Learning About Learning: Conversations with Scholars of Jewish Education
There is great scholarship being done in the field of Jewish education, but it’s not always accessible. And even when it is, it’s not always obvious why people in the field of Jewish education should care about it. That’s what this podcast is about—making really interesting scholarship on Jewish education accessible and talking with scholars about why it matters.
Learning About Learning draws on live conversations, originally conducted as Zoom webinars. Regular episodes feature discussions between core faculty members at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education (MCSJE) at Brandeis University, and a single scholar about a specific piece of their research. Bonus episodes include multiple voices, often discussing a newly released book, recently held conference, or other topic in Jewish education.
MCSJE is committed to advancing the field of Jewish educational scholarship, especially scholarship on teaching and learning, in order to make a deep and lasting difference in the lives of learners and the vibrancy of the Jewish community. That’s our mission. Thanks for being here, and we hope that you enjoy Learning About Learning as much as we do.
Learning About Learning: Conversations with Scholars of Jewish Education
Episode 43: Why Teaching Jewish Texts is Not Enough
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
The heart of Jewish education, it seems, is the study of the Jewish textual tradition, or what insiders call “learning Torah.” There are good reasons to think about Jewish education that way. But there are also some reasons to question that assumption, based on the history of Jewish textuality and the history of Jewish culture. In this session, Jon A. Levisohn discusses a recent book chapter, where he argues that we need to think more broadly about how and why Jewish education helps young people engage with a wide range of Jewish cultural practices.
Originally recorded: 2/26/26
At the Mandel Center, we are committed to advancing the field of Jewish educational scholarship, especially scholarship on teaching and learning, in order to make a deep and lasting difference on the lives of learners and the vibrancy of the Jewish community. That’s our mission.
To learn more about the Mandel Center, and sign up to attend upcoming virtual and physical events, visit our website.
Learning About Learning is a production of the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education at Brandeis University, and is engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media LLC.
