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Journey to Australia A Needs Assessment Regarding Programs for Russian Adolescents in Orthodox Jewish Day Schools: A Comparative Case Study Fruma Sara Rosenfeld Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education (with coursework component) 2014 Centre for Program Evaluation and Youth Research Centre Melbourne Graduate School of Education The University of Melbourne Produced on archival quality paper - i - ABSTRACT Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Day Schools devote considerable time to advanced Jewish studies. When students join at the secondary level with limited or no previous Jewish education, the schools face an enormous challenge of providing appropriate programming to facilitate integration into the mainstream classroom and the broader school community. This qualitative study, focussing on parent and student voices, examines how two orthodox Jewish schools educated first and second generation Russian students who entered the schools at various levels and the impact this educational experience had on the students’ Jewish identities and observances. The aim is to inform best practice in educational programming. - ii - Declaration This is to certify that i) the thesis comprises only my original work toward the degree of Doctor of Education ii) due acknowledgement has been made in the text to all other material used iii) the thesis is fewer than 100,000 words in length, exclusive of tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices. Fruma Sara Rosenfeld - iii - DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my supervisor of many years, Associate Professor Rosalind Elizabeth Hurworth, the Director of the Centre for Program Evaluation at the University of Melbourne. Her untimely passing in 2012 has left a huge hole in the field of qualitative studies. Her support, encouragement and enthusiasm for this project was invaluable, although she was not able to see the completion of this study. - iv - ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis took many years to complete. In an idealistic frame of mind, I was certain that six years part time was more than enough to complete this research. Life, however, does not always work to plan. In the interim years, I have married off two children, had another child of my own, and welcomed three grandchildren into the world. I was also working full time and caring for a special needs child. While these delays were for good occasions, the delay due to the illness and passing of my first supervisor, Rosalind Hurworth, was a much more difficult one to face. Through it all, I must acknowledge the patience and support of my husband Yisrael. If not for his prowess in the kitchen and general household duties, and the willingness to take some family holidays with the children and without me, this thesis would never have been completed. I must also thank my children, who were so understanding and who grew up knowing that Mommy was working on her thesis. Thank you Chaya Mushka, Chanoch, Baruch, Batsheva, Avremel and Menucha for your understanding and patience. I know you must all be so relieved. Thank you to Inna Zaitseva, my friend and support for all things Russian. Her willingness to share her research and her skills, were invaluable in being able to reach out to the Russian community in their own language. Thank you to Hilary Ash for her willingness to help me through the last stages of this thesis and the challenges of working with new supervisors. Her patience and willingness to give of her time to listen to my thoughts, challenge my thinking, and help me tighten up my writing was an invaluable gift. Gratitude is also extended to my supervisors Johanna Wyn and Helen Stokes. Thank you for agreeing to take me on at such an emotional time and gently prodding me to make the changes that needed to be made while still respecting the stamp Rosalind had left all over this thesis. Your encouragement and understanding were greatly appreciated. - v - I would like to extend my thanks to all those who participated in this research and returned the surveys and/or gave of their time to be interviewed. The sharing of your personal stories has been a gift to the community. A window into your experiences and insights are now documented for posterity, and will hopefully create a platform for more understanding and inclusiveness in the Jewish community. Finally, I would like to acknowledge my own roots in the former USSR. My parents, both from distinguished Rabbinic Jewish families, fled the former Soviet Union as young children in the late 40s on false Polish passports, leaving behind many dear ones, both living and deceased. My father never knew his father, who had been sent to the Russian front and killed before he was born. Their early lives were fraught with hunger and fear, constantly fleeing from both the advancing Nazis and the KGB. Today, there is a rebirth of Jewish life in the former USSR, and I am proud of my cousins, friends and even students, who have returned to the country of their roots and who now serve as Rabbis and Rebbetzins of these burgeoning openly Jewish communities. - vi - Table of Contents List of Appendices…………………………………………………………………...….viii List of Maps and Tables…………………………………………………………………..ix Glossary ............................................................................................................................. xi Chapter One: Research Rationale and Aims ....................................................................... 1 Chapter Two: Literature Review ...................................................................................... 13 Chapter Three: Research Design ...................................................................................... 55 Chapter Four: Analysis of School Documents and Staff Views ...................................... .79 Chapter Five: Analysis of Participant Experience Prior to Arrival in Australia……........87 Chapter Six: New Reality on Australian Shores ............................................................. 107 Chapter Seven: Meeting Goals and Expectations ........................................................... 140 Chapter Eight: Variation in Student Outcomes .............................................................. 184 Chapter Nine: Areas for Improvement and Participant Suggestions for the Future ....... 202 Chapter Ten: Concluding Comments.............................................................................. 220 References: ...................................................................................................................... 229 - vii - List of Appendices Appendix A ..................................................................................................................... 239 Appendix B ..................................................................................................................... 241 Appendix C ..................................................................................................................... 242 Appendix D ..................................................................................................................... 243 Appendix E ..................................................................................................................... 244 Appendix F……………………..……………………………………………………….246 Appendix G…………………….….……………………………………………………247 Appendix H………….…………….……………………………………………………249 Appendix I..…………..……………….………………………………………………..276 - viii - List of Maps and Tables Map 1: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) Prior to Perestroika 88 Map 2: Commonwealth of Independent States – Post Perestroika 105 Table 1: Questionnaire Respondents by School and Type 69 Table 2: Interviews Completed by School and Type 70 Table 3: Proportion of Russian Students 2002 80 Table 4: Proportion of Russian Students in 2008 80 Table 5: Proportion of Russian Students in 2013 81 Table 6: Staff Perceptions –“What are the Issues Regarding Russian Students?” 83 Table 7: Results of NGT Round One:“How Can We Serve the Needs of Students with Russian Backgrounds in the Best Way?” 84 Table 8: Second Round and Rankings 85 Table 9: The Most Important Elements for Preserving Jewish Heritage in the Former USSR 97 Table 10: The Most Important Elements for Preserving Jewish Heritage in Australia 119 Table 11: Why Did You/Your Parent Choose These Schools? 121 Table 12: What Were the Three Most Important Factors in Choosing the School? 122 Table 13: Word Frequency in Defining Jewish Education 132 Table 14: Ranked Order of Choice Factors for Top Three Advantages of Jewish Education 135 Table 15 Ranked Order of Choice Factors for Top Three Disadvantages of Jewish Education 136 Table 16: Expectations Regarding Jewish Education 137 Table 17: Expectations Regarding General Education 138 Table 18: Student Ability in Hebrew 156 Table 19: Response to Facets of Jewish Identification 157 Table 20: Further Questions Related to Jewish Feeling and Identity 159 Table 21: If Someone In Australia Asks For Your Background, What Would You Answer 160 Table 22: If Someone In Australia Mistakes You For A Non-Jew, Would You Correct The Mistake? 161 - ix - Table 23: Which Of The Following Practices Do You Observe? (Students) 162 Table 24 Which Of The Following Practices Do You Observe? (Parents) 162 Table 25: How Often Do You Attend Synagogue? 164 Table 26: Parents’ Ability in English Languages: 193 Table 27: Parents’ Ability in Hebrew Language: 194 Table 28: Participant Suggestions for Curricular Improvements 206 Table 29: Participant Suggestions for Celebrating Diversity 207 Table 30: Participant Suggestions
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