INDIVIDUALS PRACTISING COMMUNITY: THE CENTRAL PLACE OF INTERACTION IN THE EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY OF LIMMUD JONATHAN BOYD, BA (HaNS), MA THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF EDUCATION APRIL2013 ABSTRACT In light of growing evidence of exogamy among Jews and diminishing levels of community engagement, the question of how to sustain and cultivate Jewish identity has become a major preoccupation in the Jewish world since the early 1990s. Among the numerous organisations, programmes and initiatives that have been established and studied in response, Limmud, a week-long annual festival of Jewish life and learning in the UK that attracts an estimated 2,500 people per annum and has been replicated throughout the world, remains decidedly under-researched. This study is designed to understand its educational philosophy. Based upon qualitative interviews with twenty Limmud leaders, and focus group sessions with Limmud participants, it seeks to explore the purposes of the event, its content, its social and educational processes, and contextual environment. It further explores the importance of relationships in Limmud's philosophy, and the place of social capital in its practice. The study demonstrates that Limmud's educational philosophy is heavily grounded in the interaction of competing tensions, or polarities, on multiple levels. Major categorical distinctions drawn in educational philosophy and practice, and Jewish and general sociology, are both maintained and allowed to interact. This interaction takes place in a "hospitable and charged" environment - one that is simultaneously safe, respectful and comfortable, whilst also edgy, powerful and challenging - that allows the individual freedom to explore and navigate the contours of Jewish community, and the Jewish community opportunity to envelope and nurture the experience of the individual. The study suggests that the interaction of these competing forces, in the context of an intensive Jewish experience, may 21Page be an important feature of Jewish educational initiatives attempting to respond to the identity challenges described above. More generally, in detailing a contemporary educational model that sustains religious/ethnic identity whilst emphasisingcritical thought and openness to competing claims and ideas, it presents an approach that may be applicable in other religious and ethnic communities. 31Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many people helped me in the lead up to, and completion of this research, and I am grateful to them all. My former teacher, Professor Sir Martin Gilbert, and my former professional supervisor, Yonatan Ariel, both actively encouraged me to pursue my academic interests, and supported my initial application to the EdD programme at the University of Nottingham. My tutor at Nottingham, Professor W. John Morgan, supported me throughout, constantly providing valuable sources of insight and advice with his unique blend of patience, encouragement and humour, and helping me to complete it despite the significant changes that have taken place in my life since first registering at the university. Amongst the changes that took place was a sabbatical at the Mandel Institute in Israel, where I was fortunate to study with Professors Ze'ev Mankowitz and Daniel Pekarsky, both of whom inspired me to think about education in new ways, and taught me as much through their example as they did from the various texts we read together. In addition, I took up my current role at the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR)during the course of my studies, and I am extremely grateful to my colleagues - notably Dr David Graham and Dr laura Staetsky - for the lessons they teach me daily about social and demographic research that can be found throughout this work. I also acknowledge Harold Paisner, the chairman of JPR, for allowing the Institute to support my studies, as well as the United Jewish Israel Appeal (UJIA), which funded them in the early years. Twenty people gave up their free time to be interviewed by me and to share their thoughts and ideas freely, and without them, this thesis would never have been possible. In 41Page interviewing them all, without exception, I was struck by their common passion and intelligence, and am extremely grateful to them for their insights. The focus group participants similarly gave up their time freely, and provided me with yet more food for thought. I am particularly grateful to Raymond Simonson, the former Executive Director of Limmud, who helped me to identify and contact several of the interviewees, and allowed me access to the Limmud office throughout. The one constant throughout the doctoral programme has been my wife, Shoshana, who has had to endure numerous