Principles and Pedagogies in Jewish Education

Barry Chazan, an eminent scholar with a long and distinguished career in the field of Jewish education, has published a short, engaging book entitled Principles and Pedagogies in Jewish Education. In language that is crystal clear, the book serves as a capstone to Chazan’s philosophical writing, rendering it accessible to the nonacademic reader. To make the book even more inviting, Chazan has taken the unusual step (at least in our field) of making a digital copy freely available online through Open Access. Formerly a professor at the Hebrew University, now at George Washington University, Chazan has always had a foot in the world of practice. He has consulted with the Jewish Community Center Association and served as International Director of Education at Taglit-Birthright Israel. In 2008 he and his wife, Anne Lanski, founded the iCenter, where they work with professionals on a range of new approaches to Israel education. What makes this book so engaging is its combination of clarity and passion. The language is cogent and simple, but never simplistic. Chazan’s arguments are rigorous, but his love for his subject shines through, particularly in the final chapter, where he writes: “Being human, Jewish and an educator enable me to work in diverse settings, doing what I regard as the most engaging, exciting, and holy ways to live a life.” (p.128) I imagine a big smile on his face as he wrote, in the Coda: