It’s All Relative: Roots to Nechama Liebowitz

Those in the know, know the name Nechama Leibowitz as an impassioned educator, commentator, Zionist, and scholar whose brilliance had, and continues to have, a significant impact on the way Tanakh is taught and studied throughout the world, including here at JCDS!

A woman light years ahead of her time, Liebowitz, introduced an inquiry-based approach to teaching Tanakh in the 1930’s. Her forward thinking and pluralistic views brought comparisons and interpretations from a vast array of Bible commentators, as well as the use of multiple literary devices to study and probe the Tanakh more broadly and deeply.

In 8th grade Tanakh class, teacher (and Bible scholar in her own right) Dorit Zmiri, studies the Biblical story of Yosef and Eshet Potiphar (Potiphar’s wife) with her students using Liebowitz’s methodology. Students compare the shrewd differences in word choice that Potiphar’s wife uses when telling her servants the story of her alleged sexual assault in contrast to the way in which she retells the same story to her husband, illustrating both her thought processes and frailties of the human condition.

Before this particular teaching came a unique introduction, as 8th grader, Hadas Liebowitz, great-great-niece of Nechama, offered a first hand presentation of her great-great-aunt to her classmates. Explaining Nechama’s extraordinary journey and background, Hadas, who bears a striking resemblance to her, discussed Nachama’s lineage, unprecedented influence on the study of Bible, and accomplishments, while also speaking of her humbleness and humility.

From Israel, to Tanakh, to JCDS; a spectacular familial 8th grade connection.