Section archive - Trends in Jewish Education

The economic crisis sweeping the USA is bringing Jewish parents to explore less expensive ways of providing their children with a Jewish education. One of the options being examined is the establishment of publicly financed Hebrew Charter Schools, such as the Ben Gamla Hebrew Charter School in Hollywood, Florida. Many Orthodox parents reject this option out of hand, while others examine it as a possible way of making Jewish education more affordable.

At a recent meeting of Israel’s Cabinet, Jewish People Policy Planning Institute officials briefed the group on the JPPPI 2008 assessment, noting that at the beginning of 2009, the State of Israel and the Jewish People are facing a range of complex and severe challenges and threats. The report also contains a special section on Women in Jewish Society.

The world's first Kassam-proof Beit Midrash (Torah study hall) was dedicated recently, in the presence of dozens of rabbis, students, parents and guests of the Hesder Yeshiva in Sderot. The Yeshiva, founded in Sderot 15 years ago, serves over 500 students who combine advanced Talmudic studies with military service in the Israel Defense Forces. The roof of the Beit Medrash is made of 40 centimeters of poured cement to withstand a direct rocket hit. In addition, its windows are bullet- and shrapnel-proof, to protect the students. Sderot has been bombarded by thousands of rockets fired from Gaza over the last eight years.

This working paper, published by JESNA's Lippman Kanfer Institute, focuses on a broad scale, multi-faceted effort to rethink and re-imagine the educational work of synagogues so as to make the Jewish learning experience of children and adults a positive, engaging, and impactful one. It is based on a study of the work of 11 outstanding organizations and projects which have been working over the last fifteen years to improve and renew congregational education.