Addressing the standard of Jewish education in South Africa

JORDAN MOSHE

So said Rabbi Dr Rafi Zarum, Doctor of Theoretical Physics and Dean of the London School of Jewish Studies at a breakfast held at Investec this past Tuesday.

Hosted by the Academy of Jewish Thought and Learning, the event marked the launch of the National Educators Development Programme (NED).

Geared towards jumpstarting a revolution in Jewish education and educational leadership in the Jewish community in South Africa, the NED seeks to re-emphasise the value of professional Jewish education, and raise our community to the international standard.

Zarum explained that there are three different names by which we Jews have been called throughout history that relate to the importance of education in our faith. He said, “We are known as Ivrim, Bnei Yisrael, and Yehudim – Hebrews, Israel, and Jews. Each one tells us something about who we are as a people.”

Zarum continued, “The first Hebrew, Avraham, was defined by his challenging nature. He developed moral values and challenged the order of his day. Yaakov, his grandson, was given the name Yisrael, meaning honesty before G-d. Yehuda, the name of a tribe and the last Jewish kingdom, contains the name of G-d, and therefore connotes a sense of morality, and trust in the Almighty.”

He explained that these three names by which we are known represent us – our language, our home, and our faith. “They represent us and what we stand for,” Zarum said. “We therefore need to know what we stand for and what our message is. It is only through knowing, through education, that we can secure the future.

“If we know who we are, we have a future. Our teachers, our educators, are Ivrim, Yisraelim and Yehudim – they combine all three through teaching. If we support them, and if we are challenging Hebrews, sincere Israelites, and faithful Jews, we have a bright future ahead.”

Rabbi Ramon Widmonte, the Director of the Academy, then explained the vision of the institution moving forward, and the need which it addresses. “In the wake of the tragedy of Pittsburgh, the time which follows is transformative for us as Jews. In such difficult times, we can employ one of two responses. We can look inward and reflect on ourselves. Alternatively, we can put our heads down and recommit to what we really are about, and pursue it. We react by committing ourselves to education.

“It is for this reason that we launch NED today. Our aim is to see 30 educators through to a master’s degree in Jewish education in the next five years. Presently, we have only one person with such a qualification in South Africa. There is no one with a BA in Jewish education. We have no one with a qualification in teaching Hebrew as a second language. It is a communal responsibility to address this.

 “We want to nurture educators, and see them fill this gap. This type of growth is not instant, but organic. We have to nurture our educators and stop them being eaten up like a pizza. We are committing ourselves to a project that promotes education the way it should be.”