Conference on Teaching Rabbinic Literature

Bridging Scholarship and Pedagogy

January 27-28, 2008

Videos

January 27, 2008 – morning
January 27, 2008 – afternoon/evening
January 28, 2008 – morning
January 28, 2008 – afternoon

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January 27, 2008 – morning

Plenary 1: Opening Session [video 26:48]
Concurrent Sessions A

Session A1: Teaching Halakha
Chair: Daniel Reifman (Midreshet Lindenbaum)

Session A2: Teaching Mishnah
Chair: Jeffrey Spitzer (Gann Academy)

Session A3: Teaching Rabbis
Chair: Scott Bolton (Reuben Gittelman Hebrew Day School)

  • Yehuda Kurtzer (Harvard University), “Rabbinic Judaism for Rabbinic Jews: Teaching Ancient Jewish History to Rabbinical Students” [abstract] [video 27:25]  
  • Aryeh Cohen (American Jewish University, LA), “Some Things Rabbis Should Know about Mishnah and Tosefta, and How They Might Learn Them: A Report from the Field” [abstract] [PowerPoint] [video 21:23]   
  • Respondent: Susan P. Fendrick (Brandeis University) [video 9:45]
  • Q&A [video 32:37]

Session A4: Teaching in a Beit Midrash
Chair: Jane Kanarek (Hebrew College Rabbinical School)

Concurrent Sessions B

Session B1
Chair: Marjorie Lehman (Jewish Theological Seminary)

Session B2
Chair: Claudia Marbach (JCDS, Boston's Jewish Community Day School)

Session B3
Chair: Deena Sigel (University of London)

Session B4
Chair: Helen Plotkin (Swarthmore College)

Session B5
Chair: Shai Cherry (American Jewish University)


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January 27, 2008 – afternoon/evening

Plenary 2
Concurrent Sessions C

Session C1: The Contextual Orientation
Chair: Dvora Weisberg (HUC-JIR, Los Angeles)

Session C2: The Literary Orientation
Chair: Elliot Kaplowitz (Brandeis University Hillel)

  • Avraham Walfish (Herzog College, Alon Shvut, Israel), “A Literary Orientation to Teaching Rabbinic Literature: An Inquiry into Its Use with Orthodox Students” [abstract] [handout] [video 24:16]   
  • Respondent: Reuven Cohn (Maimonides School) [video 10:58]
  • Q&A [video 25:18]

Session C3: The Torah/Instruction Orientation
Chair: Elyse Winick (Koach, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism)

Session C4: The Cultural Studies Orientation
Chair: Mara Benjamin (Yale University)

  • Gidon Rothstein (HAFTR), “Helping Students Get Their Feet in the Door: Geertz' 'Thick Description' and the Use of Academic Scholarship in the Teaching of Rabbinic Texts” [abstract] [video 19:20]  
  • Respondent: Beth Berkowitz (Jewish Theological Seminary) [video 10:50]
  • Q&A [video 35:04]

Session C5: The Halakhic/Legal Orientation
Chair: Barry Wimpfheimer (Northwestern University)

Concurrent Sessions D

Session D1: Teaching Talmud
Chair: Lisa Schlaff (SAR High School)

  • Michael Chernick (HUC-JIR, New York), “Brisk, Jacob Neusner, and the Stam: Significant Methodologies for Meaningful Talmud Teaching and Study” [abstract] [handout] [video 23:38]   
  • Aryeh Klapper (Gann Academy), “How Should Ethically Challenging Texts Be Taught? Reflections on Student Reactions to Academic and Yeshiva-style Presentations” [abstract] [handout] [video 20:04]   
  • Respondent: Lawrence Kaplan (McGill University) [video 11:24]
  • Q&A [video 27:11]

Session D2: Preparing Compelling Learning Sessions
Chair: George Nudell (Congregation Beth Israel)

  • Carl Perkins (Temple Aliyah), “The Pedagogy of Serendipity: Presenting the Weekly Parasha through the Eyes of Rabbinic Texts” [abstract] [video 23:42]  
  • Elyse Winick (Koach, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism), “Mediating the Text and Fostering Organic Discussion: The Challenge of Creating Rabbinic-Text Study Guides” [abstract] [video 25:45]  
  • Respondent: Elyse Goldstein (Kolel: the Adult Centre for Liberal Jewish Learning) [video 12:43]
  • Q&A [video 25:20]

