Educators have a responsibility to prepare young people to be constructive members of their society and to take part in solving the problems they see around them. They can help their students clarify their values and develop the knowledge, skills, and experiences they need so that they can contribute to the development of a peaceful, just, and sustainable world.
This project aims to teach students how to think creatively, struggle with complex ideas, and make their own judgments based on a thoughtful process of learning. It prepares students to grapple with a full spectrum of political and moral positions and to nurture a sense of agency—the capacity to act in the world. This learning is grounded in intellectual inquiry and speaks to what it means to be an engaged, responsible young Jew in the twenty-first century.
Curriculum Summary
Wrestling with Israel The night before Jacob is to meet with his estranged brother, Esau, the Torah describes a mysterious account of Jacob wrestling with an unknown being all through the night until dawn. The text does not tell us who this being is, but some commentaries suggest that it is Jacob’s conscience. Jacob had...
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Intended Audience
The curriculum was developed to provide educators and parents with easy to use tools for children ages three to eighteen. Sections are divided into the following age categories: three- to four-year-olds; five- to eight-year-olds; nine- to thirteen-year-olds; and fourteen- to eighteen-year-olds. Who should use the curriculum: Jewish Educators This curriculum is primarily designed for educators in...
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Educational Approach to Jewish Life
This curriculum identifies five approaches that provide a foundation for the students’ learning: Studying Jewish Texts and Values Jewish texts and values provide an important framework for exploring ethical and political concepts, and they can help young Jews wrestle with their relationship to Judaism and Jewish identity. They can also help shape young Jews’ personal...
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Ethical and Political Foundations
Curriculum development is not a neutral process, and education cannot be separated from ethical or political values. Educators make many decisions in writing curricula that reflect their own values and perspectives. These include the overarching goals and desired outcomes of the curriculum, questions that frame the lessons or units, experiences or events that are emphasized,...
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Framework and Method
Understanding by Design Using the Understanding by Design framework, educators first clarify what they want their students to learn and then plan their lessons or units based on those desired outcomes. This helps students engage in purposeful, reflective thinking and discourages the common practice of relying too much on a textbook for teaching or stringing together a...
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