In this episode, Jennifer Stern Granowitz and Erin Beser speak to Jewish educator and artist Sarah Damelin about the importance of integrating art in Jewish education to teach valuable critical thinking skills of exploration, interpretation, and decision making. Listen to Damelin’s advice on how to engage different types of learners when making art and how to talk to them about their work.

Why is talking about race within the Jewish community important? Jennifer Stern Granowitz and Erin Beser speak with Benny Witkovsky, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Sociology at UW-Madison, for some background on how to talk about race in white Jewish learning spaces. Talking about this will inherently make people feel uncomfortable – so let’s get uncomfortable.

Discussion and Reflection Questions

1. What is your experience and understanding of race?

2. Do you think it is important to speak about race in the Jewish community? Why or why not?

3. Where do you see a potential opportunity to incorporate a discussion about race with your students?

4. How can we use our Jewish identities to deepen our understanding of race and racial injustice in America today?

5. A question from Benny Witkovsky: What do we do with our history? How do we use it to bring us to action today?

Resources: Anti-Racism Resources Part 1 for Families (pasyn.org)

Details

Setting

  • After School and Beyond
  • Congregational Learning
  • Day Schools and Yeshivas
  • Educator Training