Innovative Incorporation Of Cultural Arts In Jewish Education

The study is an exploration of both the practical and theoretical reasons for how and why we must continue to develop Jewish cultural arts experiential education.

Sixty-four dynamic activities in four arts disciplines--music, drama, creative writing, and visual arts--weave the arts directly into the Jewish school curriculum and "open up" the big ideas of Jewish education. An extensive introduction examines the importance of the arts in Jewish life and Jewish education and explains the philosophy of this unique integrative approach. Includes four topic areas (Holidays, Torah, Mitzvot and Middot, and Jewish Life Cycle) with activities for four grade levels (K-1, 2-3, 4-6, and Family Education) and, within each grade level, one activity in each of the four arts disciplines. CONTENTS: Part I: Holidays Shabbat (Grades K-1) Chanukah (Grades 2-3) Sukkot (Grades 4-6) Pesach (Family Education) Part II: Torah Noah's Ark (Grades K-1) Three Righteous Women (Grades 2-3) Moses and the Burning Bush (Grades 4-6) Jacob and Esau (Family Education) Part III: Mitzvot and Middot Tza'ar Ba'alay Chayim: Kindness to Animals (Grades K-1) Hachnasat Orchim: Welcoming Guests (Grades 2-3) Derech Eretz: Proper Behavior (Grades 4-6) Bal Tashchit: Do Not Destroy (Family Education) Part IV: Jewish Life Cycle Baby Naming (Grades K-1) Growing Older (Grades 2-3) Bar/Bat Mitzvah (Grades 4-6) Death (Family Education) SPECIAL FEATURES: "Big Idea" and "Inspiration" sections provide the background and the rationale for each activity. Clearly stated objectives for each activity tie directly to the Big Ideas. Materials lists, step-by-step instructions, helpful hints, and suggested resources make activities easy to implement. Activities are adaptable to higher or lower grade levels, providing hundreds of creative opportunities. Ideal for average classroom teachers who think they are not artists, in addition to arts specialists

This book examines the history of Jewish education from the Biblical period to the present. It traces how Jews have formally and informally transmitted their culture and worldview over the years, with particular attention to the shift from premodernity to modernity and to the unique opportunities and challenges of contemporary American Jewish education. Its authors combine historical background and insight with educational expertise to provide a robust portrait of the cultures and contexts of Jewish education and address possibilities for the future.

In this highly engaging, instructive and even inspirational inquiry, Jonathan Mirvis illuminates the tapestry of Jewish education innovation with the lens of the work and theory of social entrepreneurship. He tells us how and why some Jewish educational innovators succeed and how to recognize the most promising ventures in the field. This work will appeal to anyone engaged in Jewish educational change or social entrepreneurship of any kind, as it contributes to our understanding of both worlds of thought - Jewish education and the applied theory of social innovation. Professor Steven M. Cohen Research Professor of Jewish Social Policy, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Jonathan Mirvis has written a provocative and invaluable tract for our times, and for the uncertain times ahead. Whether Jewish "peoplehood" will have any meaning for the next generation in Israel and the Diaspora, depends largely on whether Jewish education can re-invent itself. Not only for our children and grand-children, but for "adults" and whole communities as well. Jerry Silverman President/CEO, Jewish Federations of North America The good news is that Mirvis believes it can happen. He shows us how to build on the trailblazing initiatives of some of the visionary Jewish educators and funders who've "changed the rules" - and whose stories Mirvis tells with great warmth and insight. And, critically for the author, by adapting his theory of change as it applies to social entrepreneurship marketing, and the online knowledge revolution. This is not just an important book about the need for more "disruptive innovation" in the Jewish world; Mirvis is himself the "disruptive innovator." He's brought together his wide experience in adult Jewish education internationally, his deep immersion in Yiddishkeit, and some novel, even radical thinking about - dare we say it - how to market and sell a social product. Ever the teacher, he's given educators, funders, policy-makers, and community leaders essential homework to complete. Read this book!