the source of information, its quality, and whether it is connected to other things that they know. What is the difference in gathering information on a Bible story from a Jewish website and a non-Jewish website? How can information on Israel be presented differently by different sources? What is the difference between a friend and a Facebook friend? How do you choose what information to use to inform your own opinion? To me, these are the necessary skills for successfully navigating the world in which we find ourselves and the most important role of an educator.
Judaism has been practicing these skills for centuries. As the rabbis critically read the Bible, they found things that did not make sense and midrash was created. The legal codes were closely examined to derive the meaning and intent of earlier authors. And the creators of Reform Judaism combined their inherited Jewish tradition and their modern surroundings to weave together a new vibrant approach to Judaism.
As a Jewish educator I believe there is an additional charge. It is not enough to analyze the information, but there are important Jewish values that should be used when doing so. These are values like derech eretz (good character), kavod (respect), rachamim (compassion), halbanat panim (avoiding publicly humiliating someone), and so many more. These values are part of our tradition and are also timeless. They inform our interactions with people and with information,
our behavior when looking someone in the eye and our behavior when using virtual communication.
Last year, the Education Committee created and approved a mission statement for our religious school. I believe that this statement emphasizes what our role as Jewish educators is in the 21st century.
The mission of the Shir Ami Religious School of Temple Judea is to support the development of dedicated and knowledgeable Reform Jews. Our students will be encouraged to discover their own Jewish identity guided by the principles of derech eretz, (good character) and mitzvot (sacred conduct). We are committed to preparing our children to comfortably engage in conversation with Jewish tradition, Torah, Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel), and Klal Yisrael (the people Israel).
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