This document discusses different perspectives on Jewish pedagogy and approaches to teaching Jewish texts. It outlines that historically Jewish education focused on imparting knowledge from teachers to students, with an emphasis on lifelong learning. However, modern approaches recognize issues like students perceiving texts differently than teachers. Suggested orientations to teaching Jewish texts include contextualizing them historically, using literary analysis, focusing on interpretations from classic commentators, extracting moral lessons, finding personal meaning, or focusing on core ideas to inspire ethical behavior. The document also discusses tensions between embracing modernity while maintaining religious elements, and the need for an integrated approach.

1. Pedagogy Jewish Pedagogy
‘Lead/guide the child’
(theory of education)
Chinuch, consecration,
initiating into a culture
Selective, upper classes
only
Obligation/mitzvah for
parents. Universal
Limited time period
(schooling)
Lifelong learning
Focus on knowledge and
cognitive. ‘academy’
Life, existence,
practice/action, connection
with G-d
Teacher role: imparts
knowledge
‘Creating’ nurturing,
relationship/bond, In child’s
own way.

2. Holtz: Historical Overview of Jewish Pedagogy and schooling
Rav Hirsch:
• ‘al pi darko’ – according to the course their life will take
• Prepare children physically, emotionally, mentally and
morally for their adult life
• Measure secular wisdom against Divine truth.
• Individualised learning

3. Holtz Teacher Orientation
Good teacher – Subject knowledge?
Grossman: no relationship between subject
knowledge and pupil achievement.
Teacher ‘orientation’ has an impact.
Orientation = Underlying beliefs, pedagogic goals,
interpretive stance, organising framework for
teachers’ knowledge.

4. Orientation Description
Contextual Tanach in context of its own times
Literary Criticism Tools of modern and post modern literary criticism
applied to the Bible
Parshanut Interpretive – classic commentators
Moralistic-Didactic Tanach as source of moral lessons interpreted by
teacher.
Personalisation Tanach source of personal meaning – relevance.
Ideational ‘Big ideas’ Core ideas and values – pupils explore
and see these from learning text.
Action Orientation Study leads to performing commandments, ethical
behaviour
Decoding and
Translation
Basic comprehension (limited)

5. Grumet
Dichotomy between teacher and pupil perceptions could cause
problems in the Kodesh classroom.
Preconceptions and Problems:
1. Text is authoritative
2. Text is Relevant
3. Even if text not relevant, still meaningful as Torah Lishma
4. Text internally consistent
5. Textual analysis is worthwhile.

6. Approaches:
1. Theological
2. ‘I’m okay, you’re okay’
3. Relevancy
4. ‘It’s not my problem’
5. Recreate Jewish Education

7. Rosenak: Orthodoxy and Modernity
Rabbi Hirsch: Locate within Torah the values you
accept and admire in the modern world
= Sanguine view of modernity, yet modernity is reality.
Modernity: dichotomies and tensions
Two approaches:
Maharal: embrace general wisdom that does not
contradict Jewish wisdom – all from Hashem.
Weisel: Torat Ha’adam (human reason) and Torat
Hashem (religious elements) – compartmentalise
Rosenak: need INTEGRATED approach