Much has been written about inclusivity in education, although less about Jewish inclusivity in the educational field, as this is a much smaller field of research.
When I think about pluralism in the Jewish world, I am constantly amazed at how people whose views of Judaism are very far from each other can find common ground, but in education, sometimes, it seems rather more complicated. Modernity brings problems that we must contend with, as Professor Seijás rightly says when speaking of more secularised communities: "By building their Judaism from non-religious aspects, they lack the knowledge that allows them to build their own Jewish lives and to know why they should do so [...]. Thus, the problem of transmitting traditions to future generations arises." Hence, the challenge of modernity is also an educational challenge, both in schools and at home.
In One People? Tradition, Modernity, and Jewish Unity, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (z"l) argues for a form of inclusivism where all individuals in the community are Jews, regardless of their adherence to Orthodoxy. If this is so, then all such individuals have the right to receive a Jewish education. In a homogeneous community, this seems fairly straightforward, and indeed, in many places, schools have been established that are tailored to each denomination. While this exclusivist approach may have certain advantages, it can also lead to a tendency in these communities (especially when it comes to Orthodoxy) towards isolation from those who do not belong to the denomination in question.
But what happens when we are faced with an educational space comprising several heterogeneous communities? Here, the answer is less simple.
To answer this question, we must bear in mind that there is not, nor has there ever been, a single type of Judaism: we have commentators who have different opinions on the same fundamental principle; there are religious celebrations observed by North African Jews that those with Ashkenazi roots do not celebrate.
Thus, we may affirm that diversity is a characteristic of Judaism, and therefore an important attribute for having a deep understanding of it. And if we want to understand the diversity of our Judaism, we will need a functioning diverse school.
Kopelowitz proposes the middle ground solution: a broad space that would include those who are somewhere between Orthodoxy and complete secularisation.
In this context, in terms of knowledge of rituals and tradition, the more Orthodox students would have an advantage, but what about completely secularised families? They too should know about their Judaism, about their roots and their traditions, if we want them to carry forward the torch of past generations. After all, how can you love that which you do not know?
Thus, one possible response to the educational challenge posed by the coexistence of different Jewish communities would be a pluralistic approach, which on the one hand ensures that the most secularised families receive an education rich in Jewish content; while at the same time, the most Orthodox families can learn about different halakhic and cultural points of view outside their comfort zone.
Pluralism exposes our students to new and/or reinterpreted ideas and concepts; it allows them to learn about aspects of Judaism that they may not see at home; and it helps them to not see other Jews as strangers. This strengthens the foundations of their understanding of Judaism, not only from a religious point of view, but also from a historical and identity perspective.
A pioneering example of this is JCoSS (Jewish Community School), the only Jewish secondary school in the UK that adopts a pluralistic Jewish approach. It is an educational space where ideological diversity is celebrated in the classroom through the use of makhloket le-shem shamayim ("dispute for the sake of heaven", a Talmudic term referring to constructive disagreement of principle motivated by the genuine search for truth) as a method of discussing the contrasting points of view of the different denominations of Judaism, in an atmosphere of mutual respect in the faith of a shared tradition.
The Jewish Studies curriculum is rich and varied. Throughout the years of secondary school, students cover a variety of topics ranging from biblical history to Zionism, the study of the Shoah and controversial issues within Halakha. All of this is taught by a group of professionals representing different branches of Judaism, who share the school's pluralistic vision, always seeking to find a balance between tradition and modernity.
In a world full of fake news and anti-Semitism, in a post-October 7th world, we need educational institutions that allow our students to acquire a powerful and deep knowledge of Judaism in all its aspects, of our traditions, history and beliefs that are part of our identity, of our diversity. This is our best weapon to face the challenges of our community, both present and future.
Diversity is the foundation of our survival, and being able to understand each other within the broad expressions of our Judaism will help us to build a lasting future for our communities despite our differences. In the classic pluralistic formulation adopted as the JCoSS motto: elu v’elu divrei Elokim chayim, “These and those are the words of the living God.”
Aaron is a graduate of Melton Centre’s MA in Jewish Education program. He currently serves as a Teacher of Jewish Studies at JCoSS (UK)
Bibliography:
KOPELOWITZ, E. (2005): Jewish identities. In “Modern Judaism: An Oxford Guide.” Oxford: Oxford University Press.
SEIJAS DE LOS RÍOS-ZARZOSA, G. (2015): Judaísmo y judaísmos: una realidad plural y compleja. In “Ilu. Revista de ciencias de las religiones”, 20. Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
ZACKS, Rabbi J. (2008): One People? Tradition, Modernity, and Jewish Unity. Liverpool University Press.