| Abstract: | The current educational policies of limiting and constricting the curricular goals of the afternoon Jewish school are detrimental to this form of Jewish education. The afternoon Jewish school is the link between the Jewish child and the Jewish cultural heritage. Our task as educators is to provide a realistic curriculum that is both teachable and testable. Yet, the greater task is to provide our students with a total vision of the Jewish cultural experience. This demands a study of Bible, history, synagogue and prayer skills, Jewish social studies, holidays and Jewish practices and an insight into Jewish philosophical concepts. The afternoon Jewish school cannot become a Bar Mitzvah factory, nor a place where the rote skills of synagogue life are taught. Rather, it must be a setting where the young Jew can learn about the vast cultural and religious heritage of his people. This is often a difficult task but the various Jewish curricular institutes must provide the Jewish school community with educational materials that can meet the needs of teachers as well as students. |
