Jon A Levisohn

When the COVID-19 virus hit in March 2020, educators scrambled to adapt to the elimination of face-to-face educational programs, and the Jewish and general educational blogosphere erupted as the experts weighed in with advice. Some of these experts opined that kids need structure, and that educational programs ought to maintain their schedules as much as possible. Their advice, therefore, was to convert classes to synchronous, online activities, to maintain the familiar amidst the instability. Others insisted that, now more than ever in this uncertain time, kids craveconnection. Content coverage must take a back seat; borrowing from E.M.Forster, “Only connect." Still others pointed to the upheaval facing families with children, and demanded maximal flexibility and synchronicity. The role of the educator, in their view, was simply to provide resources—to be a curator of resources or a guide through them—and to get out of the way. Let families find their own paths at their own pace in their own time

In February of 2019, Peter Beinart and Daniel Gordis appeared
together at Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel to engage in a public debate
on Israel—but on one topic, they were in total agreement. Beinart
called the American Jewish community “the most ignorant world
Jewish community maybe that’s ever existed.” Gordis was quick
to concur. “[I agree with] your point about the evisceration of
Jewish knowledge in this country… This is a disaster scene."