Learning about Learning in Jewish Education

Abstract

n this chapter, Kelman begins with a critique of Jewish educational researchers’ rel-ative neglect of learning processes, and points his readers to the work of Lave and Wenger as a framework for understanding Jewish learning and its outcomes. He suggests five directions that emerge from Lave and Wenger’s sociocultural learning theory: learning about and from a variety of “experts” in realms of Jewish activity or engagement; deep examination of the way learning happens in different Jewish educational settings; exploration of the broader ecology of Jewish learning; a focus on technology and Jewish learning; and the way in which “non-Jewish Jews” learn about Jewish communal participation. Through charting these directions, Kelman builds his case for the importance of greater attention to Jewish learning as a focus for Jewish educational research.