MCSJE News & Events -I- December 2023

NEWS

Two New Books in the Mandel-Brandeis Book Series

Spring 2024 will see the publication of two new books in the Mandel-Brandeis Series in Jewish Education: The Second Conversation: Interpretive Authority in the Bible Classroom, by Ziva Hassenfeld, and Teaching Israel: Studies of Pedagogy from the Field, edited by Sivan Zakai and Matt Reingold. Both are available for pre-order now.

MCSJE IN THE NEWS

Pomson and Wertheimer Offer "Rich and Thoughtful Insights"

In her review of Inside Jewish Day Schools: Leadership, Learning and Community, a publication of the Mandel-Brandeis Series in Jewish Education, Adina L. Bankier-Karp calls Pomson and Wertheimer's book "a highly enjoyable scholarly work that is also suitable for lay audiences."

MCSJE RESEARCH

MCSJE is committed to sharing its research findings broadly with other scholars and practitioners in an effort to strengthen the field of Jewish education scholarship. This month, we're beginning a new format, in which we share research that centers around shared themes and ideas, from a variety of projects. To that end, please find links below to past MCSJE research connected to the theme Teaching Talmud.

The Puzzling Talmud

Jon A. Levisohn writes about the pedagogical implications of students thinking about Talmud as a puzzle.

Jane L. Kanarek and Marjorie Lehman on the New Books Network podcast

The editors of the volume Learning to Read Talmud: What It Looks Like and How It Happens discuss the study of how teachers teach and how students learn to read Talmud.

Stop Making Sense

Beth A. Berkowitz shares her experiences using study guides to help students' sensemaking about the Talmud.

Talmud that Works Your Heart: New Approaches to Reading

Sarra Lev recounts her experiment with teaching Talmud Through a Moral Lens and the lessons she learned from her students.

Face to Interface: Instructional Strategies of an Online Talmud Class

Joshua S. Ladon investigates an online Talmud class that took place early in the pandemic and the implications of this type of learning.

Worth Knowing: Talmud Study and the Intellectual Values of High School Students at Liberal Jewish Day Schools

Arielle Levites shares her research on high school students' encounters with rabbinic texts in the classroom and the various frameworks that impact their learning.

UPCOMING EVENT

MCSJE events are free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required.

Learning About Learning: Conversations with Scholars of Jewish Education

Navigating Ideological Differences in Pluralistic Jewish Schools

Dr. Esther Friedman in conversation with Ziva Hassenfeld

Date: Thursday, December 7

Time: 1 - 1:30 p.m. ET via Zoom

How and why does the ability to navigate ideological differences within classrooms matter to Jewish education — and beyond? In this session, Esther Friedman will discuss her recent study on the lived experiences of Orthodox teachers who teach Bible in pluralistic community schools and the institutional-level challenges they face.

PAST EVENT

Learning About Learning: Conversations with Scholars of Jewish Education

Getting Serious About Play in Jewish Education

Rabbi Judd Levingston, PhD

Beyond lifting the spirits of teachers and students, play in Jewish education spaces can also shape moral development and character. Drawing from his new research, Judd Kruger Levingston shares how teachers and administrators can cultivate "a moral ecology of play" in classrooms, hallways, gathering spaces, and playgrounds. In this session, Levingston speaks about ways in which a wide variety of approaches to play across the curriculum and throughout a school's culture can transform a young person's values and moral outlook.

Stay Connected with the Mandel Center

The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education is on Facebook and LinkedIn. Stay connected with us and hear about our upcoming events and innovative research by connecting with our pages.

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The Mandel Center offers a robust schedule of events to convene scholars, practitioners, and policy makers to advance thinking, generate new questions and, in some cases, generate new work for future publication. Watch our videos on our YouTube channel or listen to our podcasts on Spotify, Amazon, Apple, or Google.