5. The Teacher A very special kind of teacher is required for teaching Jewish values. This is not a subject that can be taught by anyone, and while many of today's educators are adequate for some tasks — teaching Jewish values is not one of them. At least four necessary qualities should characterize teachers of Jewish values. Educators must: a) have access to Jewish sources; b) believe in and live a distinctive Jewish value life; c) exemplify a valuing person, concerned with developing this process in the young; and d) love children, and not regard them as creatures to be tamed, babies to be sat for, or passive clay to be formed. Teachers of values must see them in Yehuda Amichai's terms "as something else" — as unique beings upon whom "God has had great mercy".

6. The Value Community Jewish values education cannot take place in a vacuum; it is not something that happens only in the classroom. The home, school, synagogue, Jewish community center, local federation and the entire community should be kehillot kodesh — holy communities that live by Jewish values. From much educational theory, and many years of educational practice, one concludes that any attempt to teach Jewish values in a classroom is trite and worthless if the Jewish community of which we are part is not prepared to be a living embodiment of the virtues that we propose to teach. • <• • O O

Teaching Hebrew Through Value-Concepts Theodore Steinberg*

o pupil, parent, and teacher alike, the part-time, afternoon Hebrew school is a problematic undertaking. The major critique of that institution is that Tchildren who pass through its program for the usual five or six years often emerge with a poor grounding in Jewish knowledge, and a nebulous Jewish self-image. A secondary criticism, notwithstanding the school's appellation as "Hebrew school", is the "graduates'" ignorance of the . The reasons for this are many, in part cultural, in part pedagogic. With English having become the international lingua franca, secondary language acquisition

* The author is an American residing in who wrote his doctorate on Max Kadushln's value concepts.

90 has ceased to be a serious academic requirement in the United States. Hebrew in particular is not only a difficult language with a strange alphabet, but is the tongue of a relatively small nation in the Land of . There simply are not sufficient social, cultural, or economic advantages to be gained by mastering Hebrew. Ironically, Israelis have been absorbing more and more English into their daily vocabulary. In many Jerusalem neighborhoods, almost every tree and bus stop has a notice posted offering private English lessons. Just recently, the Ministry of Education recommended that a dozen high schools should, as an experiment, teach some courses in English in order to help students from disadvantaged communities master the language more readily. This directive was withdrawn, at least temporarily, because of intense opposition from loyal Hebraists. Still, the mere fact that it was considered by the Ministry of Education testifies to the high regard in which English competency is held. If most American Jews are generally ignorant of Hebrew, this should not be equated with indifference to the universe of Hebrew literature. A casual visit to any well-stocked bookstore in the United States will reveal the extraordinary proliferation of English translations of Hebrew books which have become avail• able in recent years. It is now possible for a serious amateur or non-specialist scholar to delve into the most abstruse Hebrew works, from the to medieval philosophy, Bible commentaries and kabbalastic texts — not to speak of contemporary Israeli literature — all of which are readily available in first- rate, readable translations. Why, then, are we so doggedly persistent in trying to teach Hebrew to American children? The answer is partly sentimental, partly religious, lots of stubbornness, and a deep feeling for Hebrew's role as the historical and sacred idiom of , as well as its remarkable revival as the everyday language of modern Israel.

SYNAGOGUE AND BAR/BAT MITZVAH HEBREW

As the language of the Bible and especially its function in the liturgy of the synagogue, Hebrew retains a significant degree of sentimental importance for many diaspora Jews. The need to master enough skill to read the prayers of the siddur has been generally accepted as a worthwhile goal by parents who make the effort and accept the expense and bother to send their children to an afternoon Hebrew school. The motivation of Bar/Bat Mitzvah usually gets youngsters into the classroom at a relatively early age. Nonetheless, Hebrew, as meaningful language, has rarely succeeded in the afternoon supplementary school. The most serious hindrance to effective Hebrew language teaching is the reality of severely limited instructional time. Language teaching requires many

