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Pluralism in Jewish Education

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International Handbook of Jewish Education

Part of the book series: International Handbooks of Religion and Education ((IHRE,volume 5))

Abstract

A growing number of Jewish educational institutions are choosing to incorporate the term “pluralism” into their mission and values statements. The use of this term might derive from the acknowledgement of diversity of student populations, or the active nurturing of values, such as tolerance and respect, so that students will embrace and feel comfortable amongst differences. This chapter unravels some of the ambiguous language surrounding pluralism within Jewish educational settings and summarises the existing discourse and research on pluralism in relation to Judaism and Jewish education. The chapter ultimately provides a philosophical framework to help policy-makers and educators determine what pluralism could mean within the context of their own Jewish educational organisation, as also provide a stimulus for the teaching faculty to help bridge the gap between theory and praxis.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Many other models also exist. See Walzer (1997) for examples of political arrangements that facilitate cultural pluralism, Appleton (1983) for socio-cultural models and Sleeter and Grant (2003) for socio-cultural models within an educational context.

  2. 2.

    For example, at the political level, see Schlesinger (1992).

  3. 3.

    See Kellner (2008), chapter “Curriculum Integration” for further exposition on this.

  4. 4.

    Literally translated at “truth and belief” though the statement is never translated in Conservative Movement publications.

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Conyer, B. (2011). Pluralism in Jewish Education. In: Miller, H., Grant, L., Pomson, A. (eds) International Handbook of Jewish Education. International Handbooks of Religion and Education, vol 5. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0354-4_16

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