Abstract
It has become a widely accepted fact that across every age and stage, the field of Jewish education is split between the sub-fields of “formal” versus “informal” (also known as “experiential”) education, or between “education” versus “engagement.” It is time to wonder why and how we got here. By analyzing the ways that we tend to talk about learning in Jewish life, we can see how this bifurcation is not helping but hindering us. But when we dig below the surface of the debates and competition for resources, we are able to uncover two deeper principles of learning that, when combined, can result in Jewish learning that is both transformative and enduring (useful and empowering in one’s life, well beyond the learning experience), whether we are on a mountain, by a lake, in a classroom, or a board room.