Pluralism and its Purposeful Introduction to a Jewish Day School

Abstract

Pluralism is an ambiguous term with a multiplicity of meanings. In recent decades there has been a proliferation of a newer category of Jewish Day Schools, the Jewish Community School. Jewish Community Schools distinguish themselves by positioning pluralism as a foundational concept of their school's ethos. Very little is known about how individuals within these schools understand the notion of pluralism. This case study uses in-depth interviews, documentary research, and school observations to determine how policymakers in one such Community School think about pluralism in general, and how this understanding influences their vision for the school's Jewish Education.

Bryan Conyer is a Ph.D. student with the Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney, Australia. He has recently accepted a position as Deputy Principal (Jewish Life) in an Australian pluralistic Jewish Day School. E-mail: [email protected]

Notes

¹The names of the school and interviewees are disguised.