“Once a Teacher, Always a Student”

BY RABBI DANNY BAIGEL

LSJS recently extended its library to include a rare books room. It homes approximately 1,500 books printed between 1500 and 1800. Two months ago, I was sitting in this room as part of a meeting that was assessing our teacher training provision. At one point, one of the external professionals praised our provision, commenting on the up-to-date research we provide as part of our training programme. As they said this, I looked around me and thought about the age of the books and the timeless wisdom they have provided for generations. It is true that our teacher training programme at LSJS proudly share the latest findings in educational research with our trainees. However, we do this within the context of our tradition. Navigating a balance of this tradition – rooted in authentic Jewish values and teachings, alongside the latest research and contemporary challenges – is something that the Jewish Studies teachers at our schools must grapple with on a regular basis.

The texts within our Jewish Studies curricula remain largely the same. The values that teachers hope to instil have not changed. However, modern educators have developed our understanding of how children learn, and are sensitive to the contemporary challenges that our children encounter. In order to teach effectively in our everchanging modern world, teachers must have time to stop and take stock.

We at LSJS provide this opportunity for educators in our annual Conference for Jewish Studies Teachers and Informal

Educators in Secondary Schools. This year’s conference took place last week when we had the honour of hosting over fifty educators. It was an opportunity for our educators to step out of their busy schedule and invest in their own learning and expertise. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, in his keynote address, reinforced that Jewish life requires all of us to be lifelong learners. Even the most knowledgeable people in our tradition are each referred to as a ‘Talmid Chacham’, a student of wisdom. LSJS supports our teachers to continue in their role as ‘students’ in the world of Jewish education. Teachers deserve time to reflect and space to consider how they can innovate back in their classrooms.

Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch, in his writings on education, explains how the educator must always be cognisant of the future pathways of the students in front of them. In a message to teachers, he writes that educators should “let the conception of the future course of their life determine the education you will give them”. Our conference certainly embodied this maxim. LSJS challenged our teachers to rethink how the core, traditional values, texts and concepts need to be framed to support the children in our classrooms in the course of their lives going forward. We want our teachers to have the opportunities they deserve to continue learning. By investing in our teachers, providing them with time to learn, develop and collaborate, the children in our classrooms will ultimately reap the benefits.

Rabbi Danny Baigel, Secondary Programmes Manager and Jewish Career Pathways Director at LSJS. To find out more about how you can start your career as a teacher please contact danny.baigel@