old challenges — new challenges

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This article was downloaded by: [The University of Manchester Library] On: 25 November 2014, At: 05:00 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Jewish Education Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ujje20 Old Challenges — New Challenges Alvin I. Schiff Published online: 13 Mar 2008. To cite this article: Alvin I. Schiff (1983) Old Challenges — New Challenges, Journal of Jewish Education, 51:3, 2-2, DOI: 10.1080/15244118308547981 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15244118308547981 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub- licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http:// www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

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Page 1: Old Challenges — New Challenges

This article was downloaded by: [The University of Manchester Library]On: 25 November 2014, At: 05:00Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

Journal of Jewish EducationPublication details, including instructions for authorsand subscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ujje20

Old Challenges — New ChallengesAlvin I. SchiffPublished online: 13 Mar 2008.

To cite this article: Alvin I. Schiff (1983) Old Challenges — New Challenges, Journal ofJewish Education, 51:3, 2-2, DOI: 10.1080/15244118308547981

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15244118308547981

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information(the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor& Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warrantieswhatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purposeof the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are theopinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed byTaylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon andshould be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor andFrancis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands,costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever causedarising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of theuse of the Content.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes.Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expresslyforbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

Page 2: Old Challenges — New Challenges

EDITORIAL COMMENTS

OLD CHALLENGES — NEW CHALLENGES

Jewish Education as a Career — Attracting talented young people to Jewish educationalcareers is a critical challenge. Retaining them is ofttimes more problematic. Maximizing theirpotential is even more difficult. Meeting each of these challenges requires money and ingenui-ty. Attracting and retaining have received much attention — not enough, to be sure — duringthe last few years. While money is not the total answer to the problem, one cannot obtain bettertalent and retain effective personnel without additional funding.

While the day school and yeshiva provide full-time positions, these schools will not be ableto attract talented young people without offering a living wage and the promise of career ad-vancement. More funding is also needed to respond to many dimensions of the personnel chal-lenge in supplementary schools, to (1) improve entry level salaries; (2) convert Jewish teachinginto a full-time profession; and (3) enhance the level of knowledge of the growing number ofteachers with minimal Judaic backgrounds.

Excellence cannot be achieved if the largest proportion of teachers is part and part-part-timepersonnel — no matter how motivated and enthusiastic they are. This requires a redefinition ofthe teacher's role. Much has been said and written about making the teaching profession afull-time profession. Making the teacher a family educator will help provide full-time posi-tions. This requires dollars as well as a creative approach to staffing. On the other hand, wemust realize that for some communities and some personnel, the part-time nature of Jewishschool teaching is a welcome feature.

For all personnel, the key challenge is making the Jewish education profession—particular-ly teaching — an attractive, competitive, satisfying career. Here the response must bemultifaceted. It requires creative, cooperative efforts between all segments of the Jewish com-munity and readiness to support dramatic changes in teacher training, recruitment, retention,instructional standards and growth possibilities.

Teachers and Technology — Formal education is a very personal activity. The core of theprocess is interaction between teacher and student. As teachers increasingly utilize the growingvariety of interactive technologies available for the classroom they will spend less time inter-acting with pupils. It is clear, however, that hardware and software will never (read "can"never) replace the teacher. Here the challenge to teachers is to integrate the new learning realiainto the teaching-learning process without diminishing their personal interactive roles.

Lay Professional Roles — With the growing attention being paid to Jewish education in theJewish community and the surfacing of education as a key national, state and local issue, laypeople are bound to become increasingly involved. This development will augur well for themaintenance and progress of formal Jewish schooling. Indeed, Jewish education direly needsmore active, supportive laity. The challenge here is to define the respective roles of lay andprofessional leadership so that professionals and lay leaders can work in tandem and under-stand and appreciate each other's responsibilities and potential contributions.

v ALVIN I. SCHIFF

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