91 hours, and there simply is not enough time in the afternoon to instruct children in the Hebrew language along with other vital subjects such as history and tradition. Educators regard 1500-2000 hours, spread over two or three years, as the bare minimum needed to learn the basics of a foreign language, especially one that pupils are not likely to use or encounter outside the classroom. This is not an achievable goal in the afternoon Hebrew school where, under the most ideal conditions, the average class meets for six hours per week, forty weeks per year, over six years, amounting to a total class time of about 1440 hours. Much of this time is necessarily devoted to subjects such as rites and customs, Jewish concepts, holidays, prayer, Jewish history, etc. Even though Hebrew words enter into these studies, the hours for direct and intensive language instruction are minimal. Additional class time will inevitably be lost to holiday programs, bad weather, school assemblies, etc. Realistically, therefore, the actual instructional time for Hebrew language teaching shrinks down to a total of approximately 600-700 hours spread over a half dozen years. The conclusion is inescapable: Hebrew as a functional language cannot be taught in the afternoon school! The supplementary school must be encouraged to do what it can most effectively — and that is to teach a limited kind of Hebrew. This should include rote-reading and writing, and a knowledge of prayerbook Hebrew, for the synagogue is the only "natural" Hebrew environment that most students will encounter with any degree of frequency and familiarity. Most importantly, the Hebrew curriculum should include the intensive study and use of several hundred Hebrew words and phrases that express classical Jewish concepts and values. The radical change being proposed here would be systematically introduced during the last two years of Hebrew school. The primary stress would be on Judaism's classical value-oriented vocabulary, teaching words such as tzedakah, hesed, zehut avot, rahamim (rahaman), galut and net. The child should not only learn what the words mean, but be taught and encouraged to use them in the context of daily English conversation in the Hebrew school, at home, and wherever appropriate. These valuational terms not only express authentic and relevant Jewish ideas, but have the latent power to shape and reinforce the pupil's sense of Jewish identity.

MAX KADUSHIN'S VALUE-CONCEPTS

This approach flows out of the research and findings of the late Max Kadushin, a rabbi, educator and Jewish Theological Seminary professor, who spent his schol• arly career studying the intricacies of Jewish valuational thought as expressed in . Several of his ideas are especially suited to Jewish education and, specifically, to the teaching of Hebrew words and phrases that convey

92 distinct Jewish values. Kadushin found that certain words and phrases which appear frequently in Hebrew literature convey important ideas, yet cannot be defined precisely because they show a wide range of abstract meaning rather than a precise, single definition.1 The literal meaning of derekh eretz, for example, is "way of the land", but the phrase, as used in Jewish literature, refers to a set of moral concepts ranging from statements of practical wisdom and simple good manners, to ethical issues such as honesty and trustworthiness. Similarly, the well-known term tzedakah connotes variously justice, charity, and benevolent love for another person. Arayot (or gillui arayot) deals with sexual matters and especially forbidden sexual relationships. Kadushin identified some 200 such terms, and designated them as "value- concepts" because each appears to possess two distinctive characteristics: It functions as an abstract "concept" with a communicable range of meaning; at the same time, the term also serves as a "value" which is personal, subjectively felt and experienced, and thus capable of influencing character and personality. The term tzedakah, for example, is not only an idea with cognitive content, but possesses an affective power that can touch and shape a person's behavior and life outlook. Conceptual value terms are especially useful as educational instruments because they are not only expressed in Hebrew noun forms, but have additional traits: Each possesses what Kadushin called a "drive towards concretization or actualization". By this he meant that the value term does not function merely as an interesting, or even admirable, idea, but is a concept that is intended and "desires", as it were, to be used and applied. Thus, a person who uses terms such as derekh eretz, or kibbud av ve'em, and holds them as personal values, is likely to act in accordance with their respective mandates. The principle sources through which rabbinic concepts have been actualized are aggadah (legend) and halakhah (law). In the former, they are given literary form, often in vivid, colorful stories. The halakhah, however, is the more powerful form of concretization, for here value-concepts are transformed into actual deeds. Tzedakah, understood as "charity" appears frequently in the tales of the ; yet charity is never intended to be a mere motif in a folk-tale or classroom discussion, but rather something that one is obliged to act upon and do! To use another value-concept, doing tzedakah is a mitzvah, a good deed, even a sacred one, because it is commanded by God. Another characteristic of the value-concepts that Kadushin uncovered was

1 Value-concepts constitute a functional vocabulary of Jewish identity and Jewish life. Their use is not intended to be limited to the classroom and school environment, but rather to be part of the living language of a diaspora Jewish peoplehood whose vernacular is not Hebrew. A value-concept curriculum can be developed for the nursery school and kindergarten, and should be part of every family education program. The goal is for all Jews to incorporate these words into ordinary, daily speech.

