Insights

I have been watching a lecture series by Rabbi Ariel Burger, a former student of Elie Wiesel’s and author of Witness. Lessons from Elie Wiesel’s Classroom. The series has covered a broad range of topics, such as “The Greatest Jewish Tales,” “Jewish Diversity and Pluralism,” and “The Jewish Love Affair with Stories,” but I have especially appreciated the insights into teaching Burger has shared.

In one lecture, Burger held up a large, bound book, the title of which is loosely translated as “The Book of Torah Insights.” He gives this book to students who have completed a rigorous course of Torah study. Then he opened the book to reveal its blank pages. Burger was making the point that even after centuries of commentary by erudite scholars, in Judaism it is not only permissible, but encouraged, for individuals to ask questions and arrive at their own insights.

Early in my career I taught a course, “Life, Career and Education Planning,” for adult learners. The academic component of the course was adult development theory. We examined the phases of psychosocial and moral development that, theoretically, all adults had in common.  At that time, almost all the psychologists and educators writing about adult development were white men from elite universities. Nevertheless, anyone who didn’t fit their theories was considered “deviant” at worst, “different” at best.

As students shared their life experiences, they began to see that few of them fit the theoretical frameworks. They began to realize that scholars could and should be questioned. Many of them had been labeled “misfits” during their prior educational experiences, or told they weren’t smart enough for college. Encouraging them to ask critical questions and honoring their responses gave them new self-esteem. I took great pride on watching this process unfold and continue to believe that questioning is essential to all learning.