1. Jewish history is no different than history writ large.
a. The Jewish people as a group are bound by the
same historical rules as any other group of people,
influenced like any other group is influenced.

2. Primary sources are the building blocks
of Jewish history.
a. Historians evaluate the relative strengths and
limitations of primary sources.
b. We must ask questions of sources and be careful
readers of culture and texts.

3. Historical events are caused by a constellation
of long term and immediate causes
Every generation tells a history that matters to it.
a. We come to history with our own agenda and
perspective which in turn affects how we shape our
historical narrative

4. Primary sources are the building blocks
of Jewish history.
a. Historians evaluate the relative strengths and
limitations of primary sources.
b. We must ask questions of sources and be careful
readers of culture and texts.

5. Questions:
• What’s the relative strength and weakness of this text?
• Who IS the person who wrote this?
• What was this person’s exposure to the events he or she
was writing about?
• What, if any, is this person’s particular agenda?
• What might be this person’s perspective on life or that
world that is going to have an effect on the way s/he sees
things?
• How is the world in which this person is living the same or
different from our world today?
• What doe it mean to be a critical reader of text and
culture?
• How can I most efficiently use this source?

6. Every generation tells a history that matters to it.
• What is the narrative being told?
• Why should this generation want to tell this narrative?
• Why does this matter?

7. Tensions
Healthy tensions in the teaching of history.
We want to:
• Enhance the skills of our students
• Enhance the Jewish identity of our
students
Questions:
• How do we lives with these tensions?
• How do we help our students navigate
them?