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Beginning in 1997, the Har Hamor Yeshiva, a leading Jerusalem-based institute for Torah learning, has become the center of a unique stream of thought in religious Zionist philosophy. This article examines how religious Zionist yeshivas have developed an educational curriculum that translates theological beliefs and values into political action. The article seeks to evaluate to what extent this ideology and curriculum will be able to survive in a political reality in which the rift between religious and secular Zionism is constantly increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study seeks to analyse the components that contribute to Special Religious Education (SRE) classes in government schools in Australia being considered as a ‘safe place’ and the ways in which they facilitate an understanding of the students’ own religious and cultural identity. Our research focuses on one of the small faiths, Judaism, as a case study through observation of the Jewish SRE/SRI classes in the two largest Jewish population centres, Sydney and Melbourne. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 90 participants, and classroom observations were undertaken in both cities. This paper draws on Kymlicka’s concept of the rights of minority groups in a liberal society and discusses the distinction between thin and thick multiculturalism. Our findings show that the Jewish SRE teachers implemented Jackson’s interpretive approach, ensuring that the students’ educational experience is meaningful. As a result, they are able to develop their unique identity capital, which is important in a multifaith society to ensure ‘thick’ multiculturalism. Our argument is that students need to have an understanding of their own particularistic identity, as well as learning to respect other religions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The last decade has witnessed a wave of Haredi literature dealing with the education of children and youth in particular. A common question raised in this literature is that of the proper way to describe the Torah sages of previous generations, i.e., what needs to be remembered and what should be forgotten about them. Many of the writers criticize the ways of writing customary up to our time, which tended to describe Torah sages as superhuman and as lacking any weaknesses or failings; raising educational concerns, they call for a change in these ways of portrayal. In this article, I apply Mary Douglas’s theoretical model of “enclave culture” to the current social circumstances of the Haredi community, in an attempt to explain both the origins of this trend as well as the sources of opposition to these new ways of writing history within the Haredi community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on research conducted within a Lubavitch girls' yeshivah in the United States, this article describes in detail how the Holocaust was taught and learned about in an eighth grade, secular studies classroom. The article describes the yeshivah, its site and students, and the teacher and the unit she taught. Special attention is given to the meaning the students made of their learning. The article concludes by arguing that the Shoah was rendered mysterious in this classroom, that the teaching of history was compromised, and that both the students' historical understandings and religious growth opportunities were shortchanged in the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article compares a stand-alone program with no linkage to formal Jewish education, the Brandeis Collegiate Institute, with the most currently accepted criteria of informal Jewish education (IJE). It demonstrates the inherent educational value of IJE programming in strengthening Jewish identity and affiliation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on the emergence of a new religious-ethnic educational stream in Israel, Maayan Hachinuch Hatorani, ("The Wellspring of Torah Education"). It was founded in 1984 and is controlled by the leadership of Shas, a movement of religious renewal and Sephardic-Oriental identity. Discriminatory policies, implemented by the ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi establishment, brought the leaders of the Shas movement to initiate a new system capable of responding to the hardship of a marginalized population. Shas schools, functioning within and being supported by the Ministry of Education, also became socializing agents for children and parents that were far from religious lifestyle. Thus, through the creation of strategies for the transmission of knowledge and behavior, the new stream challenges the secular national project, and contributes to the formation of a new cultural sphere. In this paper we explore how a religious movement embraces education to foster social mobilization and group solidarity. The research is an ethnographic study that was conducted between 2000-2005 in three cities in Israel. By transforming cultural boundaries and institutionalizing norms that contradict in some respects the principles underlying the relationship between government and mass schooling, Shas's education systems contributes to forge an Ultra-Orthodox Israeli Judaism based on an ethnic type of primordial identity. The case contributes to understand the challenges that religion holds to modern systems of education and to analyze new developments in Judaism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses the 2000-2001 National Jewish Population Study to explore potential independent connections between a variety of childhood and adolescent Jewish antecedents and subsequent 'success' in the secular adult world. The research focuses on how childhood denominational affiliation, Jewish education and friendship networks, and a variety of other factors may be independently linked with subsequent educational completion, employment, earnings, and household economic success. The focus is on explaining gender differentials in these over-time connections and in testing hypotheses suggestive of greater adult success for men and women who followed 'moderate' behavioral religious pathways in childhood and adolescence and/or have moderate contemporary religious connections as adults. Findings in several instances support the notion that 'moderate' orientation result in greater secular success, although some interesting and important gender differentials did emerge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thesis I would submit to you this morning may be somewhat surprising: it is that the task of the rabbinic programme at Leo Baeck College is impossible. We have a five-year programme of study. What do we want to accomplish with our students by the end of this period? What kind of training do we believe that our rabbis will require for meeting the needs of the progressive Jewish community, and the general Jewish community in the next generation? What follows is an outline of what I believe is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on material gathered during case studies of a Jewish and a Catholic secondary school, I introduce a number of different stories from the staff, and students in the schools and from myself as the researcher. I argue that these can be understood as forms of dialogue in which voices can be heard in some detail. They throw light on various, sometimes conflicting, views within two particular faith-based schools and on the wider educational dialogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the resurgence and awareness on the part of Jewish federations regarding the critical importance of Jewish education. Policy and planning statements agreed upon by federations regarding Jewish educational issues; Challenge faced by the Jewish education agenda; Critical components needed in the reconceptualization of the planning process; Principles and parameters that shape its role in Jewish education.

The article discusses the social conditions of Jews in Iran at the turn of the century and the educational efforts of the Alliance Israelite Universelle (AIU) in Teheran. It also examines the potential sources of conflict and factors fostering close cooperation between the community and the AIU. The Iranian Jews strongly opposed the initiative of Alliance schools where most communities prepared to close the traditional schools to be transferred in new Alliance schools with the mullahs. The conflict started when majority of the Iranian Jews faced financial problems reflecting on the life of AIU representatives who were enjoying a high standard of living.

The article analyzes philosopher Morris Raphael Cohen's Judaic value judgments. The author offers information on the ways in which Cohen lived his philosophy of Judaism. They have also provided an overview of Cohen's most frequently reprinted essay "The Dark Side of Religion," which condemns religious fanaticism and recalls how often deeds of violence and cruelty are considered virtues when committed in the name of religion. Cohen also points out the intimate connection between religion and supernaturalism, and the passionate attachment to the old ways which every religion intensifies, cannot but strengthen superstition and hinder the progress of science towards the attainment of new truth as to human affairs.

Discusses Rabbi Moses Feinstein's ideas on Jewish education of women. Feinstein's background; Historical context of the issue; Feinstein's main concern; Issues not included in his concerns; Difference in education of girls and boys; Feinstein's attitude towards change in traditions; Social boundaries that he believes necessary; Attitude towards American norms.