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Adult Education Should Be Judaism’s No. 1 Priority

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engage their children in rigorous intellec-
t this precarious moment for
tual and spiritual Judaism is because they
ensuring a vibrant Jewish future,
themselves aren’t being engaged in their
there are many priorities for sus-
own Jewish journeys. Meaningful Jewish
taining Jewish life. But among the many
experiences for adults have a
fine efforts to ensure a sense of
profound and enduring effect on
continuity of the Jewish experi-
the psyche and will have a trickle-
ence — Hebrew schools, summer
down effect to children. Sadly,
camps and engagement of young
such spiritual pathways to excel-
professionals — there is a route
lence have been stunted.
of engagement that has perhaps
Yet, if parents found deep
received the least amount of
meaning in the words of the
attention, the least amount fund-
Talmudic sages, if they were
ing and the least prioritization
Rabbi Shmuly
transformed by Chasidic thinkers,
in the greater consciousness of
Yanklowitz
if Yiddish poetry spoke to them, if
Jewish pedagogy. I am referring to
Mussar workshops helped them
Jewish adult education.
evolve, if social justice Torah
Before people get up in arms, I
challenged them to rethink their identity
acknowledge that nearly every synagogue
and their obligations, if Jewish art, music
has adult programming as part of their
and film helped cultivate spiritual and
institutional model. And indeed, virtually
moral imagination, if Jewish meditation
every community has some kind of small
brought deeper inner peace, if rethinking
educational initiative. Furthermore, most
about Israel or Hebrew or Biblical stories
large cities have a day (or weekend) com-
inspired them, there is no doubt they
mitted to Limmud.
would want their children engaged in the
Yet, these excursions into adult learn-
same forms of learning.
ing do not go far enough, nor do they
provide the continual substance needed
to satiate the growing interest of Jewish
JUDAISM IS ABOUT
subjects needed to keep people sustain-
ADULTS, NOT CHILDREN
ably rooted in the expanded landscape
There is a telling quote about the priori-
of intellectual Judaism. Thus, I want to
tization of adult Jewish education for the
suggest in this space three reasons why
benefit of the community: “A parent and
Jewish communities should flip priorities
child must both study Torah. When pos-
to ensure adult education, rather than
sibilities exist for only one, the adult’s per-
children’s education, is the No. 1 priority
sonal needs take precedence to the child’s”
for the Jewish future.
(Kiddushin 29b, Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 245:2).
What does this quote mean in context?
ADULT LEARNING IS
Indeed, it means that Judaism is not a chil-
dren’s game. The primary goal of Judaism
THE PATHWAY TO
is not engaging children, but in actualizing
CHILDREN’S JEWISH EDUCATION
One of the most frequently asked ques-
Jewish values in the world. It is an ever-
tions I receive from Jewish parents across
expanding enterprise about the relevance
the denominational spectrum is: “Rabbi,
of business ethics, medical ethics, relation-
how do I get my child (or grandchild) to
ship development, spiritual growth, per-
love Judaism?” My initial answer is always
sonal healing and so much more.
the same: “You must love it!”
Bringing God down to earth requires
The main reason that parents don’t
sophisticated thought and sophisticated

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minds. Bringing ethics into the workplace
and godliness into the home requires deep
spiritual and emotional investment. Many
go on to receive advanced secular degrees
and it is no wonder they view Judaism as
irrelevant and childish when their Jewish
education stopped as the teen years began.
The Jewish answers they still remember
are children’s answers. More tragically, the
questions are children’s questions.
It is true that for Judaism to survive,
we must ensure the next generation is
engaged and invested. But surviving only
matters if the adults who received that
education are themselves thriving. Does
Judaism have wisdom to offer the 21st-
century human condition? Are Jews a force
for moral development, spiritual advance-
ment and improving the broader society?
Judaism will only thrive (and survive) if
Jewish adults are learning Jewish wisdom
and ensuring that wisdom continues to be
applied in nuanced ways to each era.

ADULT EDUCATION HAS
THE BEST POTENTIAL
FOR ENGAGEME NT

It will always be true that some will not be
interested in synagogue participation, in
Israel advocacy, Holocaust memory events
or even matzah ball soup! Indeed, some
are still shocked that some don’t buy into
mainstream establishment Judaism. But
rigorous pluralistic Jewish adult learning
offers the tool, with the most depth and
breadth, for Jewish adult engagement.
There are individuals who can be
reached through synagogues, federation
and education institutions. Others who
actively (or passively) reject engagement
with establishments will require post-
institutional engagement (often referred
to as “Third Spaces”) with gatherings in
family rooms, coffee shops, the workplace
or bars. No matter where they end up,
there is always the potential to engage in
meaningful and novel ways if our com-

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munity has the humility to move beyond
institutional walls and establishment pro-
gramming.
When we talk about “adult Jewish edu-
cation,” we must be clear that we’re not
primarily talking about competency, flu-
ency and literacy (the alef-bets of Jewish
knowledge), but rather about relevancy.
We are not asking others to sacrifice
their values or time by learning with us.
Rather, we are making the case that they
will be able to thrive in life more deeply
if Jewish wisdom and learning is a part
of their life. They will benefit greatly
from this newly strengthened attention.
Adult Jewish learning need not be
relegated as an afterthought, nor does it
have to follow a cookie cutter approach
into mediocrity and, ultimately, irrel-
evance. When performed with clarity
and vigor, Jewish adult learning is as
dynamic and energetic as education for
kids or young professionals.
In my work as the president and dean of
Valley Beit Midrash, we work hard to bring
endless passion to our work to demon-
strate that pluralistic adult Jewish learning
is a transformative vehicle that is acces-
sible but not watered down, joyful but also
challenging, deeply rooted but also non-
dogmatic, traditional and progressive, and
respectful of the past but also pursuing a
forward-looking agenda.
In this manner, we not only challenge
old routines of Jewish learning, but we
create new communities looking forward
to each new opportunity to explore. We
expand our identity beyond the confines
of our location, spreading learning efforts
out into the ether for those who seek it.
We make the richness of Jewish thought
accessible to people who believed it was
inaccessible. And that’s how learning,
especially for adults, should be. •

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz is the president and dean of
the Valley Beit Midrash and the author of 10 books.

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