Learning the Whole Game of Shabbat

Abstract

W hat does Shabbat at camp look like, when viewed through the eyes of a learning theorist? In this chapter, Reimer calls our attention to the way in which Shabbat at camp is a practice with its own norms and behaviors, some related to Shabbat elsewhere but many of which are distinct, into which younger students are inducted over time. On the other hand, a comparison to the theatre program at camp reveals the limitations of the present induction model for Shabbat. Reimer concludes with some recommendations for how Shabbat at camp might be designed more aspirationally. Beyond the specifics of the case, however, Reimer helped us to see how a particular Jewish educational setting may benefit from an analysis that is grounded in a theory of learning.