page 14 CULTURE the bulldog print Keep calm and shuckle on

explore a timeless conundrum: What interpreted as a deliberate inclusion, fied. But through this toil, we learn how or the vast lists of judicial objections Jewish education is the profound, existential significance rich with significance and meaning - an to form an opinion based on the facts, with ease, shooting towards the top of of Rabbi Eliezer’s obesity? In accordance approach not dissimilar to literary crit- support it and express that support. our respective fields. with my years of Talmudic training, I ics’ or English teachers’ understandings Keeping with our Jewish identity, Jewish school builds lifelong quickly formed a complex, convoluted of literature. And thus, the readers are we refuse to agree on anything and is a balancing connection left with pursue arguments on each and every act. With a b e t w e e n “It was in this moment that I real- the pains- topic. How long to wait between eat- dual curricu- skills the Rabbi’s taking ing meat and milk? What’s considered lum, students “one-too- ized how much analysis is involved question: muktzah? How long does your skirt have a lot on many- in Jewish schooling.” Why? And really have to be? Are Starbucks their plates. by Ariella Cohen ” after years frappucci- n o s Though the two condition and his righteousness. When of attending Jewish schools and having kosher? areas of study seem We sit through at least two hours I returned to my English homework, I that question thrown at me in a multi- Different Courts unrelated, their rela- of study a day. And even though realized I could apply the same strat- tude of phrases and disguised in other opinions Procedure tionship many take interest in their Judaic class- egy. Thirty seconds ambiguous questions, a blank, dumb- and per- Tanach is actually es, spending countless hours studying later, I had formed founded face just didn’t cut it anymore. spectives symbi- Rabbi Yochanan’s latest rendezvous or an explanation I had to start answering. And when I fly at Evidence otic. So, if the umpteenth time Bnei Yisrael com- that, upon reflec- did, I started developing an invaluable p e o p l e you find plained in the desert, can appear a fruit- tion was, dare I skill: critical thinking. through- Rashi yourself less endeavour. say, quite brilliant. It is a skill that has managed to out their failing Our teachers may tell us that we But this dazzling slide its way into every classroom, ev- lives. The LAW biology, learn valuable life lessons from these explanation was ery subject, every discussion. It creeps difficulty pick up a texts. Our rabbis might add that these neither hereditar- up on you in the most unusual of cir- lies in making Tanach. If sources strengthen our connection with ily achieved, nor a cumstances at the most unassuming of sense of it all and you need to God. stroke of luck, times. You find yourself doing it subcon- coming to one’s own conclu- your grades But I will tell you that but a sciously because as humans, we want to sions. Jewish school prepares you for up in English, try through these hours of prod- understand; we want to explain. this chaotic world. a . Skills tedious study, delving u c t The next day, when sitting in Rabbi But the tools gained from Jewish gained in one cur- over minutia that you o f Tannenbaum’s Aggadata class, a heated schooling don’t stop there. The skill riculum can help so desperately wish debate took place. The tension in the of memorization is honed through students succeed could be overlooked, room was palpable. It was one of those years of memorizing Rashi script, all the in another. you gain useful skills topics that brings your blood to a boil: books of the Tanach, the 39 Melachot, People often that you will carry Why did Reish Lakish think Rabbi Yo- the lineage of Avraham to Moshe and wonder why Jews throughout your chanan was a woman? The class was di- the Hebrew terms for practically every- are so success- entire life. vided. And it wasn’t the first time. Of- thing. At some point, you are able to ful. When you I came to this ten, debate and discussion consume memorize information faster and retain look at the stats, realization several the entire period. Just like Hillel and it longer. This certainly comes in handy 23% of Nobel months ago, on a Shamai, we form polarized opin- when you are expected to memorize 20 Prize winners are late night in the ions about these hot topics, and dates and their corresponding events Jewish. In fact, wee hours of the wielding our Torah knowledge, we, for history or the terms for each part the morning. I was sitting like daggers, try to cut through each of the body in biology. And when became a in my poorly-illuminated m y other’s arguments. It seems neither side we shave minutes off our studying bestseller in South Korea room, frantically trying to cumu- comes out victorious. But in the pro- time, we know that all those years of because Korean mothers wanted to find some correlation between lative cess, we acquire valuable skills. learning Jewish subjects have come to know how so many Jewish people be- the author’s use of an asyndeton and his years of Jewish learning and the analysis Some complain that we lack debate fruition. And when, one day, we all be- came so successful. So what is the Jewish overall purpose in an excerpt for English it called for. clubs at Yavneh, and though secret? It’s a question many have class. After staring at the words for sev- It was in this moment that I realized Mock Trial involves these ele- “So, if you find yourself failing biol- asked and I have just answered. eral minutes, I turned to some other how much analysis is involved in Jew- ments of argument, our desire ogy, pick up a Tanach. If you need So keep on shuckling, keep on homework, ish schooling. Why? to scream our opinions isn’t “oy-vey-ing,” keep those hoping my “Jewish School prepares you Because the Torah, satisfied. That is why as soon to get your grades up in English, try on and those peyos long because mind might like any good book, as we see the opportunity to a Gemara.” as far as I’m concerned, that’s the revamp. I for this chaotic world.” leaves many ques- springboard into a discussion, ticket to success. shifted focus tions unanswered. we seize it and won’t let go until our come doctors and lawyers, we’ll speed to my Aggadata essay, attempting to Every word in the Torah is meant to be throats are sore and our minds satis- through the infinite names of diseases Graphics by Megan Lacritz