Session D3: Studying Teachers of Rabbinic Literature
Chair: Benjamin Mann (Solomon Schechter School of Manhattan)

Session D4: Teaching Adults
Chair: Elana Stein (Columbia University)

  • Marcie Lenk (Harvard University), “Learning from Adult Learners: What Students Can Teach Us about How to Teach Rabbinics” [abstract] [video 21:21]  
  • Jeffrey Rubenstein (New York University), “How Scholarship Can Contribute to Pedagogy: The Example of the Shifting Scholarly Paradigms in the Study of Rabbinic Narratives” [abstract] [video 19:52]  
  • Respondent: Judith Kates (Hebrew College Rabbinical School) [video 14:00]
  • Q&A [video 31:36]

Session D5: Teaching Midrash
Chair: Chaim Galfand (Perelman Jewish Day School)

Plenary 3: How Goals Affect Pedagogy in Teaching Rabbinic Literature

Moderator: Susan P. Fendrick (Brandeis University)


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January 28, 2008 – morning

Plenary 4: The Uses and Abuses of Academic Scholarship on Rabbinic Literature

Moderator: Gail Zaiman Dorph (Mandel Foundation)

Concurrent Sessions E

Session E1
Chair: Jethro Berkman (Temple Aliyah)

  • Jeffrey Spitzer (Gann Academy), “Developing Student Awareness of the Talmud as an Edited Document: A Pedagogy for the Pluralistic School” [abstract] [video 23:26]  
  • Respondent: Lisa Schlaff (SAR High School) [video 10:49]
  • Response by Jeffrey Spitzer [video 3:29]
  • Q&A [video 20:03]

Session E2
Chair: Joshua Moss (American Hebrew Academy)

Session E3
Chair: Avraham Walfish (Herzog College)

Session E4
Chair: Shawn Fields-Meyer (Milken Community High School)

Session E5
Chair: Neal Scheindlin (Milken Community High School)

  • Dov Lerea (Abraham Joshua Heschel School), “The Pedagogic Conversation: How Student, Text, and Teacher Interact to Shape Student Understanding of the Mishnah” [abstract] [video 28:43]  
  • Respondent: Shawn SimonHazani (Perelman Jewish Day School, Philadelphia) [video 14:10]
  • Q&A [video 19:52]

Session E6
Chair: Robin Nafshi (Rimon: Collaborative Jewish Learning in MetroWest)


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January 28, 2008 – afternoon

Concurrent Sessions F

Session F1: Teaching Rabbinic Literature in Jewish Day Schools: A Roundtable
Moderator: Susan M. Kardos (Combined Jewish Philanthropies)

Session F2: Teaching Rabbinic Literature in Rabbinical Schools
Chair: Ethan Linden (Camp Ramah of New England)

  • Sarra Lev (Reconstructionist Rabbinical College), “Teaching Rabbinics as an Ethical Endeavour and Teaching Ethics as a Rabbinic Endeavour” [abstract] [video 20:00]  
  • Jonah Chanan Steinberg (Hebrew College Rabbinical School), “Talmud Study as a Spiritual Endeavor in Rabbinical Training: Delights and Dangers” [abstract] [video 20:57]  
  • Respondent: Marjorie Lehman (Jewish Theological Seminary) [video 8:04]
  • Q&A [video 27:55]

Session F3: Teaching Rabbinic Literature at the Margins: A Roundtable
Moderator: Evyatar Marienberg (Jewish Theological Seminary)

Session F4: Pursuing Relevance in the Teaching of Rabbinic Literature
Chair: Joel A. Alter (JCDS, Boston's Jewish Community Day School)

Concurrent Sessions G

Session G1
Chair: Ethan Tucker (Mechon Hadar)

Session G2
Chair: Michael Satlow (Brown University)

Session G3
Chair: Solomon Schimmel (Hebrew College)

Session G4
Chair: Alieza Salzberg (Matan / Bar Ilan University)

  • David Starr (Hebrew College), “Making the Strange Familiar, the Familiar Strange: Teaching Rabbinics to Adults in Me’ah” [abstract] [video 24:03]  
  • Respondent: Michael Balinsky (Florence Melton Adult Mini-School) [video 8:30]
  • Response by David Starr and Q&A [video 1:53]

Session G5
Chair: Michael Gillis (Hebrew University)

Plenary 5: Conference Conclusion
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