Each time another sordid story of sexual molestation of children comes to light, an inevitable series of questions arise. “Why didn’t the girls* protest? Why didn’t they tell their parents, a teacher, a trusted friend? Why didn’t they say ‘no!’ to the abuser, and fight back?” I applaud such outrage. It tells me that the […]
“Why Don’t the Girls say ‘No!’” Read More »
Class is about to start and students are talking among themselves. A rabbi walks into the room to confer with the teacher and everyone stands up; conversation momentarily stops in acknowledgement of the respected figure who has just entered. Another teacher then enters, someone who has been teaching Judaic studies for twelve years and is
High School: A Student Perspective Read More »
Interested in learning about current curricular trends for boys and girls, JOFA conducted interviews with three high school administrators. Below is an edited transcript of the interviews. Participants: Mrs. Esther Krauss is principal of the Ma’ayanot High School for girls in Teaneck, New Jersey. Currently in its sixth year, Ma’ayanot has 160 students. Rabbi Zev
In Their Own Words: An Interview with Three High School Administrators Read More »
In the last ten years Orthodox day schools have seen unprecedented expansion and vitality. As schools grow, so do the challenges of educating Orthodox students in a pluralistic society. In an age of gender equality, how might Orthodox schools emphasize gender distinctiveness, yet still promote equality? What messages regarding gender are conveyed to our children,
Gender Sensitive Education in the Early Years Read More »
After thirty years of Pelech, perhaps one may be permitted to speak of its work as an educational model in Orthodox feminism. The challenges, struggles and triumphs have produced a generation of graduates who have made their impact as religious, professional women. They are returning as educators; they are sending their daughters to us. The
Orthodox Feminism in Process: The Experience of the Pelech School, Jerusalem Read More »
For obvious reasons, many of the efforts of serious Orthodox feminism have focused on the education of women. There has, however, been little explicit focus on the educational implications of Orthodox feminism for the education of boys. My goal here is neither to describe the current situation nor to prescribe what should be, but rather
Orthodox Feminist Education for Boys Read More »
Exploring the David and Batsheva Story in the Creative Classroom When I told a former seminary teacher of mine I was teaching II Samuel, he challenged me: “Where is the holiness in II Samuel?” I understood his question to mean: how do we teach “difficult texts” to young students? As a teacher of middle and
Teaching Difficult Texts: Read More »
When the editors of the JOFA Journal asked me to write an article about how to educate boys to be feminists, I said that I thought that the critical question was not how to educate boys—or girls—to be feminists. I would guess that most of our sons and daughters, in fact, accept the basic assumptions
What We Should Educate For Read More »
A congregant tells the rabbi that she has an order of protection against her ex-husband, who is also a congregant of the synagogue. A teacher sees bruises on the arms of a child in her class who says he didn’t fall. An older adult in the community who used to be a regular in shul
BUILDING SAFER COMMUNITIES: A Team Approach Read More »
It is critical for leaders of youth-serving organizations (YSOs)1 to adopt child-protection policies proactively, before they are faced with a problem. Policies clarify acceptable and unacceptable behaviors that guide adults 2 to model safe interactions with children. When a policy is well communicated, it becomes integral to institutional culture and its violations are easily identifiable,
