Approaches to Jewish Literacy: An Exploration of Purpose and Values within Jewish Learning for Jewish Leaders

Abstract

In the context of Jewish education, “literacy” is a word often used to describe a desirable educational outcome. Yet, there is no clear definition of what constitutes Jewish literacy. The criteria of literacy are further complicated when the term is linked – as it frequently is – to Jewish leadership. What kind or level of Jewish literacy should Jewish leaders possess? The ambiguity of the term leaves room for a diversity of approaches to defining and promoting Jewish literacy for Jewish leaders. Underlying these divergent approaches to literacy are variant assumptions about what Jewish literacy represents, how it functions, and why it matters.

The central question of this project is: what approaches to, assumptions about, and goals for Jewish literacy are present in contemporary approaches to Jewish leadership? To explore this central question, I investigated three core areas of inquiry: 1. In what ways do contemporary leadership programs with a literacy agenda promote and value literacy? 2. What is the import of Jewish literacy to Jewish leadership within these frameworks? 3. What assumptions about Jewish peoplehood and learning underlie these approaches to Jewish literacy?

In order to explore existing models of Jewish literacy, I identified three programs with diverse ways of approaching Jewish learning and its role within Jewish leadership. I interviewed program graduates and program staff to learn about the values and goals of Jewish learning within the programs. My research results combined with my literature review led me to identify three distinct approaches to Jewish literacy: 1) the Shanda Approach, 2) the Personal Approach, and 3) the Continuity Approach. The Shanda Approach prioritizes Jewish literacy as an essential component of belonging, emphasizing the way in which Jewish literacy can make one an “insider.” The sense of legitimacy created through the Shanda Approach is both practically significant for making leaders “part of” the groups they lead and is internally validating for the leaders themselves.

In contrast to the Shanda Approach, the Personal Approach does not view Jewish literacy as a series of essential pieces of knowledge. Rather, Jewish literacy is seen as a tool for creating deeply personal and meaningful relationships to Jewish life and community. In other words, the Personal Approach focuses less on the specific content of learning and more on the effect that learning has on an individual’s sense of meaning, motivation, and identity.

Finally, the Continuity Approach understands Jewish literacy as a practical tool. When individuals acquire Jewish literacy, they are then able to share it with others. Ultimately, the goal of imparting Jewish literacy is to enable and empower the learner to become the teacher. In short, those who receive Jewish learning can be involved with the Jewish learning experiences of others.