What place does the question occupy in the educational fields that you pass through? Do you plan the questions you will ask your class? What criteria do you use in asking those questions? What is the time you allot for students to ask questions? How do you teach them to ask good questions? Are the students’ questions the triggers for the projects you plan?
As Melina Furman maintains in her book (2021), Teaching Differently, "good questions [...] help us to pose challenges and problems and give clues to guide learning.” She adds that as educators we are tasked with teaching our students to ask questions, and that the formulation of questions can be used as a tool - and as content in its own right - allowing us to discover our students’ interests and knowledge. As an example, we might consider the integration of GPT Chat, as discussed in a previous post, and the enormous challenge it poses for learning and teaching how to ask questions.
What is the place of questions in Judaism? If we look to the classical sources, we find that curiosity is at the root of Jewish culture. The study of the Torah has inspired a vast literature over the centuries, including the Mishnah and the Gemara (which were originally the “Oral Law”). Each new layer of study, exegesis, and codification adds to the multiplicity of interpretations and answers to questions.
The subject of questions is of particular relevance at this time of year. We are currently celebrating Pesach (Passover), one of the major holidays on the Jewish calendar,, lasting eight days (seven in Israel) and commemorating the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago under the leadership of Moses. Tradition tells us that we should gather as a family and perform a ‘Seder’, (literally, an ‘order’ of steps) designed to help us re-experience the liberation, celebrate our freedom and reflect on its significance. The text of the Haggadah includes stories, explanations of biblical verses, songs, and blessings to be recited over the special symbolic foods and the cups of wine that are placed on the table to play their important role in evoking memories and bringing the experience alive.
When we review all the steps comprising the Pesach seder and pay close attention, we find a didactic sequence. Each of the steps has a meaning, fulfills a function and teaches us something. For children and those who are not completely familiar with the tradition, each element teaches a different aspect of what is commemorated on this night. To those who know not only the story but also all the accompanying explanations and customs, the Seder offers an opportunity to relive it all from the new perspective that comes with life experience. One of the themes of the night is the asking of questions, and these are answered with the help of the texts and stories along with a variety of pedagogical resources. Near the start of the evening, children are encouraged to sing “Ma Nishtana” ("What makes this night different"), a set of four questions that are answered over the course of the Seder. What is the importance of this tradition? Why do we actively generate curiosity during the Seder so that the children are involved in what is going on and come to learn the story? Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (2017) argues that “unless parents pass on their memories and ideals to the next generation, the story of how they won their freedom and the battles they had to fight along the way, the long journey falters and we are lost.” Excerpts from the Torah that appear in the Haggadah mention that when children ask their parents about why we perform rituals to remember the history of Pesach, we must tell them that we were slaves and then delivered. The assumption is that the questions will be asked. The question has value, it is necessary and it sustains us. Curiosity ensures our continuity. Sacks adds, referring to the verses that appear in the Haggadah, “reading them together, the Sages came to the conclusion that [1] children must ask questions, [2] the Passover narrative must be constructed in response to questions formulated by a child and beginning with them, [3] it is a parent's duty to encourage his children to ask questions, and the child who does not yet know how to ask should be taught to ask." Many centuries ago it was already understood that the question is fundamental in education.
The questions push us to investigate, to investigate new paths, to try. The message is meant for teachers and students alike, since time immemorial. As educators we must understand the importance of generating curiosity, of asking the right questions that generate interest in the what and how of what we do. The Passover traditions are a wonderful example of the place and value given to the question in Judaism.
Thinking and rethinking what methodologies we use and what strategies we choose is a mainstay of our role as educators. Training, professional progress and the improvement of our practice are key elements.
We invite you to learn about the Melton Center Master's program in Education with a Specialization in Jewish Education. By clicking here[1] you can access the course list and contact details to request further information.
Bibliographic references
Furman, M. (2021). Enseñar distinto: Guía para innovar sin perderse en el camino. Buenos Aires: Siglo XXI.
The Necessity of Asking Questions, Rabbi Sacks, 2017.