Jewish educators get the story from Rabbi Goldie Milgram

Rabbi Goldie Milgram

Rabbi Goldie Milgram, the esteemed mentor of some of the nation’s leading Jewish storytellers, conducted the presentations at the Joseph and Leba Zelniker Educators Conference in mid-November at the Dwares Jewish Community Center, in Providence. The theme of the conference, which is sponsored by the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, was “Telling Jewish Stories.” Milgram also conducted an afternoon session based on one of her books, “Reclaiming Bar/Bat Mitzvah as a Spiritual Rite of Practice.” The Zelnicker Conference is offered to all Jewish educators in Rhode Island.

Stories are central to Jewish tradition and are used by teachers in all subject areas, from history to holidays, Bible to values and ethics. During the morning sessions, Milgram discussed how to use stories in all aspects of the Jewish curriculum, but her main emphasis was on how to engage others when telling stories. Participants joined together in groups to rehearse various aspects of storytelling. She emphasized the need to engage students in four areas: physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.

Two techniques were surprising to most participants. One was the incorporation of a niggun (wordless melody) or short song. She presented a study of teens in Sweden that substantiated the importance of incorporating contemplative songs into learning to build community and intimacy among students.

The second surprise was using decks of mitzvah cards to promote discussion. This was a new tool to all but one educator. Even before the program began, one local rabbi asked his education director to purchase a couple of decks, as he had had great experiences using the cards.

Milgram is the editor of two anthologies of Jewish stories, “Mitzvah Stories: Seeds for Inspiration and Learning” and “New Mitzvah Stories for the Whole Family.” Both are collections of stories made popular by modern Jewish storytellers. A study guide for each story in the first volume is available online. The second volume includes questions, sources and projects for reflection, discussion and action.

The afternoon session, mainly attended by clergy, focused on how to create a bar/bat mitzvah experience infused with spirituality and meaning. The goal is for the occasion to serve as a catalyst for continued involvement in the Jewish community, not a culmination of one’s religious education.

In both the morning and afternoon sessions, Rabbi Milgram emphasized the need to really know each student: his or her interests, talents and family situations, not just learning styles. She sees teaching and Jewish spirituality as a way of connecting with each individual to personalize experiences. This viewpoint, at least educationally, was echoed later in the week by a leading high school reformer who spoke before a group of public school educators. Hopefully, this is the wave of the future in education, whether in the secular or the Jewish world.

LARRY KATZ is director of Jewish Life and Learning at the Jewish Alliance.