93 their psychological dimension. Each value-term possessed, at least potentially, an affective quality, capable of touching and shaping character. Conceptual expressions such as yemot hamashiah (the messianic era), olatn haba (the world to come), hillul Hashem (profaning God's name), and kiddush Hashem (see below) long ago became part of the normative language of Jewish life. They entered not only the daily vocabulary of the individual Jew, but his or her psyche as well, and affected one's mindset. By means of this valuational vocabulary, ordinary Jews, engaged in all the mundane concerns of daily existence, could live with a sense of history and moral energy. In Kadushin's words, their lives were touched by a "category of significance". Even if the force of the "category of significance" seems overly optimistic, it nevertheless responds to one of the principal goals of a Jewish school, which is to guide the child towards developing a personal sense of Jewish identity. Identity is a complex entity which is, in some degree, a product of the language and value- terms that every person absorbs and which form his or her life-outlook, e.g., "democracy", "tolerance", "America the beautiful", "this nation under God", etc. Similarly, there are certain words and ideas that have added "significance" to Jewish feelings, personality, and character. Words with such powerful impact are the stuff out of which personality and identity are forged. One need only look at the events of the past century and recall the destructive power of evil ideologies that were value systems based on words. Just as there are negative, malevolent value systems, so there are positive, humane ones. In the limited hours available in the supplementary school, let the curriculum concentrate on teaching the language of Jewish value-concepts that convey the memories, hopes, deeds, and ideals underlying Jewish civilization.

TEACHING VALUE-CONCEPTS IN THE CLASSROOM

How might such a program work in the classroom? A typical lesson would begin with an aggadic story that expresses one or more value-concepts. The teacher would guide the class to understand the passage itself, and help the pupils to pick out the conceptual terms stated in, or suggested by, the story. As the discussion develops, auxiliary materials from other textual sources can be introduced. Newspapers, contemporary literature, movies and television may be utilized to enrich the lesson whose Hebrew content should focus primarily on the conceptual terms. Other words related to the concept can also be taught, e.g., the value-concept kedushah (holiness), is cognate to kaddish and kiddush, two prayers that should be known to the children; hikdish, a verb based on the same root (k.d.sh.) meaning "to devote" or "to dedicate", might also be taught. The final and especially important step in the lesson is, using Kadushin's motive, to find appropriate ways for the pupils to "concretize" and "actualize" the value- concepts.

94 The sample lessons which follow accentuate different valuational situations. As often happens, a midrash that teachers may want to use in the classroom may not explicitly state the value-concept which underlies it; in such instances, the value term is said to be embedded in, or suggested by, the midrash. The second example falls into this category and is introduced by a brief, prefatory rabbinic statement where the value-concept is clearly stated.

GEMILUT HASADIM AND MITZVAH

The first passage underscores two value-concepts, gemilut hasadim (hesed), and mitzvah. Pupils will no doubt be familiar with the term mitzvah, associating it with Bar and Bat Mitzvah, or perhaps a "good deed". Gemilut hasadim, a concept related to mitzvah, generally means "doing kind deeds", and is especially interesting in the following passage because such "kind deeds" apply to one's own body:

It is written, 'the ish hesed (kindly person) gomel (benefits) himself (Prov. 11:17). [The rabbinic concept derived from the verse is gemilut hasadim.] Such a person is Hillel the Elder. Once when he left his students, they said to him, "Where are you going"? He replied, "[I am going] to perform a mitzvah (good deed)". The students asked, "What might that be"? Hillel replied, "[I'm going] to take a bath". They asked, "Is that a mitzvah"! Answered Hillel, "Of course. If the man who is appointed to polish and wash the portraits of kings that are set up in theaters and circuses, is paid for doing so, and is even raised to high honor, how much more am I required to wash and polish my own body, since I have been created in the image of God" (Vayikra Rabbah 34.)

