Jewish literacy and better educational skills are vital but not enough to develop or even sustain Jewish identity. Knowing about Judaism, even connecting personally to the content – is not enough.
Without the preserving agent, all the wheat will go to tragic waste. The harvest will not endure. Commentators on the Talmud note that the wheat makes up 95% and the preserving agent 5% of the total, but without this crucial 5%, everything will be heartbreakingly wasted.
We have become quite adept at teaching the “black fire.” But it is the “white fire” which will preserve the learning. Awe infuses an educational environment with a sense of transcendence. As in a relationship based on love, communication is the springboard for getting to moments beyond words. The Midrash writes that, notwithstanding the wise words of our prayers, silence is the deepest prayer. We want the words, the communication, and the knowledge – but these are tools to reach the end goal. There is something beyond.
In my own life, I am grateful for the privilege to have studied with scholars and top-notch educators. Their knowledge entered my head and their pedagogical skills brought the wisdom into my heart. But the impact usually stopped there. When the educator teaches with awe – connected to the spiritual world, following his/her own spiritual journey and drawing from his/her own soul – there is an intensity, a mystery, an importance, and a blessing that is not present when merely teaching content “well.” Learning acquires fragrance.
Imagine creating educator training programs that strengthen Jewish literacy, develop teaching skills, AND help educators cultivate an inner spiritual life – an awe. Imagine educator training programs that infuse “white fire” as well as “black fire.” Imagine making room for the mind, the heart, and the soul in Jewish education.
We have a problem to overcome: Teacher training and professional development programs that nurture the inner lives of educators are not practical or feasible given the present landscape of Jewish education. The ground needs to be prepared before the seeds can be planted. The first step is to focus on the agents of change: principals, heads of Judaic departments, donors, and foundations – the leadership. We need a paradigm-shift at the top.
Our students will not be more spiritually alive than their teachers, and our teachers will not be more spiritually alive than their bosses. If our ultimate goal is to foster the inner lives of our students, then we must foster the inner lives of our educators. To do this – to develop awe and vibrant spiritual lives in our teachers – we first need to foster the inner lives of the Jewish educational leadership and begin the process of real change in a school’s culture.
In Israel, youth who have all the literacy in the world – Hebrew, knowledge of Torah and commentators, and even proficiency in reading Gemara – are overwhelmingly disconnecting from Judaism after their years of formal education are over.
I once remarked, albeit too glibly, that our name – “Yisrael” – means to wrestle with God. We should either begin to do it, or change our name.
For all the millions of dollars now dedicated to Jewish literacy and connection– where is the 5% dedicated to awe, to the inner spiritual life of our leadership and educators?