evenings and weekends looking after our children without my support, while I attempted to make some progress. She has encouraged me continually, and listened patiently to my thoughts and ideas, often offering guidance and insights that contributed to my overarching thesis. I would not have completed this work without her, and remain indebted to her in ways that cannot ever be fully expressed. Iacknowledge my children too - Natan, Ariella and Ely - who were denied (or perhaps spared!) time with me when they should have had so much more of my attention. Watching them grow up is the greatest privilege I have ever known, and interacting with them teaches me more about education than almost anything else I do. Throughout the course of writing this thesis, Professor Morgan pushed me to simplify my overly verbose writing-style, and to curb some of the "American" influences that appear to have found their way into it as a result of my time living therel Ihope I have succeeded; if I have not, the blame is entirely mine, but his mantra of "clarity and brevity" will remain with me for all time. ----~-- --------------_- ------- -- _---- ~-----~---.----- --- -~---------- ------~----------- SIPage Finally, I dedicate this thesis to my late father, Martin Boyd (Zll/), whose teaching and vision of Jewish education inspires me continually, and to my children, Natan, Ariella and Ely, whom he never knew, but who interact with him daily through the example he set me. 61Page CONTENTS Chapter 1: Introduction 10 Chapter 2: Jewish Education and the British Jewish Community 18 Introduction 18 Jewish education 18 The Jews of Britain 26 Recent developments in Jewish education in Britain 33 Chapter 3: Literature Review and Theoretical Perspectives 42 Introduction 42 Non-formal education: foundational principles 45 Non-formal education: definitions 48 Educational criteria to examine when labelling an educational endeavour 57 Colley, Hodkinson and Malcolm's four criteria: 'process'; 'location and setting'; 'purpose'; and 'content' 60 Non-formal Jewish education 63 Social capital 67 limmud 82 Chapter4: Research Methodology and Methods 92 Introduction 92 Purpose of the research 94 Methodological issues: epistemology and ontology 98 Methodological issues: quantitative and qualitative research 101 Quantitative research 102 Qualitative research 104 Mixed methods 107 Methodological principles in this thesis 108 Research design 109 Research methods 113 Conceptual framework 116 Resources and ethical issues 119 Developing the research strategy 123 Conclusion: the research strategy 129 Chapter 5: Data Analysis 132 Introduction to research findings 132 71Page Purposes 133 The paradox of purposeful purposelessness 133 Jewish journeys 135 The individual/collective balance 138 The "wow" factor 141 Volunteering 142 learning and education 144 Diversity, equality and egalitarianism 148 Access point and catalyst 150 Summary: key elements of Limmud's educational purpose 152 Content iSS Content undefined 155 Community as content 157 Content as experience 163 Navigating community 164 Empowerment and change 167 Summary: key elements of Limmud's educational content 168 Process 171 Learner portraits 171 Engage and connect 174 Making informed, empowered choices 175 The teacher-learner union 178 Individual and collective learning 182 Measuring effectiveness 184 Summary: key elements of Limmud's educational process 190 Context 193 The spatial dimension: "Planet Limmud" 193 The university campus 194 Being Jewish out loud 197 Social space 199 Reinforcing learning 201 The temporal dimension: Limmud time 204 The Christmas factor 206 Summary: key elements of Limmud's context 208 Social Capital 210 Introduction 210 The non-explicit heart of Limmud 210 Relational social capital 212 Respect 212 81Page Rules without a rule book 216 Structural social capital 221 Volunteering 221 Education and learning 223 Tools and devices 226 Summary: the place of social capital in Limmud 230 Research Conclusions 233 Defining the indefinable 233 timmud's philosophical base 234 Contradictory ideas in creative tension 235 Practice of community 245 Palmer's "Community of truth" 246 Conclusion 248 Chapter 6: Conclusion 251 Introduction 251 Summarising the findings 252 Gaps in the analysis and implications for future research 256 Appendices A. Glossary of Hebrew and Jewish terms 260 B. Participant information form 265 C. Participant consent form 266 D. Interview guide 268 E. Focus group discussion guide 271 F. timmud's organisational chart 272 G. Limmud's mission and values statement 273 H. Limmud programme examples 275 Bibliography 285 91Page CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION In December 1980, a few dozen individuals involved in various aspects of Jewish education in Britain gathered together for