The lesson will develop in several stages: The first step is to read the midrash in Hebrew, identifying words and expressions already known, and learning not more than five or six new words. If the Hebrew text is too difficult, a translation should be used. In any case, the aim at this stage of the lesson is to comprehend the plain meaning of the passage. Next, the class should be guided to locate and become familiar with the value-concepts cited or indicated in the reading, and to understand the range of meaning of each term. The third stage of the lesson will involve a discussion of moral and religious ramifications of the value-concepts, including their personal and social relevance which, in this instance, deal with aspects of physical health and well-being. Topics such as AIDS, narcotics and alcohol usage, careful driving, etc., can be brought into the discussion. The objective is to learn the Hebrew value-concepts and their meanings in a context that involves both traditional and contemporary situations. Finally, the lesson's aim is to make the value-concept concrete and tangible. Wherever possible, the valuational terms should be associated with their halakhic and traditional forms. Mitzvah, for example, refers to ordinary good deeds, and

95 also to ritual acts such as talit and tefillin, lighting the Sabbath candles, and washing hands before partaking of a meal, all of which can be personally acted upon. Gemilut hasadim involves deeds of charity and loving-kindness towards others. The term is often used in connection with helping the indigent by offering free burial of their kin, and providing loans free of interest charges. Most Jewish communities have some local body that carries out these mitzvot, and learning about it may become part of the lesson. A second way to concretize value-concepts in a school environment involves stepping out of the classical tradition and encouraging students to create their own forms of actualizing the value. A class may sponsor a poster contest emphasizing gemilut hasadim in the context of dealing with the dangers of narcotics and addiction. An older group might decide to actualize a value- concept by preparing a Hanukkah program for the children's ward at a local hospital. The opportunities for creating imaginative concretizations are manifold.

EMUNAH AND KIDDUSH HASHEM

A second midrash accentuates emunah, (faith in God, honesty, trustworthiness), and kiddush Hashem (performing an act that sanctifies God's name publicly; also, martyrdom). Because the term emunah is not stated explicitly in the following midrash, it is expressed in an introductory passage:

'If you do what is right in God's sight' (Ex. 15:26) — in business dealings. This teaches that if a person exhibits emunah (is honest and trustworthy) in his business dealings, and his fellow human beings take pleasure in him, he is regarded as though he had fulfilled the entire Torah (Mekhilta, Lauterbach, vol. II, p. 96.) Rabbi Shimon ben Shetah was busy preparing flax. His students said to him, "Rabbi, stop; we will buy you a donkey, and you will not have to work so hard". They went and bought a donkey from an Arab, and found a pearl on it. They came to their rabbi and said: "From now on, you will not have to work". "Why"? he asked. "Because we bought you a donkey from an Arab and found a pearl on it". He replied, "Does the owner know about this"? "No", they answered. He said to them, "In that case, go and return the pearl to him". [They argued with him, saying it wasn't necessary to dq so. Thereupon their teacher responded:] "Do you think that Shimon ben Shetah is a barbarian? No, he would prefer to hear the Arab say, 'Blessed be the God of the Jews'" (kiddush Hashem) than to own all the riches of the world" (Jerusalem Talmud, Baba Metzia, 2:5). [A Hebrew version of this story is found in Deut. Rabbah 4, 3:3.]

After studying the passage and mastering its conceptual terms, a broader discussion will deal with the implications of the two value-concepts. Emunah as "honesty" and "trustworthiness" will be understood easily by the pupils; kiddush

96 Hashem — hallowing God's name — the primary concept in this midrash, is more difficult, and the teacher will help the class understand how it is expressed in human affairs, including Jewish-Gentile relationships. Kiddush Hashem is also the central theme of the Kaddish prayer; understood as "martyrdom", it leads into brief history lessons of Jewish courage and sacrifice.

