Learning to Read Talmud

Learning to Read Talmud is the first book-length study of how teachers teach and how students learn to read Talmud.

Through a series of studies conducted by scholars of Talmud in classrooms that range from seminaries to secular universities and with students from novice to advanced, this book elucidates a broad range of ideas about what it means to learn to read Talmud and tools for how to achieve that goal. Bridging the study of Talmud and the study of pedagogy, this book is an essential resource for scholars, curriculum writers, and classroom teachers of Talmud.

“" Learning to Read Talmud: What it Looks Like and How it Happens is an invaluable resource for teachers, scholars, and laypeople wishing to experience at close range a rich variety of approaches to the study and teaching of the Talmud, Judaism's foundational text. Jane Kanarek and Marjorie Lehman have gathered together an impressive group of distinguished scholars and master pedagogues who invite readers inside their classrooms. Readers can peer over their shoulders and observe their teaching methods first hand. Each chapter is a delight to read and is full to the brim with original insight. Nothing quite like this has ever before been attempted."”

"The volume...contains valuable, practical ideas. It should be in academic libraries where Jewish Studies are taught, and in research centers that seek to enhance the value of creative thought."—Fred Isaac, Temple Sinai, Oakland, CA, AJL Reviews (May/June 2017)
"Learning to Read Talmud: What it Looks Like and How it Happens is an invaluable resource for teachers, scholars, and laypeople wishing to experience at close range a rich variety of approaches to the study and teaching of the Talmud, Judaism's foundational text. Jane Kanarek and Marjorie Lehman have gathered together an impressive group of distinguished scholars and master pedagogues who invite readers inside their classrooms. Readers can peer over their shoulders and observe their teaching methods first hand. Each chapter is a delight to read and is full to the brim with original insight. Nothing quite like this has ever before been attempted." —Richard Kalmin, Theodore R. Racoosin Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics, Jewish Theological Seminary
"This book is an invaluable treasure of experiences and insights about the teaching of Talmud in a variety of higher education settings, from the secular university to the yeshivah. The scholars in this volume reveal the intricacies of teaching newcomers and seasoned learners alike how to read Talmud. In this exciting and enlightening volume, we witness the future of Talmud pedagogy." —Lee Shulman, Emeritus Professor of Education, Standford University
"This book makes a significant and exciting contribution to the field of teaching Talmud. Each of the articles is well written, thoughtful, and engaging. The authors ground their work in a rich body of scholarship on reflective practice in teaching and learning in general, as well as more specific literatures on the teaching of historical and rabbinic texts. this is a strong collection of articles that uncover the power of reflective practice in teaching. Indeed, as Jon Levisohn writes in his summation, the variety of pedagogies these instructors practice reveal a shared “culture of metacognition” that is relevant to teachers of Talmud and those engaged in the teaching of primary texts in any field." —Lisa D. Grant, Professor of Jewish Education, Hebrew Union College

Jane L. Kanarek is Associate Professor of Rabbinics and Associate Dean of Academic Development and Advising at Hebrew College. She is the author of Biblical Narrative and the Formation of Rabbinic Law (Cambridge University Press 2014).

Learning to Read Talmud is the first book-length study of how teachers teach and how students learn to read Talmud. Through a series of studies conducted by scholars of Talmud in classrooms that range from seminaries to secular universities and with students from novice to advanced, this book elucidates a broad range of ideas about what it means to learn to read Talmud and tools for how to achieve that goal. Bridging the study of Talmud and the study of pedagogy, this book is an essential resource for scholars, curriculum writers, and classroom teachers of Talmud.

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