Eighth Graders Explore Current Issues as They Relate to Judaism

In their Judaic studies class, eighth graders recently completed a project that tasked them with exploring various issues as they relate to Judaism. Working in chevruta—a Talmudic practice of studying in pairs—students researched topics from birth, death, marriage, and the after-life to sexism, racism, and homosexuality. “The idea was to give students a basic understanding of Jewis lifecycles, talk about current issues, and explore the different ways Judaism might see them,” explains teacher Jennifer Baumer. “I wanted students to be able to see that Jews all across the religious spectrum can still find value in traditions.” In addition to learning about these current issues, students also used this project to hone their presentation skills. “Students really had to synthesize the material they were presenting and use speaker notes to keep their audience engaged,” adds Ms. Baumer. “Middle school is all about learning skills and giving a good presentation is a skill that will be valuable to them as they continue on their education journey and beyond.” MORE PHOTOS