SHALOM AND TORAH The following midrash has useful suggestions for ending a quarrel and making peace: » Rabbi Alexandrai taught: Two donkey drivers who hated (sin'ah) each other were going on their way. Suddenly, one of the donkeys fell down beneath its load. The other driver noticed the accident but passed it by. Then he stopped and said: "In the Torah we learn: 'If you see the donkey of your enemy falling under its load, you are obliged to help him'" (Exodus 23:5). Immediately he turned around and lent a hand in reloading the donkey.... The two men were making shalom with each other. One man [whose donkey had fallen] said: "How could I ever have thought he was my enemy? Look how he has acted mercifully {rahamim) with me"! The two men entered an inn, ate and drank with each other, and became loving friends. What caused them to make peace with each other? Because one man observed what was written in the Torah (Midrash Tanhuma, "Mishpatim").

This passage focuses on two value-concepts, Torah and shalom, stressing that shalom is not something that happens routinely, but is rather a consequence of a life that is lived in accord with the teachings of the Torah. Two other value- concepts, sin'ah (hatred) and rahamim (mercy, benevolent love), are secondary in the story but are clearly related to the main theme: hatred destroys peace and friendship, whereas loving mercy can demolish hatred and contribute to shalom. While a discussion of the meanings in the passage may range widely, the Hebrew conceptual terms will always be the lesson's central focus, and the main message for the pupils to remember. To strengthen this process, the class should be drilled in the art of using the terms in the context of everyday diaspora language and conversation. In examining the interplay of Torah and shalom, the "drive towards concretization" might, in this instance, consist of searching for ways in which Torah teachings can affect the students' relationships with one another, and with parents and siblings. Role-playing dramatics and writing their own midrashim are two useful and effective methods by which they can go about "concretizing" abstract concepts.

ZIONISM AND THE LAND OF ISRAEL Modern political Zionism is not part of the classical value complex, nor is Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel itself, a value-concept. This is because the latter is a

97 concrete and specific place and not the kind of abstract noun-concept that makes for a true valuational idea.2 Nevertheless, Zion and the Land of Israel are part of the valuational syndrome because they routinely interact with regular value- concepts, e.g., kedushah (holiness), nevu'ah (prophecy), hokhmah (wisdom), etc., and thus become charged with valuational significance.3 The following passage which offers reasons why one should live in Eretz Yisrael may be interpreted as "Zionistic" in the modern, as well as the classic, sense:

Rabbi Elazar b. Shamu'a and Rabbi Yohanan Hasandlar were going to Netzivim (beyond the boundaries of the country) to study with Rabbi Yehudah ben Bateirah. When they reached Sidon, they remembered the Land of Israel, raised their eyes and began to weep, tearing their clothing and reading these verses: "When you have occupied the land and are settled in it, take care to observe all the laws" (Deut. 11:31-32). Upon returning to their homes, they said: "Living in the Land of Israel is equivalent to all the commandments (mitzvot) of the Torah" (Sifri 80, to Deut. 13:29).

This midrash depicts the rabbis' love for the Land of Israel and offers an example of how the country is expressed in a conceptual complex, not independently, but through its relationsip with regular value-concepts, in this instance, mitzvah and Torah. The value-concepts are familiar ones and the teacher's task is to guide the pupils to understand how they relate to the Jewish homeland, and to raise the challenging topics of aliyah and Diaspora-Israel relations. The concretization exercises may range from special readings, viewing films, and even visiting the nearest Israeli consulate.

There is no simple solution to the problem of teaching Hebrew in afternoon Hebrew schools. Children who are taught by the value-concept approach will not learn how to speak Hebrew, nor will they be able to read sacred texts with full comprehension. But they will absorb several hundred Hebrew terms and expressions that form a significant and lasting element of Jewish identity.

