Thesiss

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether there were differences in attitudes and behaviors related to education, background, practices, and values of two ethnic groups of Persian American Jewry, in New York. One hundred forty-two Meshedi and Teherani Persian Jews made …

When teaching Jewish texts depicting genders as unequal, educators have expressed the concern that students may question Jewish ethics if texts are not seen as representing more positive values and gender roles. This speaks to the often-stated goal for Jewish education to give s…

Growing mental health challenges for American youth and adolescents have pushed schools to incorporate ways of learning that go beyond academic content. Despite the non-denominational goals of social-emotional learning (SEL) programs, arguably many of the core competencies overl…

This research project explores the interplay between education and identity formation with a special focus on Jewish education. It presents a historical study of the development of Jewish education and identity formation since its beginning, focusing on the major shifts and chal…

In an effort to improve perceived shortcomings in Jewish moral education, scholars offer various visions of what Jewish moral education should look like. However, implementation of any educational vision is liable to fail if its compatibility with the realities of teaching is no…

The purpose of this study was to better understand how Jewish school leaders in Toronto understand non-Orthodox Jewish day school financial sustainability. A review of literature included: (a) a multidisciplinary understanding of “sustainability”, (b) a history of Jewish educati…

This mixed-methods study examined factors and conditions that determine how parents select a Jewish education for their children. Parents were recruited to participate in the study from Jewish day schools and supplementary schools in Phoenix, AZ, San Diego, CA, Los Angeles, CA a…

This study was inspired by the abundance of literature regarding the withdrawal of non-Orthodox American Jewish teenagers from an active Jewish life (Ravitch, 2002a; Ravitch, 2002b; Kosmin & Keysar, 2000; Kadushin, Saxe, Brodsky, Kelner, & Stern, 2000; BTW Informing Change & Ros…

This study is rooted in several interests of the researcher: 1) Literature focusing on the importance of teacher identity development for pre-service and in-service teachers; 2) Several crises in the Jewish community including the high rates of assimilation and the shortage of t…

My study concerns the teacher knowledge of mehankhim, teachers in Israeli high schools entrusted to promote students' moral, civic, and social growth. It examines two mehankhim from a secular Israeli high school who participated in a long-term professional development program in…

This qualitative study was designed to explore the phenomenon of non-standardized modern Israel education in Jewish pre-collegiate educational settings across North America. Moreover, it intended to illuminate how lack of standardization in this field could have implications for…

This literary analysis, social action project, and high school sourcebook present the most recent developments in the newly constructed post-Zionist historiography evolving in Israel. The analysis builds upon earlier scholarship, explores new theories in the field of Zionist and…

Individualism and community are competing values in the late twentieth century. The dominance of individualism, which cherishes freedom and independence, is antithetical to the bonds and boundaries implicit in healthy community. The purpose of this study is to explore the ways i…

Jewish education is the key to Jewish identity formation and continuity. The majority of Jewish children in the United States receive their Jewish education in Jewish supplementary schools. This study used various methods to create a profile of teachers who currently teach in th…

This dissertation explores ways that volunteer leaders within New York Federation of Jewish Philanthropies understand the role of Judaism within their lives as well as within the Jewish community. The study utilizes in-depth interviews with fifteen volunteer leaders. It reveals …

The past several decades have witnessed the steady rise in the number of faith-based educational institutions in the United States. Among the proliferation of Christian and Muslim schools throughout the United States, Jewish day schools of various denominations have emerged as t…

There have been a limited number of studies regarding Jewish adolescents and their motivations for pursuing further Jewish education and training once they have completed b'nai mitzvah. Furthermore, related studies have focused primarily on American and Israeli populations where…

While there are a plethora of factors that contribute to the spiritual/religious development of individuals during their high school years, the Study sought to investigate what modern Orthodox students found to be spiritually/religiously inspirational in an effort to improve the…

In this study, I examine how preteens interpret classical Hebrew literature. I explore the following questions about classroom discussion: What experiences do students link to Jewish texts? How do students question them? What patterns of interaction occur to sustain discussion? …

The purpose of this exploratory study was to assess the potential viability of Holocaust education for students of grades 5-8 in New York Orthodox day schools. The researcher surveyed educators of grades 5-8 who were employed during the 2003-2004 school years in New York Orthodo…