Deborah Peretz / August 15, 2025
Jewish education has long relied on a linear model of teaching history – a timeline that begins with our foundational narratives and moves sequentially toward the present day. This approach offers clarity and order, helping students contextualize events and discern patterns of cause and effect. Many beautifully crafted resources follow this format, chronicling the Jewish people’s journey from our patriarchs and matriarchs through exile, redemption, struggle, and renewal, ensuring the modern-day benchmarks of ’48, ’56, ’67, ’73, and beyond are thoroughly addressed.
But is a linear view of our history enough to instill in students a holistic understanding of who we are as a people? Are these few milestones the full measure of our story, or do they leave out essential threads of Jewish life and identity? As Dr. Zohar Raviv, a leading voice in the field of Israel Education notes in his article, The Story of the Ever-Living People, these benchmarks are not who we are: “These are the interruptions to our story.” He continues: “For a healthy identity, Judaism should be celebrated, not defended. I am here to celebrate my Judaism, and I will defend it if need be. As educators we must realize that defending Judaism should never be a goal, but an outcome; we need to forge a Jewish identity based on the inner mechanisms of Jewish life, rather than based on external threats to Jewish living.”
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