2 Israel, the "People of Israel", is a value-concept. 3 Have new value-concepts come into being? The answer is "yes". Value-terms arise or remain latent in every age, although new ones may not be so simple to detect. A Jewish value-concept should be expressed in a Hebrew noun form, possess the abstract quality of classical concepts with a range of meaning, be expressed frequently, interact with other old and new concepts, have the power to touch and affect one's personality, reflect Jewishly identifiable ways of being concretized, and be derived from generally-known Jewish literary, halakhic, historic, and behavioral sources. A partial list of such words appears on the pages that follow.

98 Additional Rabbinic Value-Concepts

Adam, human being Malkhut shamayim, divine sovereignty Ahavat yisrael, love for the Jewish Mashiah, messiah people Middat ha-din, quality of divine Anavah, humility justice Berakhah, blessing Middat ha-rahamim, quality of Bet Knesset, synagogue, meeting place divine mercy Bittahon, trust, reliance on God, Nihum avelim, comforting the security • bereaved Brit, covenant (Sinai, circumcision) Nissayon, test (in the sense of a trial) Dat, religion, a way of life Pikuah nefesh, saving life Din, law, justice Rasha, wicked person Galut, exile Re'ut, friendship Ge'ulah, redemption Ruah ha-kodesh, the holy spirit Goy, gentile, a nation Shefikut damim, murder, bloodshed Hakotel, the Western Wall Sheker, falsehood Hasid, pious person Shekhinah, the divine presence Herut, freedom Tefilla, prayer Het, sin, missing the mark Teshuvah, repentance Hiddur mitzvah, adding beauty to Yissurim, chastisement, affliction a commandment Tza'ar baalei hayim, not to cause Kavanah, intention suffering to living creatures Kedoshim, martyrs Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Kin'ah, jealousy Yisrael, the people of Israel Lashon ha-ra, talebearing Z'khut avot, merit of ancestors

New Value-Concepts

The following terms (including their various derivatives and cognates), most of which are associated with Jewish experience in the 20th century, may tenta• tively be regarded as value-concepts:

Aliyah, ascending to a higher Hiloni, secular religious, moral, national level Hityashvut, Jewish settlement Atzma'ut, independence Hitbolelut, assimilation Halutz, a pioneer in the cause of Kibbutz, a collective settlement a national goal Moledet, homeland Golah, Diaspora Ribonut, sovereignty Haganah, Jewish self-defense Shabbat Shalom, a Sabbath of Peace HaSokhnut, the Jewish Agency Sho'ah, the Holocaust

99 Sherut Warn, national service Tohar haneshek, purity of arms, Sinat Yisrael, (antishetniut), ethical use of weaponry anti-semitism Tziyonut, Zionism Sovlanut, tolerance Yeridah, descent from a higher religious, moral, national plane.

Further study of value-concepts may have to grapple with more concretized terms as they emerge in the Jewish state, e.g., tzahal (Israel Defense Forces), Medinat Yisrael (The State of Israel), klita (absorption), Yom atzmaut (Independence Day), Kibbutz galuyot (ingathering of exiles), etc. •

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A Psychology of Jewish Education Mordechai Rotenberg

When Mordechai Rotenberg, a professor of social work and psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, studied for his doctorate at Berkeley some thirty years ago, he persistently challenged his professors who based their lectures on the doctrines of Sigmund Freud and Max Weber. The father of psychoanalysis derived his theories from the Oedipus myth in which the Greek hero killed his regal father in order to replace him, and then, unknowingly, married his mother. This tragedy lies deep within human subconsciousness, Freud declared, leading to a neurosis that can be eased by psychotherapy. Weber, a master of modern sociology, in turn, associated the origins of capitalism with the Calvinist doctrine of the "elect" who fought "damnation" inflicted by the "original sin", and achieved salvation by working hard, postponing personal gratification, and saving and investing their income; they were the pioneers of capitalism and their material success proved that they were God's elect. This process, in turn, developed the notion of individualism, whose extreme manifestations lead to harsh social consequences. In the following article, based upon interviews with the author, Dr. Rotenberg posits his counterthesis to these two seminal figures, in the context of Judaism and specifically of adult Jewish education. Behind every psychology and sociology, he insists, lies a theology.

100